Michael Bryer is a nephew of Rachel Levin, my 2x great aunt. Morris family HERE. Bryer family HERE
Parents: Barnett Bryer (1878 - 1958) and Dinah Rachel Morris (1879 - 1969)
Tombstone for Michael's mother Dinah who is buried in the Westpark Cemetery in Johannesburg, grave block M, grave no 358. His father Barnett is buried in the Bloemfontein memorial cemetery, plot no 10:601
Born: (April - June) 1904 in Liverpool, England. The family migrated to South Africa sometime between 1908 and 1911
Siblings
- Nathan Bryer (1908 - 1990) married Rose Frankel (1908 - 1984) on 31 December 1933 in Johannesburg, South Africa
- Maurice Bryer (1911 - 1986) married Dorothy Kollenberg (1918 - 2010) on 11 January 1951 in Bloemfontein, South Africa
- Leon Bryer (1919 - 1994)
Occupation: Medical practitioner. After qualifying at the University of Cape Town he came to England in 1926 and gained registration there on 2 November 1926
Travel
1920
1925
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1926
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Death
23 June 1933 in Essex, England at age 28, from suspected suicide. The coroner announced an open verdict There were numerous articles in the English press over his disappearance, a reward offered for information, the finding of the body, the inquest and a cousin disputing its findings. Here are a representative sample covering the various stages, from disappearance to disputing the inquest findings:
Missing
MYSTERY REPORTED TO POLICE
Hospital House Surgeon Disappears
Dr. Michael Bryer, who has been house surgeon at Whipp's Cross Hospital, Leytonstone, for the past two years has been reported missing to the police.
Dr. Bryer wa last seen by the Hospital staff on Friday. He went out about 3 p.m. and nothing further has been heard of him.
He is 34 years of age, and became a registered practitioner in this country in 1926. He has the degrees of M.R.C.S. (England) and L.R.C.P. (London) and recently he sat for two further medical examinations.
A SINGLE MAN
The description of the doctor, who is single, and is believed to have come from South Africa, is height 5ft. 8in., complexion and hair dark, brown eyes, clean shaven, prominent nose and chin, medium build. He was wearing a grey flannel sports suit and horn-rimmed spectacles, and was carrying a mackintosh when he left hospital on Friday. (Evening Chronicle, Monday, June 26, 1933)
LOST MEMORY HEALER IS MISSING
WHAT is the mystery behind the disappearance of Dr. Michael Bryer, house surgeon at Whipps Cross Hospital, Leytonstone, E., who has not been seen since he left the hospital on Friday ostensibly to go for a walk?
During his hospital routine, Dr. Bryer, who is only 34, has treated numbers of people suffering from lost memory, and it is feared that he himself may now have lost his memory.
"We have no idea what has happened to him." an official at the hospital told the "Daily Herald" yesterday.
He went out on Friday afternoon appearing well and cheerful and we have not heard a word from him since.
"He has been with us about four years and is known to thousands of people. He has been working hard lately and that may have caused him to lose his memory."
Dr. Bryer, who is unmarried, and is believed to have come from South Africa, is 5ft. 8in. tall, is of dark complexion, has brown eyes and a prominent nose and chin. He is of medium build and wears horn-rimmed spectacles.
He has held appointments at Bristol General Hospital and at Croydon. (Daily Herald, Tuesday, June 27, 1933)
MISSING FORMER BRISTOL DOCTOR MYSTERY.
Failed to Return to Duty at Hospital.
Mystery surrounds the disappearance of Dr. Michael Bryer (34), assistant medical officer of Whipps Cross Hospital, Leytonstone, and formerly house surgeon in the ear, nose and throat department at Bristol General Hospital.
He received his appointment in Bristol on April 1, but went away in September, 1928.
The doctor left Whipps Cross Hospital on Friday and should have returned to duty the following day, but nothing has been heard of him since, Dr. Bryer was expecting a telephone mes-sage before he left the hospital, and asked if there had been one for him as he went out.
Car Not Used.
Anxiety was first felt for him when he failed to report for duty on Saturday morning. It was found that he was not in his quarters at the hospital, and a search of the hospital buildings was made.
It was discovered that his car was in its garage and had not been used.
Dr. O'Kelly, the medical superintendent of the hospital, was called yesterday to identify a body of a man in Victoria Park, London, who was stated to resemble Dr. Bryer, but it was not that of the missing man.
Recent Examinations.
Dr. Bryer came to England from South Africa to practise in 1926 and was appointed to the staff of Whipps Cross Hospital two years ago.
He is an M.R.C.S. (Eng.) and L.R.C.P. (London). A single man, he is one of the most popular members of the hospital staff. Recently be sat for further examinations, His description is as follows:-Height, 5 ft. 8 in.; complexion and hair dark; eyes, brown; clean shaven, prominent chin and nose: medium build, When he was last seen he was wearing a grey flannel sports suit and carried a mackintosh. He was also wearing horn-rimmed spectacles. (The Western Daily Press and Bristol Mirror, Tuesday, June 27, 1933)
Reward Offered
LOST DOCTOR: £100 REWARD
Went Out for a Walk and Vanished
IN SOUTH AFRICA?
A reward of £100 is offered for information which will lead to the finding of Dr. Michael Bryer, the young house surgeon who disappeared from Whipps Cross Hospital, Leyton, Essex, on Friday, June 23. He was last seen passing through the lodge gates of the hospital.
There was no sign of depression in his bearing, although it was known that he had been greatly disappointed in not passing the final examination for the F.R.C.S., for which he had studied hard.
Leaving word with an official at the lodge gates that he wished an expected caller to be told he could not keep an appointment, he set off for what was regarded as an afternoon walk.
Since then nothing has been heard of him.
"STRAIN OF STUDYING"
Mr. Isaac Bryer, an uncle of the missing doctor, said: "His relatives are entirely unable to account for his disappearance. We can only assume that his memory has given way under the strain of his recent studying. It is that which makes us so anxious about him."
Dr. Bryer was house surgeon for four years at Whipps Cross
He comes of an influential family in South Africa, and the police there have been requested by Dr. Bryer's parents to issue his description in case he has returned to that country and is there wandering with his memory gone.
The official description of the missing doctor is: Age twenty-nine, height 5ft. 8in., dark, frizzy hair, grey eyes, prominent nose and chin, medium build and of Jewish appearance. When last seen he was wearing a grey flannel sports suit, brown shoes and socks, light brown trilby hat and horn-rimmed spectacles.
The reward of £100 is made by relatives. (Daily Mirror, Friday, September 01, 1933)
Found
DEAD MAN FOUND IN A WOOD
Believed To Be Missing Doctor
SURGEON'S RELATIVES TO ATTEND INQUEST
Clothing on the decomposed body of a man found with a discharged shotgun by his side in the woods near Great Hampden House, the home of the Earl of Buckinghamshire, on Saturday, is said to resemble that worn by Dr. Michael Bryer, house surgeon at Whipp's Cross Hospital, Leytonstone, who disappeared from the hospital last June.
Relatives of the doctor will attend the inquest at Great Hampden Hall this evening.
Dr. Bryer, a single man, came to England from South Africa in 1926, and took the degrees of M.R.C.S. (Eng.) and L.R.C.P. (London). He had been house surgeon at Whipp's Cross Hospital for two years and had also held appointments at Bristol General Hospital and at Croydon.
When he left the Whipp's Cross Hospital, he left word that he wished an expected caller to be told that he could not keep an appointment. A wide-spread search was made and a reward of £100 was offered by relatives. It was thought that he may have lost his memory or returned to South Africa. (Midland Daily Telegraph, Monday, February 19, 1934)
Inquest
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MYSTERY OF MISSING DOCTOR SOLVED
Body Found Near Hampden Covered With Dead Leaves
VANISHED FROM HOSPITAL
FOR several months the body of a young man has been lying covered with leaves near the roadside at Great Hampden, and a chance visit to the spot on Saturday by men searching for rabbits, led to the discovery of it.
Almost at the close of a rabbiting expedition in a glade on the Hampden-Missenden road on the Earl of Buckinghamshire's estate, and not far from Hampden House Archibald James
Tubb, who was with five or six other men, noticed a soft felt hat and a pair of brown gloves in the undergrowth.
The men immediately swept aside dead leaves and brambles), and found the body of an apparently young man, in an advanced state of decomposition. The police were informed, with the result that Supt. Kirby, of High Wycombe, was able to produce evidence at the inquest on Monday to show that the remains were those of Dr. Michael Bryer (29), a house surgeon, of Whipps Cross Hospital, Leyton, who walked out of the institution in June last, and was not afterwards seen alive.
Beneath Holly Tree
It was stated that the body had been hidden under the branches of the holly tree, dead leaves and bracken for six to nine months. He had recently failed in a medical examination.
A cuff link and a waistcoat were, the chief clues which led to the doctor's identity being established, but a cousin expressed doubt about the body being that of Dr. Bryer.
The inquest was conducted on Mon-day afternoon, in one of the large rooms of Hampden House, by Mr. J. H. Coales (deputy coroner for Mid-Bucks). Supt. Kirby watched the case on behalf of the police.
An open verdict was returned.
Archibald James Tubb, a labourer, employed by Messrs. Brown and Clark, builders, of Prestwood, and residing with his parents at East Lane, Great Hampden, stated that about 4.15 p.m. on Sunday, he was with his father, John Alfred Tubb, a gamekeeper, and others, rabbiting in Oakengrove Wood, which is in the parish of Great Mis-senden. They were walking the undergrowth, and he went to some holly bushes, which were surrounded by brambles, to tread out any rabbits, when he noticed a pair of brown shoes protruding from the dead leaves on the ground, and a fawn trilby hat under the branches of the holly bush.
Discovery
He pulled the brambles aside, and then saw the top part of the head of a man. The remainder of the body was covered with dead leaves. He immediately sent a cyclist to inform the police, and later assisted in conveying the body to a shed near Hampden House.
Replying to the Deputy Coroner, Tubb said that on several occasions he had passed near the spot but had not noticed anything unusual. The spot where the body was found was 170 yards from the roadway and 40 yards from a footpath. Tubb said five other persons were with him when the body was discovered.
P.C. Reginald Harris, of Lacey Green, who with P.S. Clifford went to Oakengrove Road, Great Hampden, when the discovery was reported to the police, said he saw a pair of brown, shoes protruding from the fallen leaves and almost under the holly branches he saw the top part of a man's head. The man was wearing a pair of horn-rimmed glasses in their correct position, and a fawn trilby hat was lying near the head. The body was covered by brambles of last season's growth.
Those had to be cut away in order to reach the body, which was fully clothed in a Burberry raincoat, brown jacket, brown woollen pullover, grey flannel trousers, leather belt, striped cotton shirt, grey socks, brown shoes, stiff linen collar, and tie.
Sporting Gun
The man was lying on his back, the left arm being extended and the left hand was touching the stock of a double. barrelled sporting pistol. The right arm was also extended towards the pistol which was lying parallel to the body with the muzzle pointing towards the man's head. The left hand barrel had been discharged and contained a spent cartridge, the right-hand barrel contained a live cartridge and the hammer was in a cocked position.
A haversack lying on the left side of the body contained a cardboard box containing 23 live cartridges. There was also a scout's knife fastened in a leather sheath, and an official guide similar to those issued for the use of hikers or ramblers. A search was made in the vicinity of the body, but nothing was found to indicate a struggle.
Identification Clues
After the body had been conveyed to shed near Hampden House, continued P.C. Harris, he examined the clothing. In the jacket pocket he found a white linen handkerchief with the letter "B" embroidered in one corner. In a trouser pocket he found a metal watch which had stopped at 3.20. In the left hand shirt wrist band was a 9 carat gold oval-shaped cuff link, engraved with one monogram M.B." No money or papers were found in the clothing,
The body was almost a skeleton, The bones appeared intact, except for a frac ture at the base of the skull. There was brown hair, inclined to be curly on the scalp.
The Deputy Coroner: You did not find any other cuff link or clue? No; we searched.
From the position of the pistol and the right and left arms; it would be difficult to say with which hand the pistol was fired? Mr. Coales suggested it might have been fired with the right hand and then the weapon had fallen from his grasp to the vicinity of his left hand?
"It would be difficult to say," replied the witness.
Fraser, of Dr. Geo. Angus Paterson Fraser, of The Old Cross Keys," Princes Risborough, who examined the remains on Sun-day afternoon, said they appeared to be those of a man of 30 or more years of age; height about 5ft. 10ins. with brown curly hair. The remains consisted of little more than a skeleton. There was no indication of damage round the eye sockets, nor of the bony structure of the mouth. There was a fracture of the posterior part of the base of the skull; no obvious injury to the ribs and no internal organ remained to show damage.
Asked how long he thought the body had been lying in the the glade, Dr. Fraser said from its condition it been lying there from 6 to 18 months.
In reply to the Deputy Coroner, Dr. Fraser said that had the pistol been fired close to the side of the head, he would have expected to have found smashed bones. There was no damage whatever to the side of the forehead.
Housemaid's Evidence
While the doctor was giving evidence two young women arrived from Whippe Cross Hospital. Superintendent Kirby consulted with them, and after being shown articles of clothing they offered to give evidence.
Marian Lilian Langley housemaid at Whipps Cross Hospital, Leyton, said she recognised the hat, glasses, metal watch, a shoe, and a handkerchief as belonging to Dr. Michael Bryer, who had been house surgeon at Whipps Cross Hospital for about four years. She last saw him on a Friday last summer-she believed it was sometime in June. On that day he appeared very lively.
The Deputy Coroner: Had you noticed that he had been depressed? No.
Have you ever seen any of his belong-ings marked "M.B."? Yes.
When he left Whipps Cross Hospital, what was he wearing? Grey flannels and brown shoes. The witness said she had never known the doctor to carry a haversack. She had not seen the cuff link marked "M.B." but had seen articles belonging to him bearing "M.B." initials.
At a later stage of the inquest Miss Langley produced a waistcoat, which was compared with the jacket the dead man was wearing.
"There is no doubt that the materials of the two garments are identical," said Mr. Coales.
Jane Cooper Wratten, a sister at Whipps Cross Hospital, said Dr. Bryer went away from the hospital on a Friday towards the end of June last year. He did not return and they had not heard from him since. She identified the horn-rimmed glasses as being the doctor's. She said she could not identify other articles. The hair was identical with the doctor's.
Isaac Bryer, a furrier, of 53, White-chapel Road, E.1, an uncle of Dr. Michael Bryer, w who was house surgeon at Whipps Cross Hospital, said his nephew was over 29 years of age at the time of his disappearance. He was 5ft. 9ins. or loins. in neight and had dark brown curly hair.
Failed In Examination
Witness last saw him in June of last year on the Wednesday before he disappeared, when he seemed his usual self. He was rather reserved. He had been sitting for an examination for F.R.C.P. degree, and had failed.
Mr. Coales: Was the success of his ex-amination a kind of thing he was depending upon?-I do not think it would have affected him in the least.
Questioned as to identity, witness said he could not for certain say that the body was that of Dr. Bryer, but his description tallied fairly well with the articles found. Dr. Bryer was not married.
Mr. Coales read the description circulated soon after Dr. Bryer was reported missing, that he was wearing sports coat, flannel trousers, brown shoes, beige trilby hat, and mackintosh.
It was at this juncture that Miss Lang-ley produced the waistcoat, which she said, she knew belonged to Dr. Bryer.
P.S. Clifford brought into the room a piece of clothing found on the body. He said the waistcoat was identical.
When the remains were found the man was not wearing a waistcoat,
The Deputy Coroner examined the portion of clothing with the waistcoat and he, too, said they corresponded.
Reviewing the evidence, the Deputy Coroner said it was very fortunate that Miss Langley remembered to bring the waistcoat with her that day. In his view, apart from other evidence, the waistcoat established beyond all reasonable doubt the identity that the remains were those of Dr. Michael Bryer, who walked out of Whipps Cross Hospital sometime in June and was not seen again. With regard to the cause of death, it was not easy to say that Dr. Bryer shot himself. If he did shoot himself at close range, one would have expected to find some disturbance of the bones at the side of the head.
Whispered Conversation
At this point a young woman came from the back of the court and whispered to both Superintendent Kirby and the Deputy Coroner, who decided to hear her evidence.
She gave the name of Miriam Bryer, of 53, Whitechapel Road, E.1. She said she was a cousin of Dr. Bryer. She did not think the hat produced belonged to him. His hair was darker and when wet stood out straight and not curly like the hair on the body of the dead man.
She had bought him a pair of silver She cuff links which he usually wore. also gave him some pocket handkerchiefs with the letter "M on one corner. She saw much of Dr. Bryer on the Wednes-day before the Friday when he passed out of whipps Cross Hospital.
She said she entirely disagreed with the evidence given as to the identity of the other articles of clothing.
The Deputy Coroner pointed out to Miss Bryer that the articles of clothing on the body were identical with those given in the official description soon after the doctor left the hospital.
I think there is no doubt whatever, and I shall return an open verdict, added Mr. Coales. (Bucks Free Press, Friday, February 23, 1934)
WOMAN DISPUTES INQUEST VERDICT
CERTAIN VANISHED DOCTOR IS ALIVE
TO CONTINUE SEARCH FOR COUSIN
A young woman disputed the evidence at an inquest to-day which led to a verdict that Dr. Michael Bryer, formerly of Whipps Cross Hospital, had been found dead at Great Hampden, Buckinghamshire.
Dr. Bryer disappeared from the hospital last summer. A decomposed body was found by a farm labourer in the undergrowth here. The coroner said he had no doubt that it was that of Dr. Bryer, but the young woman, Miss Lilian Bryer, a cousin of the doctor, declared that the clothes on the body were not her cousin's.
She has announced her intention of continuing to search for Dr. Bryer, Archibald Tubb described his finding of the body,
Police-constable Harris said a pair of horn-rimmed glasses were still on the head. The left arm was extended, with the hand touching the stock of a double-barrelled sporting pistol. One barrel was discharged, A box of twenty-five cartridges, a scout knife and a sheath, and a biker's railway guide were beside the body.
In one pocket was a handkerchief marked "B," and there was one cuff-link marked "M.B.," but there were no money or papers.
Dr. G. A. P. Frazer, of Princes Risboro', said that it was the body of a man of about 30. The remains consisted of little more than a skeleton. The body had been there between six and twelve months.
Two nurses from the hospital identified the clothing as that belonging to Dr. Bryer. Isaac Bryer, of Whitechapel-road,
London, Dr. Bryer's uncle, said that his nephew had entered for the F.R.C.S. final examination about a month before he disappeared, but had failed His living had not, however, depended upon it.
As the coroner was about to sum up, Miss Bryer asked if she could give evidence. She said she had seen the body, and Dr. Bryer's hair was much darker, and he did not wear the type of hat found by the body. The cuff-link was not one of the pair which she had given him, and which he always wore. The shoes also did not appear to be his.
The coroner said that he he was was quite satisfied that the body was that of Dr. Bryer. and he could do no other than record an open verdict.
LOST MEMORY THEORY
Miss Bryer said after the inquest: "I am quite certain that that this this is not the body of my cousin. I I believe that he has either lost his memory or has gone abroad. Several times he has discussed with me plans he had of going abroad. I think he has possibly gone to Palestine, or has become a ship's doctor.
"I have employed a detective to search. for my cousin, and I shall give the detective instructions to continue the search.
"Dr. Bryer and myself were very close friends for many years, and I do not see that the evidence of people who did not know him so well as I did should be given more weight than mine.
Dr. Bryer, a single man, came to England from South Africa in 1926. He was house surgeon at Whipps Cross Hospital for two years, and had also held appointments at Bristol General Hospital and at Croydon. (The Daily Telegraph, Tuesday, February 20, 1934)
Probate
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