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Beginners => Family History Beginners Board => Topic started by: kezmcd on Friday 05 April 19 10:23 BST (UK)
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I have discovered that my grandfather, who we knew as Ronald McFarlane and brought up by Annie van Blerk & John McFarlane (from Forres) was baptised as WILLIAM MORGAN in 1914, Johannesburg South Africa.
I have managed to find his Child Welfare file but it only states his bio-parents as Lizzie & James MORGAN (which is odd as on his baptism, his father's name is WILLIAM).
We also know, from this Welfare file, that there was also a brother (born around 1903) and a sister (born around 1905), all in Johannesburg, South Africa.
As adoption wasn't official in South Africa until 1922, I'm finding it rather a challenge to get further than this.
Any assistance, would be greatly appreciated :)
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Hi there, and welcome to Rootschat!
Which church in Johannesburg was he baptised at? We might be able to find other traces of the Morgans there. Was he born in 1914 or was it a late baptism? There's quite a gap between him and the other two children.
I don't think it's unusual to find inconsistencies or errors in the paperwork - especially if he was taken into care before his adoption. Maybe his father was a William James or a James William or perhaps someone just slipped up.
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Hello jorose,
He was baptised as RONALD MORGAN, but his child welfare files states his name as WILLIAM MORGAN. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6PZC-Y5?i=131&cc=1468076
Weirdly the witnesses are the lady, who adopted him and her son from her first marriage. She then married JOHN MCFARLANE.
I have contacted St Mary's in Johannesburg and enquired if there was any baptisms around 1903 & 1905 with parents of the name Elizabeth/Lizzie & James/William Morgan. They unfortunately came back with a negative.
Also from the Child Welfare File, we know that ELIZABETH/LIZZIE was a cook for a Mrs McGregor in Parktown, Johannesburg but then went to MIDDLEBURGH.