Children's Friend Society

[maria99]

Hi ,
Does anyone have a copy of the 1838 Annual Report of the Children's Friend Society  . I require information on Thomas Cook who was sent to South Africa aboard the Abberton  in 1837 .
He was ca 12 years old .
Many thanks
Maria99

[pampoen]

This could be him?
Document 5 of 29
DEPOT     KAB                                                                   
SOURCE    MOOC                                                                 
TYPE      LEER                                                                 
VOLUME_NO 6/9/98                                                               
SYSTEM    01                                                                   
REFERENCE 9409                                                                 
PART      1                                                                     
DESCRIPTION          COOK, THOMAS. DEATH NOTICE.                                           
STARTING  1862                                                                 
ENDING    1862                                                                 
Or this one.
Document 8 of 29
DEPOT     KAB                                                                   
SOURCE    MOOC                                                                 
TYPE      LEER                                                                 
VOLUME_NO 6/9/660                                                               
SYSTEM    01                                                                   
REFERENCE 484                                                                   
PART      1                                                                     
DESCRIPTION          COOK, THOMAS. DEATH NOTICE.                                           
STARTING  19110000                                                             
ENDING    19110000                                                             

[pampoen]

You may find this of interest. Are you sure he went to South Africa and not South Australia? Link http://www.eicships.info/ships/shipdetail.asp?sid=811uy

My ancestors came to South Australia on the "Lady Emma" (1836), the "Abberton" (1846). Found on the net.

[3sillydogs]

Here are the links to the documents in the first post from pampoen

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSQF-XSMY-Z?i=507&cat=331262

You don't say where he was born, but this one may fit with the approximate age born in Ireland.

I had a look at the other document and that Thomas Cook was born in the Cape, so doubtful he's your man.

[pampoen]

Here is a link showing the Bretheren had a place at Klaas Smith River near Queenstown Eastern Cape mentioned in the death notice given by 3silly dogs. I would say this is definitely the Thomas Cook. Link https://books.google.com.au/books?id=X8oWAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA72&lpg=PA72&dq=klaas+smith+river+south+africa&source=bl&ots=eOIQFFGS93&sig=OXb-lGLUJsMeEo2Y2gI7zJXdGIQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiQoc2wpvnOAhVCFpQKHYkxAFIQ6AEIIzAD#v=onepage&q=klaas%20smith%20river%20south%20africa&f=false

[maria99]

Hi there,
Thanks so much for trying to help.
Unfortunately non of these Thomas Cooks are the one I am looking for.
I am hoping that the Children's Friend Society  Annual Report 1838 has some information .

Greetings, Maria

[waddy]

Hi,
 
I have a copy of "The Children's Friend Society" book by Geoff Blackburn as I too have an ancestor who was sent to S.Africa by the Society.  Your Thomas Cook is listed as being sent to Cape Town on the "Abberton", which sailed 13th January 1837.  He was apprenticed to C.F. BEYERS to work as a farm servant.  Hope that might be of some help.

Waddy

[maria99]

Hi Waddy ,

Thanks so much for looking up this info in Geoff Blackburn's Book.
Totally fascinating
What is the name of your ancestor who was sent out to South Africa by
the Children's Friend Society?

Have you had any luck tracing additional records ?
Greetings,
Maria

[waddy]

Hi Maria

I had another look at Geoff Blackburn's book and C.F. Beyers took 2 other boys from the "Abberton", Arthur J Read and Wm Cowling, but that was the only time he took any of the Society children.  I think C.F.Beyers may be Christiaan Frederik Beyers, 21.03.1786-10.08.1886 who lived at Uityk, Stellenbosch, Western Cape. He was a Boer farmer.  I had a quick look on familysearch.org, and found a Thomas Cook buried at Wynberg Cemetery, together with his wife Ellen, and son James.  Thomas b. 12.05.1823, d. 18.08.1877; Ellen b. 20.04.1832 d. 15.03.1909; James b. 31.07.1857, d. 17.07.1876.  Thomas' date of birth 1823 would put him at about the right age for your ancestor, and if it was he who was sent to Stellenbosch he may well have married and stayed in the Cape Town area.

My ancestor was Charles Dubber, one of the first children sent to South Africa.  Fortunately it is a fairly unusual surname plus I was working backwards from the present day which made him easier to trace.  However, it has taken a few years and I can't get back further than Charles. Most of the children the Society took were destitute or vagrants so finding any record of their parents is very difficult, and quite possibly the children didn't know much either.  The "Abberton" landed at Cape Town on 29.03.1837.

Good hunting

Waddy