RootsChat.Com
Research in Other Countries => South Africa => Topic started by: Gemma Walker on Monday 09 July 18 14:43 BST (UK)
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Hi Im new here.
Im searching for my SA ancestors as my mum knows no one from her family. Her and her mum and sister emigrated from SA to england in 1969 on the RMS Castle Pendennis.
Her maiden name was Ragel Witbooi.
She married Henry William Mack (1921-1965) but no record found for it.
Have death certificate and death notice for him.
On Ancestory I found a record for his parents also a William Mack and a Martha Leach but nothing else.
Interestingly my mum says her mum told her her dad wasnt born in sa. He was white. Cant find any records though.
My Gran was half cast so there is different races going back in my genes im eager to learn about.
Ancestory was good for finding my dads family but there are all england based.
Harder tracking SA ancestors!
Any tips/advice?
Thank you.
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Welcome to rootschat
Henry Williams marriage is 27 August 1943 the image is here
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-899C-2931-K?i=179&cc=1935348
Henry Williams place of birth is given as Transvaal S.A. and Rachel's is Cape Prov. S.A
The marriage also states husband is European wife is Mixed. They were both age 23
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Thank you Rosie99 that is amazing how you found that! I showed my mum and she was really happy. Thank you. Hopefully i can find more information from that :)
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William Mack b abt 1870 Grahamstown CP, d 24 Jun 1927 Newlands Johannesburg Transvaal; occ: Miner; (son of Henry William Mack d abt 1925 & Francis Caroline Mack d abt 1897 CP)
William’s 1927 probate starts here: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS9G-K9WH-4?i=1414&cc=2520237
X#1 to Mary Elizabeth Nieuwenhuyzen b abt 1877 Aliwal North, d abt 17 Sep 1904 Vredesdorp Johannesburg Transvaal
Mary’s 1904 probate starts here: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS92-BS2G-F?i=507&cc=2520237
X#2 to Martha Maria Leach
Children:
3 children in first marriage - all deceased by 1927
4 children in second marriage:
Anna Maria Mack b 2 July 1907 (marriage: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GT7T-SKVR?i=4&cc=1468076 )
Henry William Mack b 7 May 1921
2 more boys for whom Privacy rules apply until death has been found!
Possibly the grave for the youngest brother??: http://www.graves-at-eggsa.org/library/main.php?g2_itemId=2616003
Could this be Ragel/Rachel’s father?
Adriaan Witbooi b abt 1875 Calvinia CP, d 2 Feb 1939 Athlone, Cape Flats, CP (son of Cornelius and Katherine)
X to Maria ?
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8 children alive in 1939, the youngest is called Rachel (Note: sister Sussan was born abt 1910, so the timeline seems to fit)
Adriaan’s probate: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C91C-F3MB-C?i=465&cc=2517051
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:o
Thank you Tree Spirit that is a valuable mine of information you provided there!
How do you do it!
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Treespirit & I found our answers on Familysearch. It is a free website you just need to register
https://www.familysearch.org/search/hr/search
As I don't have access to S.A records on Ancestry or F M P it is always the first place I look ;)
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Unfortunately too much SA data hasn't been indexed yet, so most of the time the scanned films on Familysearch will need to be accessed directly (just like the books in a bricks and mortar archive).
I tend to search by place in "Catalog" option (and - of course - bookmark useful stuff as I go along). Initially it can be a bit daunting, but it gets easier with practice.
rgds, Sylvia
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PS at the top of this SA forum are quite a number of very useful hints and tips. However it can take a little while to get your head around SA research ...(I like a challenge, so that's why I enjoy research in this country :-) )
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Thank you very much for taking the time to help.
My mum was nearly in tears today actually knowing some family history. She was 2 when her dad died, and then emigrated when she was 9 so dosnt remember any family.
I did find family search quite difficult to navigate but i am going to pursue it as want to know so much more. Was fascinated to know my grandma was the youngest of 8 girls!
Thank you again.
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Are you able to provide any help from finding some of the Witbooi's
Ive found marriage records for Susan, Gertrude & Margarat (maggie) but struggling with finding death records.
Thank you.
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No death records, but I think that this is Elizabeth's marriage:
South Africa, Cape Province, Western Cape Archives Records, 1792-1992
Name: Edgar George Mulder
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 02 Sep 1933
Event Place: Wynberg, Wynberg, Cape, South Africa
Age: 22
Birth Year (Estimated): 1911
Spouse's Name: Elizabeth Wetbooy
Spouse's Age: 24
Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated): 1909
Entry Number: 101
I'm not sure which other marriages you have contributed to this family, but here are my thoughts on 2 possibilities that I've seen:
#1- I had found a second (1952) marriage for a Getruida Abrahams (nee Witbooi ) to a Johannes Wewers, but I have some doubts that she is from the correct family as she cannot write (Unlike Elizabeth, Susan and Rachel). I might have still considered it a bit more if the marriage had taken place in eg Wynberg.
Can you see the cross on https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89SB-VHYD?i=139&cc=1935348 ? It says "Haar merk" above it .. something like "her mark"!
#2 - I have doubts re a 1943 marriage for a Maggie Witbooi to a Cornelius Nicholas Goliath. If the Rachel in this family is indeed your Rachel, I would have expected Margaret to have been born before 1920 due to her place in the list. So, in this case I am suspicious re age and name ... and again the location doesn't help.
Of course anything is possible, but I wouldn't bet any money on them without additional proof ...
Sylvia