Wylde family

the descendants of Edward Andrée Wylde 1822-1897

Greenwich Hospital

Edward Teast Wylde (1791-1860) - Mary Mitchell Wylde's great grandfather

Edward was born in Yatton, Somerset and joined the Royal Navy at the age of 15 being promoted to Lieutenant when he was 23. At the age of 25 he married Magdalena Andrée (Maddy) in Suriname, a Dutch colony in South America. Upon their return to England Edward and Magdalena (Maddy) were re-married by his father the Rev Sydenham Teast Wylde. They had nine children and often included the name Andrée when Christening them.

Edward served on various vessels in the Royal Navy and spent his final years as Adjutant at the Greenwich Naval Hospital (home for retired sailors).

Edward Andrée Wylde (1822-1897) - Mary Mitchell Wylde's grandfather

Edward was born at Blagdon Court, Blagdon, Somerset

His father Edward Teast Wylde had been in the Royal Navy, but Edward joined the Royal Marines and served as a Captain aboard HMS Hannibal in the Crimean War in 1845. He went on the reach the rank of Major General.

In 1853 he married Ellen Drew in London. They had two sons - Charles and Edward.

When he died he was living at Kilburn Villas, 24 Villiers Road, Southsea. His wife died 17 years later in Windsor.

Edward Andrée Wylde (1858-1925) - Mary Mitchell Wylde's father

Born in Manchester 29 April 1858 - Became a Royal Marine officer like his father.

Whilst serving in Australia in 1881 he married Theresa Mary Mitchell, daughter of one of Australia's richest men.

They had three daughters - Helen (1883-1967) who married Carl Moeller, Maud (1885-1960) who married Gerald Irvine (killed in WW1) she then married Colin Cameron. Their youngest daughter was Mary (1890-1976) who married Harold Ozanne.

He reached the rank of Full General in the Royal Marines retiring in 1923 and died on 11 October 1925 aged 67 at Evelyn Mansions, Carlisle Place, London SW1

Helen Wylde (1883-1967) - Mary Mitchell Wylde's sister

Helen was the eldest of Edward Wylde's three daughters. Aged 27 she was sailing back to England after visiting her cousins in Australia (she was the granddaughter of James Sutherland Mitchell). On board she met Carl Moeller a German, who was employed as the captain of the Governor's Yacht in German New Guinea in the Pacific. He was travelling back to Europe to collect a new Governor's yacht - to be named the 'Komet'. They married in 1910 and returned to the Pacific where they spent the next few years sailing the Pacific islands. In 1914 her parents (Theresa Mitchell and Gen Edward Wylde) were visiting her in German New Guinea when WW1 broke out. The whole family were briefly put under house arrest and the yacht Komet was captured by the Australian Navy. Carl was then imprisoned in Australia as an enemy alien. Helen chose to remain with her Carl even though as British citizen she was free to leave. They had two sons and daughter and after the war they briefly returned to England.

As a return of the defeat of Germany Carl had lost all his money, but not his spirit of adventure, so he decided to take his young family to South America to grow coffee. They chose Paraguay as it had been colonised by the Germans. Unfortunately coffee did not grow in Paraguay's climate so they lived on a smallholding in genteel poverty.

After Carl's death Helen moved to Buenos Aires. Her sons Bernard and Jim took German nationality. Jim stayed in Buenos Aires and Bernard lived mainly in the States. He spent his last few years in Totnes, Devon to be close to Helen, who had returned to England as a widow. She died in a village outside Newton Abbot, Devon.