Chief engineer of Charles Baudouin steam ships, Alfred Walters married Kathleen Lysaught, youngest daughter of William and Isabella Lysaught on 18 September 1909. I’m grateful to Patricia O’Sullivan for this information. The Lysaught family are well documented in her book Policing Hong Kong. In 1916-1917, Alfred’s name is given as that of the rate payer of nos. 1 & 2 “Belvedere”, Broadwood Road, but is deleted in the 1918-19 Rate Book, and replaced by that of the new owner Wong Yee Chung. It seems probable that one of the houses was the home of Alfred’s mother-in-law, Isabella Lysaught, as the date of sale coincides with her death in April 1917.
Coincidentally, I note that two other new Broadwood Road houses, (nos. 7 and 8) were also owned by members of a single family in 1916. Patrick Murray at no. 7, a marine engineer like Alfred Walters, was the brother-in-law of Annie Bond at no. 8. The two families (Murrays and Lysaughts) both owned European houses in the Wanchai Road and had built up wealth over several generations. They were probably long term friends. Both Isabel and Annie were of Macanese descent.
“Belvedere” nos. 1 and 2 are also recorded as nos. 9 and 10 Broadwood Road respectively, and as Sections K and L of I.L. 1947. Isabella’s address at the time of her death in 1917 is given as “Belvedere”, Leighton Hill in the Carl Smith card. Although the Belvedere houses were newly built as a part of the 1915 Broadwood Ridge development, perhaps the top of Broadwood Road continued to be known as Leighton Hill.
In the 1920s jurors list, Alfred is given as an engineer with China Light and Power. Carl Smith records him marrying a second time to Emeline Fox in 1940. Kathleen, his first wife, had died in 1919.
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Alfred Joseph Walters ? - 1947
Carl Smith card 150319
Will of Alfred Joseph Walters marine engineer. All my estate to Miss Emeline Fox to whom I shall be married tomorrow dated 7 May 1940. She to be executrix.
Affadavit 10 March 1947 Emeline Watter (sic)
Presumably Alfred Joseph Walters died in 1947 and he married Emeline Fox 8 May 1940
Alfred Joseph Walters death date?
Thanks. I've corrected the date of Alfred Walters's second marriage. I took the possible date of his death from the Archive section of the PRO under his name, but without access to the actual document. It may well be the same date as the affidavit. I imagine his grave would be in the Catholic cemetery.
Re: Alfred Joseph Walters
Sunday Herald 23 June 1946
An application to presume the death of Alfred Joseph Walters, missing since 17 December 1941 was granted at the Supreme Court on 22 June to Emeline Walters, his wife.
Mrs. Walters, Group Warden in the Air Raid Precautions Department attached to District Headquarters, District "D" at 46 Robinson Road, said that on 14 December 1941, her husband who was Chief Engineer of the S. S. "Kau Tung" telephoned her that his ship had been scuttled and that he had joined the Auxiliary Transport Service (ATS).
The last time Mrs. Walters saw her husband was on the evening of 16 December. She said her husband had to leave early the next morning to go to his post. Mr. Walters did not return home that evening and subsequently went missing.
Mrs. Walters searched for information on her husband and later found out in the days after Hong Kong had fallen that a Mrs. G. L. Bagram had nursed a man answering to the description of Mr. Walters at the First Aid Post at Wah Yan College. She later saw Mrs. Bagram who confirmed that she had a nursed a man on 17 December with a ration card and diary bearing the name of A. J. Walters. Mrs. Bagram informed her that the man had succumbed to his injuries.
As Mr. Walters' name did not appear on any list of internees and without further news of him after peace had been declared, Mrs. Walters believed that her husband must have died on or about 17 December 1941.