Possible South African soldier - how to find!

[youngtug]

There is a seamans record for a John Ernest Brown Birth; 1904. South Africa

[3sillydogs]

Still doesn't explain the absence of his name on the Death Notice.

What do South African death notices say - do they list all children or just living ones? Perhaps the family disowned him for some reason.

Usually you can find parents, spouse/s, children or if no children siblings, place of birth, place of death and date and the deceased age, place of last residence and where married. There is usually a note of any deceased children.

If the person supplying the information is knowledgeable and if the person filling it in takes the time you somtimes get the female childrens married names and if really lucky the husbands names and grandchildren.   These ones are like a gold mine, but they don't happen often

[groom]

Gosh, they are worth having, much better than England and Wales ones!

As you say does seem odd that he isn't mentioned at all, unless, as I suggested he was disowned. 

[Wiggy]

I see you've had the same idea as I have, re him being disowned for some reason!   

Bother - another brickwall!

The other difficult thing is that Ernest is the only birth we've managed to dig up - we only know of the other three children because they appear on the estate papers.

He doesn't!     Maybe that underlines groom's theory.