Browne & Baines Family History

THE BROWNE AND BAINES FAMILIES

Post War (WWII) John Richard Browne (b1922, Belfast, Northern Ireland) marries Eileen Gladys Baines (b1923, Harwich, Essex) thus uniting the Baines family from Essex and the Browne family from Ireland.

John's sisters, Valentine Alice (1917-1938), Freda Doreen (b1920) and Bertha Browne (1925-1985) are all born in Belfast, Northern Ireland

BERTHA BROWNE (1925-1985)

Bertha's Marriages (The MATEER and BELL-MURPHY families)
John's oldest sister, Bertha Browne (1925-1985) marries Stafford Mateer sometime before 1943 and in 1963 (after Stafford's death) she marries William Bell-Murphy (1900-1981). William had been married twice before, both his previous wives had died, the first in childbirth. His second wife, Gladys Louise Rutherford (1906-1958) gave birth to four daughters, Hazel, Audrey, Gloria and Gladys Louise Bell-Murphy (1930-1993).

Bertha's marriage to Stafford Mateer
Bertha Browne and Stafford Mateer have three children, Geoffrey, Cynthia and Stafford.

Cynthia (Bertha's daughter) emigrated to South Africa (late 1960s or early 1970s), being posted there as an Executive by her company 'Coca Cola' and is believed to have married over there.

Stafford (c1943-1975) (Bertha's son) was a victim of the IRA conflict in Northern Ireland when he was shot while driving his car, at the junction of Albertbridge Road and Woodstock Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland. He died two days later, on the 14 April 1975.

Geoffrey (Bertha's son), little is known of Geoffrey other than shortly after his brother (Stafford) was killed in 1975 Cynthia (their sister) came home to Northern Ireland from South Africa and persuaded Geoff to emigrate to Africa.

Bertha's second husband - William Bell-Murphy (1900-1981)
Bertha and William were married in 1963, Belfast, Northern Ireland; they had no children together but both had children by previous marriages.

William Bell-Murphy's parents, Mary Bell (1862-1949) and Hugh Murphy (d.1902) were married in Saint Marks Church of Ireland, Newtownards, Co. Down, Ireland on 2 June 1894. William, born in Newtownards, Ireland died on 18 Jan 1981 and is buried in Dundonald with his parents, Bertha is not in the grave. 

William a member of the B-Specials (Ulster Special Constabulary (USC)) lied about his age to get in. He had four daughters, Gladys Louise (1930-1993), Hazel Joan, Audrey and Gloria by his second wife, Gladys Louise Rutherford (1906-1958). She was born 21 July 1906 and grew up in Sunderland, County Durham; she died on 8 July 1958 from Multiple Sclerosis. Her family who where ship builders went to work in Harland & Wolff (Belfast) from Birkenhead, Merseyside.