Dear John,
I hope you read this your message was a long time ago. I too am looking for a Benson who left Ireland and went to live in Durban, South Africa, (which is my home town). I now live in Ireland. He was my great grandfather.
The really interesting thing is that one of his daughters - my maternal grandmother - was called Gladys AMELIA Benson - which is one of the names you are seeking for your great grandmother. I feel so sure there must be a link! My grandmother Gladys Amelia was born on 9th September 1891 to my greatgrandfather BENSON (trying to find out his first name), he was a deepsea diver (supposedly the first), and worked in the Port of Durban repairing ships. He died of the bends. His wife, my great grandmother was apparently of Spanish origins - having been born to her mother on a British sailing ship in the Indian Ocean, (she had a older sister too). The mom died giving birth and the English Captain of the ship took the two girls home to his wife in Umkomaas - and that is how they came to Durban in SA. If there is indeed a connection - perhaps my great grandfather and your great grandmother were brother and sister and came out as a family to South Africa. Thus the name of AMELIA being given to my Granny Gladys Amelia? My great grandfather BENSON lived in Point Road Durban at the time of his death. His wife apparently remarried a Jewish person called Abrahams and had children from him too - some went to Australia. There are still Bensons from this family living in Durban, SA, and I am trying to get in touch with them, but as you can imagine the older members are dead now and the younger ones might have moved away. It is very difficult to get copies of marriage / death / birth certs in South Africa - years wait for even current ones. Please let me know what you think of this connection. Kind regards, Carole Caetano (born Sutton).
