st Helena, South Africa Church Records

[marys girl]

Does anyone have any ideas re the whereabouts of  church records of birth and deaths are held. I have an ancestor who was on St Helena with the St Helena Regiment in 1842 and have found from a search of the island archives a Thomas Holdsworth Stark, but no mention of any of his siblings of whom 3 were also born on St Helena between 1842 and 1852.  His mother was recorded as a widow on the 1861 census, but I cannot find a notice of death for her husband. Thomas was also not recorded on the 1861 census.  The fathers name is Benjamin, mothers Harriet and siblings Sara, Jane, and Benjamin. Hope someone out there has a suggestion as this brick wall is haunting me!

[Danchaslyn]

 

Hello Marys girl

My suggestion is that you revert to the Archivist in St Helena who first helped you with the birth details for Thomas Holdsworth Stark.

From my correspondence with the St Helenian Archivist, I know she can point you in the direction of other sources, also on the Island, of other records.  Somewhere in my notes, I have those details, so let me know if you need me to search for them?

Another suggestion I had ages ago was for me to write a letter to the Island's newspaper, seeking family info.

My rellie, Thomas Aitken was on St Helena, with his family from 1897 - 1905 as the Baptist Prison Chaplain.  All his wife's family are from the Island to. Look up my post in RC, South Africa, "Baptist Church Archives".

Cheers

Danchaslyn

 

[marys girl]

Hi Danchaslyn, thanks for the reply.  I've been in contact with a distant cousin Barbara who is researching Benjamins sister Sara and has also only received the info I did from St Helena.  If it is no trouble could you possibly look up the other contact info you have for me and I will also pass it on to Barbara.  Sorry for not replying sooner but I've not been doing any research or following emails for a while but I do appreciate your reply. Regards Anne

[Danchaslyn]

 

Hello Marys Girl

So glad you're back in touch and researching further.......   

To-day is particularly exciting for me as after years of being in storage, we unearthed my late mother's autobiography and there is pages on her parents' lives in St Helena, and on her mother's side, various generations before them.   

I've looked up the two email contacts for you:

For any Birth, Marriage, Death, Christening etc before 1898, contact the Archives on St Helena at archives@sainthelena.gov.**

Any B, M, D & C's after 1898 contact the Legal & Lands Dept, on
clerks@legalandlands.gov.**

Please replace the ** with sh at the end of each email address.

Both places will charge for searches to be made.   

I'm still needing lots of "family dates" myself, if only it wasn't so terrible expensive and far, to travel there!!   

Good luck Anne, and cheers

Danchaslyn

 

[marys girl]

Hi again, just found out today that an old school friend has gone to St Helena to be the Director of Education, am hoping that she will be kind enough to look up some things at the museum, if I can get in touch with her through her last post as headmistress at a local private girls school.  Will let you know if I do.  Thanks once again for the info, anne

[Danchaslyn]

 

Hello Mary's Girl

Oh, lucky YOU!!!!  Especially as it can be so difficult to find out anything from SH!   

Please let me know how you get on, I'd love to join the queue for lookups at the Museum and Archives.  When three of my rellies especially went to  SH to lookup info on our families in 1985, the Archives was closed!   

They did get to see a donation at the Museum made by Rev Thomas Aitken of photographs taken from the period 1895 - 1905.   

Good luck and happy searching   

Cheers

Danchaslyn