Knowles family in South Africa

[knowlesfamily]

My dad believes that his Great Uncle Albert Knowles Bn 1874 at Chesterfield Derbyshire emigrated to South Africa in the early 1900s.
Formerly of Chesterfield Derbyshire I have found him in the 1901 Census living in Levenshulme Manchester with his wife Mary born 1875 in Littleborough Lancs and two children John P Knowles Bn 1899 and Henry Bn 1901.were both born in Levenshulme.
Albert was a roofer/Slater Builder by trade.
The family have no knowledge of Albert apart from the fact he lived in Johannesburg South Africa.
I have no idea where to start has anyone any ideas.
Regards
Malc Knowles

[Dippnallfamily]

There was a family by the name of Knowles in Pinetown near Durban in Natal (now Kwa-Zulu Natal) who owned a supermarket which was still going strong in the late 1970's.  You can try and trace the Pinetown family through the yellow pages. www.yellowpages.co.za (i think)

Another way of tracing family is by googling - community newspapers south africa and send a letter to various Johannesberg papers (very large city) and to Pinetown and Durban papers.

Hope that helps - the Pinetown Knowles were known by my mother-in-laws family but there is no-one left who may remember them personally.

Regards,

Cathy Dippnall

[EmPea]

Hi Marc

I think this is the guy you are looking for:

DEPOT     TAB                                                                   
SOURCE    MHG                                                                   
REFERENCE 6421/56
DESCRIPTION          KNOWLES, ALBERT.
STARTING  19560000
ENDING    19560000
REMARKS   SURVIVING SPOUSE MARGERY KNOWLES (BORN HOWARD) PREDECEASED SPOUSES        (1) ANNIE KNOWLES (BORN WILLIAMS) (2) MARY KNOWLES (BORN PENNINGTON).

This following reference is probably that of his son:

DEPOT     TAB                                                                   
SOURCE    MHG                                                                   
REFERENCE 5128/58
DESCRIPTION          KNOWLES, JOHN PENNINGTON.
STARTING  19580000
ENDING    19580000
REMARKS   SURVIVING SPOUSE MAUD KNOWLES (FORMERLY SHEPPARD) (BORN LEYKAUFF).   

There is no obvious reference for Henry although there are a few possibilities.  Did he perhaps have a second name?

The references come from the National Archives and the Pretoria Archive, more specifically.

Info on how to order copies of these documents can be found on one of the sticky topics at the top of this board.  Also on the sticky topics is an example of what type of info you will be able to obtain from the Death Notice in their files.

Regards
Moira

[Danchaslyn]

Hi Knowles Family
I to have recollections of the Knowles Family who lived in Pinetown, Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Used to shop first at their first store, in Old Main Road, Pinetown, with my mother, as a child, then they built a bigger and larger store, near Crompton St, Pinetown, Kwa-Zulu Natal, which as far as I know is still there.

Frank Knowles,  (lots of silvery hair) was the head of the family then and their origins were definitely of the UK.

Pennington is a South Coast seaside resort of Kwa-Zulu Natal, not far from Pinetown, maybe 20 miles?
Cheers
Danchaslyn

[ChrisVos]

Hello Knowles Family,
John Pennington Knowles was my grandfather on my mothers side.  He was married to a Daphne Mary King. As best I have it he was born from the first marriage of my great grandfather Albert Knowles, to my great grandmother Mary Knowles nee Pennington. John Pennington and Daphne Mary Knowles had two daughters, Marion (Maisie) my aunt, and Noela Patricia Vosikis (nee Knowles) my mother. Noela Vosikis was married to Sprios Christopher Vosikis a war veteran and had two children, Athanasia and Christopher. Noela and Spiros died in Johannesburg in 1987 and 1988 respectively.
Chris Vosikis