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Research in Other Countries => South Africa => Topic started by: boscoe on Thursday 19 October 17 23:29 BST (UK)
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I'm looking for someone with access to records and newspapers for [Durban] Port Natal in October 1906. My granduncle [William Horace Wickens] died there Oct 26, 1906 at age 37 and was Port Captain. Little is know of him in SA. For example, was he buried there or in England? What ever happened to his wife?
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Here is a reference to his estate file
MSCE 0 26/10 WICKENS, WILLIAM HORACE. (S/S FANNY ELIZABETH - BORN MOSES). 1906 1906
It is likely that he was buried in SA can't imagine they would have transported his body back in 1906
A link to the on-line copy of his estate file:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS75-HQHF-Y?i=32&cat=229462
This looks like their marriage record - she was a widow at the time of their marriage
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DTY9-XV7?i=531&cc=2063749
and here is a link to her estate in 1926 - appears she remarried
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS7P-F33C-G - from her will it appears she was much married
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What an exciting thing to see. Many thanks. I'm so sorry my father is not alive. He was the only one among 13 surviving siblings that I know of who asked: "Do we have any relatives in England?" His fathers answer, a man rather ignorant and by my deduction an alcoholic: "Yes, a brother in England." Wm. was dead 6 years after this man's emigration to Canada and another decade more with my father's question.
Is there any way of finding out what Wm. H. died from at age 37?
Yes, Fanny married at 20/ husband died a few years later. /again at 26/ divorced him in 7 years. Wm. H 6 years later and died at 37. Now you show she married again after 1906 to John Smith who died in 1920. The son, Fell, was from #2. But who is this Daisy Wall? Illegitimate?
Can you read the first page cited [Wm .H]? 2 words: [angled top: Inccis new duty and below the Nursing Home: Beni Again, many thanks.
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If you page forward from the death notice you will find her will - the daughter is from her 1st marriage to a "Thomas Reidy" appears the daughter followed her mother in being much married as she is formerly Doherty
The Nursing Home was in Berea, Durban
Not sure what the angled writing says
Regards
Gillian
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I found a photo of the church they were married in, 1899. And, I have located the 3 cemeteries Wm H. could possibly be buried in. Thanks ofr the citing of Daisy. Wall must be her married name.
I'm not interested in Fanny much, colorful as she was. And, I don't understand your moving forward from the death notice. I moved the book page up-down-left-right and got only brown space. I'm curious about Fanny but not hell-bent on her.
I am most desirable for Wm. H., my blood relative. He's one of a few mysteries still existing in my genealogy, only recently uncovered in private records to 1899 decades after the 1881 Census showed him as a school boy, never again cited in public records. Now in SA, what caused his death and where was he buried and what kind of estate did he leave? Do you think my writing some kind of genealogy group in SA could answer these questions if you can not? Who do you suggest? I do appreciate very much your good work for me, Gillian. Many thanks.
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You can probably page through the death notices for 1906 - they are not currently indexed - this would give you the cause of death . Scroll down the screen to find the film with the 1906 death notices.
Link to the collection:
https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/721369?availability=Family%20History%20Library
To page through the images you need to use the arrows next to the image number
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Here is a list of all the port captains in Durban. No Wickens mentioned. On his death notice his occupation is given as engineer. Here is the list https://molegenealogy.blogspot.com.au/2014/01/haven-meesters-and-port-captains-port.html
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Great to see. Here's what chempat sent me 18 Aug 17 where I got the idea of Port Captain.
Reference T1052/1906 Part 1
Description: Port Captain W H Wickens First Engineering 'Richard King' Off duty sick from 26th Instant, Medical Certificate Put Up. Death of W H Wickens
Starting 1906 Ending 1906
Remarks CSO3100/1906 R AND H535/1906 AG883/1906 PCD287/1906.
I have a list of 3 cemeteries in Durban and hope they might answer my queries of cause of death and burial. Keep up the good work. Many thanks. JIM
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The link photo is great! I am guessing about 1900. What's your view?
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Sitting here at home in my den listing to the beautiful piano music of my wife's performance group practicing, I began fiddling with your "Deceased Estates." The other day I followed your advice and moved the picture in all directions and got only a brown background. Today I notice a little button arrow and went from 33-38. My God, what a find! It has everything except the cause of death and burial address. Many thanks. And, it clearly cites him as a marine engineer.
I hate my inner suspicion, I truly do, but Agatha Christi would love Fanny with 3 marriages, each ending in a few years with spousal death and 1 with a divorce settlement. Do you know of anyone getting married who at the wedding time takes out some life insurance policies, as did Wm. H.? Don't people wait a bit? The 1906 L900 today equals about US$2 million.
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Suspicious Minds - seems more appropriate! Now you can page through the Civil death records looking for the Civil Death Notice - that should give you the Cause of Death - pick the 2nd film with 1906 DN's and start from about image 300 or where you find the October Death Notices - there are up to 3 DN's on each page so keep scrolling up and down
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God, G., I feel like I've run a marathon. How wonderful after decades of ignorance to use your link to find the end of my granduncle. Nephritis. He was #418. After one day of eye strain, I realized that the deaths are registered by district. Day 2 I began at the end of the Umlazi District, not Durban but in Durban, and there he was #44 out of 46 the year, helter skelter.
Kidney disease is no stranger to that family. Wm. H's brother will die of cancer of the kidneys and his first son will too. At 85 I will hold my breathe. Many, many thanks.
Now I'll try to find his gravesite, if the 3 cemeteries offer to help. JIM
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I'm curious, G. Do you live in South Africa?
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Not any more am now based in Australia but am doing my bit for SA Genealogy through indexing records for familysearch.org
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I have another question about William Horace Wickens that you so kindly helped me uncover. I've been searching for his remains: 3 cemeteries in Durban and Findagrave .com with no luck. I wondered about cremation and ashes scattered or whatever. Are there records of cremations? Did the colonial government record such things, say for purposes of taxation? If so, are they digitalized?
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There are Gravestone Pics eggsa.org - don't see one for your William - unfortunately there has been a lot of vandalism of cemeteries in SA so you may not find a record. You may need to give up on this one - or just occasionally check back on eggsa.org as it is an on-going project to record the stones across all of South Africa's grave yards
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I've had eye surgery, so delayed this reply of thanks for your kind help.
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Hello all,
I have a copy of the latest version of the Cemetery Project CD from the South African Genealogical Society (it's an ongoing project to transcribe and document all graves in South Africa). Luckily they have done a lot of transcribing of the graves in the Durban area.
Here's the entry for the fellow you are seeking - he is buried in the West Street Cemetery, in the centre of Durban (the biggest of the "old" Durban cemeteries):
"Wickens, William Horace
Born:
Died:
Buried: West St Cemetery - Register, Durban, District Durban, Kwazulu-Natal, RSA
Note: William Horace Wickens. Died aged 37 yrs. Buried 1906/03/15. Portion Church of England; Grave no 7; Block 12. "
Other "Wickens" folks buried in the same cemetery are:
"Wickens, Arthur Thomas
Born:
Died:
Buried: West St Cemetery - Register, Durban, District Durban, Kwazulu-Natal, RSA
Note: Arthur Thomas Wickens. Died aged 80 yrs. Buried 1950/11/04. Portion Church of England; Grave no 45; Block 26. "
"Wickens, Edith
Born:
Died:
Buried: West St Cemetery - Register, Durban, District Durban, Kwazulu-Natal, RSA
Note: Edith Wickens. Died aged 59 yrs. Buried 1932/06/02. Portion Church of England; Grave no 45; Block 26. "
"Wickens, F E
Born:
Died:
Buried: West St Cemetery - Register, Durban, District Durban, Kwazulu-Natal, RSA
Note: F E Wickens. Died aged 65 yrs. Buried 1926/01/25. Portion Church of England; Grave no 7; Block 12. "
"Wickens, Winnifred May
Born:
Died:
Buried: West St Cemetery - Register, Durban, District Durban, Kwazulu-Natal, RSA
Note: Winnifred May Wickens. Died aged 2 mths. Buried 1914/08/07. Portion Church of England; Grave no 45; Block 26. "
Don't know the specific relationships involved, but where one or more people are buried in the same grave that usually means they are related (spouses or parent-children or siblings of each other).
Hope that helps!
Cheers,
Robyn
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Bless you. And many thanks, truly. I, too, know of no other direct blood relatives by that name. The family had two early centers, Kent and the Berk-Hamp borderlands. Horace came from the latter origins. The others you cite I suspect came from the former. Just a guess. Amazing find. :D
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Glad to help out!
Interesting to see that even though Fanny married again after William died, she still ended up being buried with William.
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Wait a minute...
I have Fanny's grave cited elsewhere with a photo off the internet.
My genealogy citation for the photo:
Fanny’s gravestone, 1926, East London, South Africa. Note how the Smiths used her grave for burial purposes afterward.
She can't be two places...
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Well, if this is the photo you have for Fanny, it may not be the correct photo:
http://www.eggsa.org/library/main.php?g2_itemId=634638&g2_imageViewsIndex=1
The above-mentioned photo is for the grave of a "Sarah Fanny Smith" who died in 1925 (not 1926).
And the "John Francis Smith" on this gravestone died in 1932 (not 1920).
According to Fanny's death notice, her 3rd husband "John Smith" died 18 March 1920 (but they don't specify place of death...).
I'd have to do some hunting & pecking to see if I can find his Civil Death Report - which "might" say where he was to be buried.
But I think it's pretty clear that Fanny is buried with William. The cemetery record says:
"Buried: West St Cemetery - Register, Durban, District Durban, Kwazulu-Natal, RSA
Note: F E Wickens. Died aged 65 yrs. Buried 1926/01/25. Portion Church of England; Grave no 7; Block 12."
And Fanny died on 23 Jan 1926, at the age of 65, according to her death notice.
A burial 2 days later is precisely what you should find (in those days they went for speedy burials because it was difficult to keep the corpses refrigerated for any length of time - in January in Durban it's hellish hot because it's the middle of summer).
Unfortunately there is no photo of the Wickens grave on eggsa.org - but they have not completed photographing the West Street Cemetery (which has thousands of graves in it).
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It's marvelous what you are doing for me, so again thank you. The romantic me had some inkling that theirs was a happy marriage. I felt the same about his parents, both buried together in Southampton. My suspicion, just that, is that Fanny was an attractive woman to men. So it doesn't surprise me what you say. Too bad no photos exist of anyone.
I understand you comment about a quick burial. I was in Durban in late December years ago and the coastal beaches were thriving, everybody having a [sp?] "bri."
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Reply #2...
Yes, that's the photo but so much clearer than I found. I wondered about it being too lucky a find.
Smith died in Johannesburg in 1920.
And her death certificate, I wonder if her kids filled it out. She was not 65. She lied about her age at different times. My mother always did, too, until I found her birth certificate listed in London. Fanny was born in Apr 1868 in France to an English couple. That means her age was nearly 68. Poor Fanny. Her secret is out!