Author Topic: Margaret Elizabeth du Plessis 1906-1974  (Read 959 times)

Offline Sunflower16

  • RootsChat Extra
  • **
  • Posts: 39
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Margaret Elizabeth du Plessis 1906-1974
« on: Thursday 01 March 18 16:55 GMT (UK) »
I have reached a frustrating brickwall with trying to find my grandmother's parents and ancestors and hoping someone can help.  I have a copy of her Death Notice which is not entirely accurate in all aspects and I suspect that her parents names are not quite right - they are given as Hendrik Johannes du Plessis and Sophia Hendrina du Plessis,  and in other sources as Daniel du Plessis and Francina Sophia Grobler.      My grandmother was born in Steynsburg in the Eastern Cape, her father was apparently a farmer. I have looked on geni.com as well as Ancestry and familysearch to no avail. 

She was definitely a du Plessis before marriage - my grandfather died only 2 months before her  - he was Ole Kornelius Swanepoel, I have his family history tracking back all the way to the 14th century! 

Can anyone help? 
Durand, Rees, Beynon, Hill, Robertson, Oakes, Spry, Stacey, Harrison, Du Plessis, Grobler.

Offline Nookie

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,016
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Margaret Elizabeth du Plessis 1906-1974
« Reply #1 on: Friday 02 March 18 18:00 GMT (UK) »
It can be very frustrating as family names are often used by different branches of the family which could be the reason for the different parents.

Could the witness on the marriage certificate not shed some light on the matter?  Do you have her date of birth? If you do it would be a matter of looking through the baptisms for Steynsburg as that would give the names of her parents.
Fulton-Ireland
Barber
Woods

Offline Sunflower16

  • RootsChat Extra
  • **
  • Posts: 39
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Margaret Elizabeth du Plessis 1906-1974
« Reply #2 on: Friday 02 March 18 18:12 GMT (UK) »
If only it was that simple or organised.......South African records are quite complex and there is no easily searchable database of baptisms in Steynsburg that I can find, unless you have a link for one!  Geni.com and Familysearch.org have't turned up anything other than the death notices. I don't have a marriage certificate unfortunately and the witnesses on the Death Notices are all now dead themselves.   The siblings of both grandparents are also deceased and my cousins only have the same info I have.   Brick Wall territory!    Her birthdate is 8 March 1906.
Durand, Rees, Beynon, Hill, Robertson, Oakes, Spry, Stacey, Harrison, Du Plessis, Grobler.

Offline Vimto

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 229
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Margaret Elizabeth du Plessis 1906-1974
« Reply #3 on: Friday 02 March 18 18:25 GMT (UK) »
Hi, I can see a photograph of the handwritten death notice of your grandmother has been shared on Ancestry. It confirms her parents as Hendrik Jacobus du Plessis and Sophia Hendrina du Plessis (if you hadn't already seen the notice let me know and I can cite any other details on there - e.g. her name is given as Margaritha Elizabeth, her death date, place of residence prior to death). Or I could send you a copy?


Offline Sunflower16

  • RootsChat Extra
  • **
  • Posts: 39
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Margaret Elizabeth du Plessis 1906-1974
« Reply #4 on: Friday 02 March 18 18:32 GMT (UK) »
Thanks, but that is all I have - the Death Notice.  I have a copy and am aware that not all the info is totally accurate - the person giving the info (a year after she died) was a friend who did not know a lot of her background and even her date of birth was not quite right.  The parents names as given didn't bring up any info on Geni.com or Familysearch which are usually fairly good with SA names, plus there were varying family names. 
I have actually found a copy of a baptism in Steynsburg which gives her birthdate as 9 March 1906 and her names as Margaritha Jacoba.........she was always known as Margaret Elizabeth, that may be the clue to solving the mystery!! 
Durand, Rees, Beynon, Hill, Robertson, Oakes, Spry, Stacey, Harrison, Du Plessis, Grobler.

Offline Vimto

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 229
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Margaret Elizabeth du Plessis 1906-1974
« Reply #5 on: Friday 02 March 18 18:41 GMT (UK) »
If you don't mind me asking, what is the source where your grandmother's parents are given the alternative names?

Offline Sunflower16

  • RootsChat Extra
  • **
  • Posts: 39
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Margaret Elizabeth du Plessis 1906-1974
« Reply #6 on: Friday 02 March 18 18:47 GMT (UK) »
There are two older cousins who "remembered" their names (of her parents) differently and the original names did not seem to come up on Geni - given they are du Plessis I would have expected the family to have emerged somewhere as most farmers families were huge.   But my grandmother definitely used the names Margaretha Elizabeth all her life, it seems it was actually Jacoba and not Elizabeth.  Not that that has helped the search yet!   I think she married in Vrededorp, Johannesburg around 1926 or so. 


Durand, Rees, Beynon, Hill, Robertson, Oakes, Spry, Stacey, Harrison, Du Plessis, Grobler.

Offline Nookie

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,016
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Margaret Elizabeth du Plessis 1906-1974
« Reply #7 on: Saturday 03 March 18 06:52 GMT (UK) »
Who were the parents listed on the baptism that you found?  Have you looked for their estate files? Did your grandparents have any other children - possibly their estate files could also help?
Fulton-Ireland
Barber
Woods

Offline Sunflower16

  • RootsChat Extra
  • **
  • Posts: 39
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Margaret Elizabeth du Plessis 1906-1974
« Reply #8 on: Tuesday 20 March 18 22:48 GMT (UK) »
I found limited Steynsburg records on the LDS site and managed to find my grandmothers parents and their marriage there, but the records are incomplete and I cannot find any further ancestors, also tried Geni as most SA families of Afrikaans descent seem to be on there.  I trawled the Vrededorp marriages manually again via the LDS not yet indexed records and found my grandparents marriage there.  I am currently awaiting photos of estate files death notices etc via eGGSA’s service. -although there is very little on the online index.   Will update thread with any new info or sources which may be useful for others.  Likely be a few weeks before I get the records.
Durand, Rees, Beynon, Hill, Robertson, Oakes, Spry, Stacey, Harrison, Du Plessis, Grobler.