Charles Rischbieth

Rischbieth was born in Neustadt am Rübenberge, near Hanover, Germany and emigrated to South Australia, arriving in 1854, with a number of young German migrants. He worked for a time in the drapery of R. B. Lucas in Hindley Street, but was hampered by his imperfect English. He next worked for McArthur, Kingsborough and Co.,[1] He and Carl Bolk were admitted into the partnership of G. & R. Wills & Co., and a few years later married Elizabeth Susan Wills, a niece of George and Richard Wills. In 1869, he succeeded Robert Alfred Tarlton as managing director of the company. In 1875 Rischbieth retired from active management of G. & R. Wills & Co., but continued to act as an agent for George Wills, who had long before returned to London.[2]

Rischbieth was a Director of the Commercial Bank of South Australia at the time of its collapse.

He married Elizabeth Susan Wills (7 November 1842 – 15 January 1908) on 2 July 1862;[5] they lived at "Kolendo", Farrell Street, Glenelg. She died at Acton Vale, Port Elliot. Their children included:

• Marie Louise Rischbieth (2 May 1863 – 26 April 1897)
• Charles Frederick Rischbieth (17 September 1865 – 22 February 1937) married Nellie Mary Newman, a maternal cousin, on 3 May 1894
• Elizabeth Susan "Lillie" Rischbieth (16 July 1867 – 14 June 1929) married accountant George Arthur Jury (16 June 1851 – 9 April 1932) on 9 September 1890. She was his second wife, his first, Mary née Wiedenhofer, having taken her own life.[6]

• Charles Rischbieth Jury (13 September 1893 – 22 August 1958), poet and Professor of English at Adelaide University[7]
• George Rischbieth Jury (7 April 1895 – 14 September 1916) was killed at The Somme[8]
• Kathleen Rischbieth Jury (4 July 1897 – 24 May 1981) married Harry Richmond Aldridge (18 January 1891 – 3 January 1976), a son of James Henry Aldridge.
• Margaret Rischbieth Jury (23 September 1900 – 1972)
• Elizabeth Rischbieth Jury (19 December 1904 – 13 April 1954) married Gordon d'Arcy Wainwright (20 February 1900 – ?) on 12 September 1925

• Henry Wills Rischbieth (26 January 1870 – 25 March 1925) married reformer Bessie Mabel Earle (16 October 1874 – 13 March 1967), a niece of William Rounsevell, on 22 October 1898 and moved to Western Australia, where he founded the wool broking firm of Henry Wills & Co.[9][10][11]

• Ethel Marion Rischbieth (23 January 1872 – 18 September 1874)
• Edith Constance Rischbieth (25 March 1874 – 12 February 1946), founder of the Mitcham Dogs' Home, later amalgamated with the RSPCA South Australia[12]
• Harold Rischbieth MD, FRCS (26 March 1876 – 13 November 1943) married Eileen May de la Poer Beresford, a granddaughter of John Acraman, on 3 May 1916[13]

• John Beresford Wills Rischbieth (17 August 1917 – 29 October 2017) married Joan Annette Stephenson (27 February 1923 – 14 April 2001) on 4 August 1944
• Henry George Rischbieth VRD, MB BS, MRACP, DCH, FRACP (18 January 1920 – 4 December 1977) married Nancy Fearon Henderson (13 December 1921 – 26 April 2012) on 25 January 1945
• Richard Harold Charles Rischbieth MB BS, MRCP, MRACP, FRCP, FRACP (4 August 1927 – 26 April 2007) married Judith Ann Wood (20 August 1928 – ) on 23 March 1957

• Edgar Walters Rischbieth (2 April 1878 – 25 May 1878)
• Norman Rischbieth (16 April 1879 – 8 November 1885)
• Hilda Rischbieth (13 August 1881 – 5 April 1937) married Leslie Gardner Stock on 21 June 1906,[14] and second husband, Hector Norman Uphill, in June 1921[15]
• Ernest August Rischbieth (5 August 1883 – 25 March 1918) married Jean Osborne Lathlean (1894 – ?) on 7 August 1917

A brother, Heinrich Carl Rischbieth (17 May 1840 – 6 February 1921) emigrated shortly after Charles, living at Mount Gambier.[16] He had six sons and two daughters. One of Heinrich's sons was the geographer Oswald Rishbeth.

Holtje & Rischbieth store in Mount Gambier, ca. 1880

Nephew Karl Rischbieth (18 October 1859 – 5 May 1945) was partner in Dettmer & Rischbieth[17]