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Research in Other Countries => South Africa => Topic started by: Yorkshire_Lad on Wednesday 20 September 17 17:10 BST (UK)
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Hi All
Can anyone help me trace the footsteps of my second cousin 3 times removed Waton Myers b. June Qtr 1881 in Leven East Yorkshire.
I have had no problem tracing him in the 1901 census, it is there after I am having a problem.
I have managed to trace him arriving UK from Cape Town South Africa on the 17 July 1907 with who I assume to be his wife aged 26 and 22 respectively.
My next contact with his movements is his arrival in Southampton again from Cape Town South Africa with his wife Mary and three children, Florence (16), Benson (10), and Arthur aged 7 on the 20th June 1924. They all sailed back to the Cape some six weeks later on the 14th of August.
The trail goes completely cold until on the 25th of October 1935 he and Mary sail back to Cape Town from Southampton for onward travel to Rhodesia but with no children.
My suspicions are that by 1935 all three children could be married.
Any help in finding where Watson lived in Africa and possible extended family I would be more than grateful.
Thank you.
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Here he died in 1962 in Bulawayo in Rhodesia. To view the document you need to log in with familysearch which is free. Here is the link https://www.familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&query=%2Bgivenname%3AWatson~%20%2Bsurname%3AMyers~%20%2Brecord_country%3AZimbabwe here is the index for Rhodesia but I only found one Myer.
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Thank you Pampoen,
I must make a visit to Family search as still need the information for Watson Williams siblings.
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Could this be the son Arthur?
Document 1 of 2
DEPOT NAB
SOURCE MSCE
TYPE LEER
SYSTEM 01
REFERENCE 1032/1960
PART 1
DESCRIPTION MYERS, ARTHUR. BORN IN TORQUAY. WIDOWER. DECEASED ESTATE.
STARTING 19600000
ENDING 19600000
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This could be the brother Benson http://www.eggsa.org/library/main.php?g2_itemId=2628622
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Hi pampoen,
Thank you for your two latest replies to my post
I don't think the Arthur you mention is the son of Watson although I could be corrected. I would need more substantial evidence before entering that data.
There is a very good chance that the memorial plaque is Watsons son Benson as he was entered on a passenger list with a initial "C", however there seems to be a slight discrepancy with the age. He is listed as being 11 when he sailed from London in 1924
Again thank you for your help
P.S. how would I be able to the document you mentioned?
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The documents can be ordered through EGGSA if you search them on Google. I can only find the grave for Benson and no estate. There is another way to search for people in South Africa called Identitynumber. I found his wife Joan. One needs to subscribe to see the info. Link https://www.identitynumber.org/death-notices-results.php?surname=MYERS
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Had a look at that Death document, unfortunately not much information, but there is another for his son Watson William died 1910 Bulawayo listing him as the father
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939N-ZW93-FF?i=375&cc=1838530
address for EGGSA
www.eggsa.org
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Hi 3sillydogs & pampoen
Thank you both very much for the information given which I very much appreciate.
I am confident that the information given for Watson William Myers is correct, however I'm not to sure about Benson. The passenger list I have for him gives him a birth date of circa 1913 but one knows how people of the day told little white lies for one reason or another.
Of all the research you have kindly done for me there as been no mention of either Florence or Arthur.
Again thank you so much for what you have done.
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What information do you have on Arthur and Florence?
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Hi 3sillydogs
The only information I have on Florence and Arthur is that they sailed into Southampton with their parents (Watson & Mary) from Cape Town on the 20th June 1924.
The age of Florence was logged as being 16 and Arthur as 7. This would give them respective Dob's of circa 1908 & 1914. I have checked FreeBMD for their births some I am assuming they were both born in SA.
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Hi
If you follow this link you will find Mary Elizabeth Myers Death Notice
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939N-CFS9-G5?i=1098&cc=1837900&cat=496484
She died in Bulowayo in 1968 as a Widow. Gives her birthplace as Cape Town and a marriage location of Beaufort West - lists 3 children
And here is their marriage in Beaufort West
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9BP-W9RR-9?i=151&cat=671879
Gives her maiden name as Goodger married in the Methodist Church
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Looking at the CDNI indexes on e_family.co.za there appears to be an estate file for Watson in SA but I did not find it on Naairs
3487 1962 Myers Watson 05-Jul-1962 s/s Mary Elizabeth Foreign
And I found the same reference in the Kimberley estate section so it must be in the archives
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C91Q-MSMR-T?i=1185&cc=2517051&cat=331262
Unfortunately these records are not on-line so you would need to contact the Western Cape Archives for a copy.
Regards
Gillian
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Hi Gillian,
Thank you for the information. As you say I will have to get in touch with Western Cape Archives for a copy of Watson's Estate file.
I'm very thankful for the information you have given me but I'm now trying to find out more about his offspring Benson and Arthur. In a passenger list of 1924 they are both listed with a initial "C".
I have satisfied myself with his daughter Florence Mary who married, and his son Watson William who passed away in 1918.
Regards
Jim
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Hi Jim
I think that the Gravestone mentioned previously in this post is likely to be your Benson C as he is listed as Benson Claude in his mother's death record. I would not put too much faith in the birth dates on the shipping lists as they are sometimes just approximate. Arthur c is Arthur Charles on his mother's death Notice.
If you can get hold of the father's estate file it may have addresses for the children. But this would be asat this death in 1962.
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Hi Gillian
I have now updated the information you have given me and you have given me another bone to pick so to speak. Florence Mary Peinke. Where did that name come from? Usually from the parents parents, and did Benson Claude and Joan Marjorie have any children, also did Arthur Charles get married?
Again thank you.
Jim
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Hi
I would think that Florence Mary is married to a Peinke . Unfortunately there are not a lot of Rhodesian/Zimbabwean records on-line. You can search the familysearch catalog for what films they may have for Bulawayo. The mother was resident there at the time of her death. Perhaps the father's death record will give you a bit more information - sometimes they record son-in-law's details.
As far as Benson Claude goes - you would need to track down an estate file - which if in existence would be i the Natal Masters Office. You would need to apply to them for a copy.
Regards
Gillian
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There is a death for an Arthur Charles Myers 11 Sep 1992 in Fish Hoek wife Margaret Lois date married 21/9/1954 date of birth 10/05/1917 - this comes from gendatabase.com and is a transcription of a Government Gazette Entry - there is an estate file at the Cape Town Masters Office
ARTHUR CHARLES MYERS 1992-09-11 MASETI FILE RECORD 7994/92 Cape Town Masters Office - unfortunately this date range is not included in the records available on familysearch.org
Also from Gendatabase is a Margaret Lois Myers nee Galer died 21/5/2001 Dob 23/9/1924 died Claremont Cape there is an estate file on-line for her https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSZC-GSJ2-B?i=261&cat=2156332
You would need Arthur's estate file to clinch the relationship.
Regards
Gillian
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Hi Gillian
I think I must now put this leg of the family to bed. I have some 400 plus entries in my family tree and I need to research closer relatives. However if you do find further information that would bring that leg right into the 21st century it would be most appreciated. I will leave the page open for anyone to see.
Best Regards
Jim