Carl Smith Cards CS/1008/00076709 and CS/1008/00076710 refer to the 1951 will of Edith Charlotte Ainslie widow of Melbourne Hotel Mody Road Kowloon. Details of her various holding of shares are listed and she mentions her sister Mrs Bertha Baker of San Franciso and two sons Richard Gegg and William Gegg.
Of particular interest is the beginning of the will "having sold all my jewelry (sic) while I was in Stanley Incampment Camp (sic) and 33 cheques in hand with the controller of currency in Hong Kong are proceeds of such sales lodged with the Hong Kong Reptriation Claims Department for loss of my furniture and house property..... "
This seems to fit Barbara Anslow's description of the homeless woman in Letters from Hong Kong
" Went with her on launch to island , then on govt. lorry to the Convent where she will stay until she finds somewhere to live"
5 June 1947 Passenger List Hong Kong to Los Angeles USA
Edith Carlotta (sic) Ainslie 65 born Trinidad Port of Spain purpose of visit "for pleasure"
Ancestry Tree BAKER gives her maiden name as Edith Carlotta Johnson-Lee born Trinidad 1882 and husband as George William Gegg 1875 - 1920 and sons Richard and William Gegg. No mention of marriage to Ainslie. Her mother died 1925 Penang Singapore.
Carl Smith Cards 3 October 1927 Ernest James Ainslie merchant of Repulse Bay Hotel married Mrs Edith Carlotta Gegg widow of 14 Broadwood Road at St Margaret's Church Happy Valley
Her death was reported on page 7 of the SCMP, 21 Jan 1951:
MRS E. C. AINSLIE
An old resident of Hongkong, Mrs Edith Carlotta Ainslie, died early yesterday morning at St Teresa's Hospital, aged 70. Born in Trinidad, she came to the Colony over 30 years ago, and during the Japanese occuption was interned in Stanley Camp.
Her first husband was Mr George William Gegg, formerly of Messrs Hughes and Hough, Ltd., and a one-time jockey of the Hongkong Jockey Club, by whom she had three sons. One son, George, died during the fighting in Hongkong in 1941. Of the other two, one is a mining engineer in Canada and the other (Dr William Gegg) is a doctor in Sydney, Australia.
The late Mrs Ainslie also leaves two sisters, Mrs Bertha Baker, of San Francisco, and Mrs Agnes Hidden, of Mingessen, Western Australia.
The cortege will pass the Monument at 5.30 p.m. tomorrow, January 22.
Hello, My name is Margot Gegg. I live in Chico, CA. My father is William Stanley Gegg who was born and raised in Hong Kong and was captured by Japan when Hong Kong was invaded during World War II. I am wanting information about my grandmother, Edith Carlotta Johnson-Lee Gegg Ainslie. I know she lived in Hong Kong from before my father was born in 1920 until she died in 1951. During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, she was interned in a POW camp.
We know very little about her family except that she has two sisters, Agnes Cecelia Eva Johnson-Lee Hidden and Bertha Kang Johnson-Lee Baker. My great aunt Bertha, is buried in Chico Cemetery a mile from where I live. A huge coincidence! Edith's mother and father died in Penang, Malaya
I found something on the internet a while ago that Annpake on GWULO had a mention that Edith's mother was named Fuk Siu-Yee. It is possible that my great-grandmother could be Chinese as the entire Johnson Lee family came from Trinidad and Tobago where there is a large Chinese population. We don't know anything about Edith's family and hope to find more information through GWULO.
I would appreciate any information that could assist my siblings and me in finding out who Mr. and Mrs. Johnson Lee were.
I don't have any direct answers, but a couple of suggestions:
"It is possible that my great-grandmother could be Chinese..." - have you thought of taking one of the DNA tests that shows which parts of the world your ancestors came from? That would quickly let you know if you have Chinese ancestors or not.
Then do you know if the Johnson Lees ever lived in Hong Kong? If not, the Hong Kong records won't be much use, but could you try contacting your Baker and Hidden relatives, to see if they have any information? e.g. the comment above by annpake mentions 'Ancestry Tree BAKER', so you could contact whoever is managing that family tree on Ancestry.com to see if they can help.
Good luck with your search, and please let us know if you find any new clues or answers.
Hello and thank you for your helpful response. Some of what you suggested we do know. It's very possible that my great grandmother would be Chinese. DNA results from sibling notes 10.5% Chinese, mostly from Guangdong. There were a lot of Chinese in Trinidad and Tobago where my grandmother and her sisters lived. I've researched Baker and Hidden with no mention of parent names. The most amazing coincidence is that my great Aunt Bertha Baker, Edith's sister, is buried in Northern California in the town in which my family lives. Nothing could have prepared me for that coincidence.
Comments
Edith Carlotta Ainslie/Gegg nee Johnson-Lee 1882 - 1951
Carl Smith Cards CS/1008/00076709 and CS/1008/00076710 refer to the 1951 will of Edith Charlotte Ainslie widow of Melbourne Hotel Mody Road Kowloon. Details of her various holding of shares are listed and she mentions her sister Mrs Bertha Baker of San Franciso and two sons Richard Gegg and William Gegg.
Of particular interest is the beginning of the will "having sold all my jewelry (sic) while I was in Stanley Incampment Camp (sic) and 33 cheques in hand with the controller of currency in Hong Kong are proceeds of such sales lodged with the Hong Kong Reptriation Claims Department for loss of my furniture and house property..... "
This seems to fit Barbara Anslow's description of the homeless woman in Letters from Hong Kong
" Went with her on launch to island , then on govt. lorry to the Convent where she will stay until she finds somewhere to live"
5 June 1947 Passenger List Hong Kong to Los Angeles USA
Edith Carlotta (sic) Ainslie 65 born Trinidad Port of Spain purpose of visit "for pleasure"
Ancestry Tree BAKER gives her maiden name as Edith Carlotta Johnson-Lee born Trinidad 1882 and husband as George William Gegg 1875 - 1920 and sons Richard and William Gegg. No mention of marriage to Ainslie. Her mother died 1925 Penang Singapore.
Carl Smith Cards 3 October 1927 Ernest James Ainslie merchant of Repulse Bay Hotel married Mrs Edith Carlotta Gegg widow of 14 Broadwood Road at St Margaret's Church Happy Valley
Her death was reported on
Her death was reported on page 7 of the SCMP, 21 Jan 1951:
MRS E. C. AINSLIE
An old resident of Hongkong, Mrs Edith Carlotta Ainslie, died early yesterday morning at St Teresa's Hospital, aged 70. Born in Trinidad, she came to the Colony over 30 years ago, and during the Japanese occuption was interned in Stanley Camp.
Her first husband was Mr George William Gegg, formerly of Messrs Hughes and Hough, Ltd., and a one-time jockey of the Hongkong Jockey Club, by whom she had three sons. One son, George, died during the fighting in Hongkong in 1941. Of the other two, one is a mining engineer in Canada and the other (Dr William Gegg) is a doctor in Sydney, Australia.
The late Mrs Ainslie also leaves two sisters, Mrs Bertha Baker, of San Francisco, and Mrs Agnes Hidden, of Mingessen, Western Australia.
The cortege will pass the Monument at 5.30 p.m. tomorrow, January 22.
Edith Carlotta Gegg
Hello, My name is Margot Gegg. I live in Chico, CA. My father is William Stanley Gegg who was born and raised in Hong Kong and was captured by Japan when Hong Kong was invaded during World War II. I am wanting information about my grandmother, Edith Carlotta Johnson-Lee Gegg Ainslie. I know she lived in Hong Kong from before my father was born in 1920 until she died in 1951. During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, she was interned in a POW camp.
We know very little about her family except that she has two sisters, Agnes Cecelia Eva Johnson-Lee Hidden and Bertha Kang Johnson-Lee Baker. My great aunt Bertha, is buried in Chico Cemetery a mile from where I live. A huge coincidence! Edith's mother and father died in Penang, Malaya
I found something on the internet a while ago that Annpake on GWULO had a mention that Edith's mother was named Fuk Siu-Yee. It is possible that my great-grandmother could be Chinese as the entire Johnson Lee family came from Trinidad and Tobago where there is a large Chinese population. We don't know anything about Edith's family and hope to find more information through GWULO.
I would appreciate any information that could assist my siblings and me in finding out who Mr. and Mrs. Johnson Lee were.
Thank you,
Margot Gegg
re: Edith Carlotta Gegg
Hi Margot,
I don't have any direct answers, but a couple of suggestions:
"It is possible that my great-grandmother could be Chinese..." - have you thought of taking one of the DNA tests that shows which parts of the world your ancestors came from? That would quickly let you know if you have Chinese ancestors or not.
Then do you know if the Johnson Lees ever lived in Hong Kong? If not, the Hong Kong records won't be much use, but could you try contacting your Baker and Hidden relatives, to see if they have any information? e.g. the comment above by annpake mentions 'Ancestry Tree BAKER', so you could contact whoever is managing that family tree on Ancestry.com to see if they can help.
Good luck with your search, and please let us know if you find any new clues or answers.
Regards, David
Edith Carlotta Johnson-Lee Gegg Ainslie
Hello and thank you for your helpful response. Some of what you suggested we do know. It's very possible that my great grandmother would be Chinese. DNA results from sibling notes 10.5% Chinese, mostly from Guangdong. There were a lot of Chinese in Trinidad and Tobago where my grandmother and her sisters lived. I've researched Baker and Hidden with no mention of parent names. The most amazing coincidence is that my great Aunt Bertha Baker, Edith's sister, is buried in Northern California in the town in which my family lives. Nothing could have prepared me for that coincidence.
Thank you,
Margot Gegg
See both: Passing of Mrs…
See both:
Passing of Mrs. Johnson-Lee, printed October 12, 1925 | Gwulo
and
Passing of Mrs. Lydia Johnson-Lee, printed October 23, 1925 | Gwulo