As told by Adam Murray Bage, and published with his permission 

My father, Henry Johnson Bage known as Johnny or Johnson, by the family was born in North Shields in 1909. He married a Jewish girl, Dora Abramson (Dolly) from Whitley Bay in the early 30’s.  

They had 2 children, Adam Murray (me) in 1935 and Miriam Eleanor in 1939. Johnny Bage was a shipwright/diver, as was his father John Bage, with the Tyne Improvement Commission having served his apprenticeship on the swing bridge at Newcastle. He worked at the Pier Works in South Shields and during and immediately after the war also did duty in the lighthouse on the South Pier. We lived in Whitehall Street, off Stanhope Road, Tyne Dock, South Shields. 

In 1948, at the age of 39, his health having been affected by the rigours of wartime diving, and also because of the economic circumstances on Tyneside, he decided to emigrate. He applied to go to Australia (his brother George was there) and also to Canada and South Africa. As South Africa came up first with assisted emigration it was decided to go to that country. 

He and his family arrived in Cape Town on the Winchester Castle, a former troopship that was used to bring Immigrants to South Africa after the war. As he had a job waiting in Port Elizabeth with a building contracting company started by a former chief engineer of the T.I.C., he and his family made their way to that city, by train, with fares borrowed from the 1820 Settlers Association. Their first home was a single room in a boarding house that catered for new immigrants. He died in 1966 followed by my mother in 1971. 

After finishing high school I worked for a short while for an audit company and then joined a large US motor manufacturer. After 16 years with that company I joined a large German vehicle manufacturer and spent 25 years with the company. In 1976 I was admitted as a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and attended Harvard University Graduate School of Business On my return to South Africa I assumed the position of Financial Director.  I retired from this position in 1993. 

During my career I also served as a non executive director on a number of boards of directors including a large national home loan and building society, an international hide, skins and leather trader,  and as president of the local Chamber of Industries. I also was appointed by the Minister of Finance as a member of a special tax court which position I still hold. 

After retiring in 1993 I was appointed to the Board and as acting C.E.O of a group of private hospitals and also as vice chairman of a foundation that provides housing and care facilities for the aged.  During this period I was invited to go to Canada to manage the disposal of the manufacturing facilities of an international motor manufacturer, which assignment was completed in 1998. 

In 2000 the family bought a small company that supplies and services material handling and storage equipment.  This company is run by our youngest son. 

In 1958 I married Joan Oberholtzer, a sixth generation direct descendant of Richard Bowles an 1820 settler who came to South Africa on the Weymouth.. He is reputed to have served with Nelson at Copenhagen and at Trafalgar where he was injured losing an eye. 

We have had 2 sons David and Andrew, both of whom are married with 2 children. David emigrated with his family to England in 2001. 

My sister Miriam, married Ken Jones and they had 4 children. After retiring from an American vehicle manufacturer after 50 years service, Ken took over the management of the Cheshire Homes, while Miriam was a senior manager in an international battery manufacturer. Both are now retired. 

(Ed; This family is a branch of the Tynemouth Family Tree)