Hello from Cape Town, South Africa.
I am in search of a Baptism Record of the first
Hart forebear that settled in the Newlands and Rondebosch area of Cape Town in the latter 1840's.
I have a link on this forum
http://rhubarb.mweb.co.za/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=793 with further details.
Stephen Hart and his putative brother
Edwin Hart were born between 1822 and 1825 and the story that links Stephen Hart and his putative brother Edwin Hart to the UK is the family legend that they were
Market Gardeners from the
Kent/Sussex/Surrey area that came out to
South Africa with
Sir Harry Smith.
There are several people doing research into the same Hart Clan and so far we have found no record that either Stephen and/or Edwin Hart if they were brothers were born in the Cape Colony (Cape Town). So our search has been extended to the UK. One of the clan did a bit of research into the Kent area as he was of the impression from a Shipping Record that they were listed as Hops Farmers from Kent.
The first record of these men in South Africa is in the Marriage Register of St Paul's Church in Rondebosch Cape Town, where Edwin Hart marries Johanna Philipina Hendrina Kroissa on the 7th of June 1847 and Stephen Hart marries the widow Johanna Magdalena Brown (Born Barchfeld) on the 31st of January 1848.
The family seeks these men’s Baptism Record/s if they exist.
The only other clue is that on Edwin Harts Death Notice of 1887, his father and mother is given as Thomas and Sarah.
No Death Notice for Stephen Hart exists.
He died in August of 1891 and is buried at the old Cemetery in Newlands Forest with Johanna Magdalena. (St Andrews Register Kildare Rd Newlands)
Any help would be appreciated.
Various Family members have searched in vain for many years for these men’s origins.
Perhaps no record exists at all?
But if the Anglican Registers in England are the same as they are in South Africa it is very possible that these records are in safe keeping, but still yet not transcribed.
If this is the case then the only other clue once again stems from Edwin Harts Death Notice and Gravestone which states he was from
"Sussex England" and
"Of Sussex" respectively.
Thanks,
Gary Hart
