Author Topic: Flora McPherson/Gordon b. Inverness?  (Read 22473 times)

Offline Gadget

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Re: Flora McPherson/Gordon b. Inverness?
« Reply #27 on: Thursday 16 October 08 11:27 BST (UK) »
I've done Nat Archive searches on George Lanceley Gordon. I've checked for marriages in Scotland and E&W. I've checked for deaths in Scotland and E&W.  There's nothing that looks promising so far.

I popped into NAAIRS but have only used it a couple of times before so not sure of it. I remember a few years ago finding long lists of marriages and births in SA - I was looking for some of my kin - but I can't remember the source  :(

I wonder if it's worth Renata putting a query on the SA board for info on the later children, deaths, etc.


Gadget
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Offline Cheekybum

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Re: Flora McPherson/Gordon b. Inverness?
« Reply #28 on: Thursday 16 October 08 11:29 BST (UK) »
Let me be honest because I really appreciate the trouble that both of you have gone through in order to help me.

To start with... I started with this because I was always fascinated by the fact that my grandmother came from Scotland and when I was recently told by my father that he had this whole family tree but with nothing to prove it it got me going.

Alright now the first thing that I noted was my grandmother's name, Flora. She never used her real name and called HERSELF Florence which led to 2 of my cousins having that name. It was only after her death that we noticed in her identity book that her real name was Flora.

As I said, I don't have any marriage certificates but I'm sure I'll be able to find my grandmother's. This is starting to tickle me pink though as I'm beginning to have doubts myself about a whole lot of things.

George Lanceley Gordon did go to South Africa though and he died there, that much I know. Strange thing is no mention is made of a spouse on the records I found so far.

I never considered the possibility that my great grandmother might not be a McPherson as the one mentioned in my tree just made sense being born in South Africa to Afrikaans parents and all.

What bothers me though is that you said earlier that you can't find any record of the names on passenger ships?

Alright now I'm going to have a look at everything and get back to you but I can tell you that I was confronted with alot of secrecy when I started with this so I knew it wasn't going to be easy.

Hmmm...
Gordon, McPherson, Lotriet, Roux, Claassens

Offline Cheekybum

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Re: Flora McPherson/Gordon b. Inverness?
« Reply #29 on: Thursday 16 October 08 11:34 BST (UK) »
Then again... Now that you mention NAAIRS..

The records did show my great grandmother as being born as a McPherson.
Gordon, McPherson, Lotriet, Roux, Claassens

Offline AMBLY

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Re: Flora McPherson/Gordon b. Inverness?
« Reply #30 on: Thursday 16 October 08 11:38 BST (UK) »
And just to jolly things along.... ;D  ;D  ;D

2nd battalion Seaforth Highlanders:
http://www.victorianwars.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=186

Feb. 1897 To Dover
Jun. 1897 To London for Diamond Jubilee
Jan. 1899 To Fort George
21.10.1899 Leave Glasgow in S.S. ‘Mongolia’ for South African War.
18.11.1899 Arrive Cape Town
1899-1902 South African War. Served in Highland Brigade. Battle honours: PAARDEBERG, SOUTH AFRICA 1899 – 1902
1902 Transvaal, South Africa

I checked FindMyPast - GORDON's to South Africa 1901 to 1920.
Lots. And not one of them with a first name of initial. Most with no approx yob - just "unknown"  or "adult" etc. All left from English ports Southampton or Liverpool...... :'(


Cheers
AMBLY

Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

"Now that we're all here, I'm not sure if we're all there...."

 Entre los individuos, como entre las naciones, el respeto al derecho ajeno es la paz
 Among individuals, as among nations, respect for the rights of others is peace
    ~Benito Juarez (1806-1872)


Offline Gadget

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Re: Flora McPherson/Gordon b. Inverness?
« Reply #31 on: Thursday 16 October 08 11:55 BST (UK) »
I checked FindMyPast yesterday - 1890-1914 for M*cpherson and Gordon variation - nothing at all that looks promising.

Renata ~ you say that you have a tree which your father gave you. Do you know who drew it up and their sources?

Also, I'm not sure of the SA BMD records but I think I would be getting the death and marriage certs for Flora and her siblings and the birth certs of the later  siblings who were born SA.

This would give you more firm evidence. At the moment we seem to be looking for any Gordon/M*cpherson birth in Scotland  :-\


Gadget
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Offline AMBLY

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Re: Flora McPherson/Gordon b. Inverness?
« Reply #32 on: Thursday 16 October 08 12:12 BST (UK) »
Just a thought.....

Regarding the 4 NAAIRS records 1929 to 1931 naming Flora Gordon (born McPherson), and one of them also naming George McPherson GORDON.....

I wonder if  there any way this information may have been given by someone other than Flora herself, someone who thought her maiden name was McPherson..........do you know when your Gt-grandmother died?

Cheers
AMBLY
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

"Now that we're all here, I'm not sure if we're all there...."

 Entre los individuos, como entre las naciones, el respeto al derecho ajeno es la paz
 Among individuals, as among nations, respect for the rights of others is peace
    ~Benito Juarez (1806-1872)

Offline Cheekybum

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Re: Flora McPherson/Gordon b. Inverness?
« Reply #33 on: Thursday 16 October 08 14:21 BST (UK) »
The date I was given on the tree is 25-10-1939.

I stumbled across a South African site with quite a few BMD's Ambly. What I found really interesting is that it covered a whole lot of the McPhersons for the time and area where my g grandmother is supposed to have came from but no sign of her or her parents.

The document I found and mentioned earlier refers to a piece of land there though and my gg grandparents supposedly got married there but I still can't find any record of it.

Neither side seems to make any sense now except for the fact that my g grandmother is specifically referred to being a Gordon b. McPherson in the document I found yesterday.
 
Gordon, McPherson, Lotriet, Roux, Claassens

Offline Scottish Boer

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Re: Flora McPherson/Gordon b. Inverness?
« Reply #34 on: Friday 20 August 10 11:19 BST (UK) »
Hi Renata

My name is James Gordon . My father (who died in April this year) was George Lancely Gordon and he is buried in Citrusdal (South Africa). My grandfather's name was George Mcpherson Gordon (he stayed in the then Ysterplaat (Milnerton) in Cape town all the years that I can remember.He married my grandmother Kitty Maritz (she was a descendant of the famous Boer general Manie Maritz) His brothers were Donald , Thomas and the others but I did not know them. I only met uncle Donald (I was still small but I remember him well). Uncle Donald Gordon worked for AVBOB undertakers in a small Karoo town called Brandvlei.My father's brothers & sisters is/was Gert Gordon(deceased) he stayed in Vredendal at the time of his death , Wilhelm Gordon (deceased) he stayed in Bloemfontein at the time of his death , Joyce Gordon (deceased) she stayed in Pretoria at the time of her death , James Gordon (my uncle) - he is a renowned painter artist and still stays in Panorama Cape Town , Alexander Gordon (my uncle) he still stays in Citrusdal and he is a pensioner but still runs a very popular fruit stall close to Citrusdal called "kom proe padstal". My only living aunt is Isabella Florence Gordon (she married Loddy Spencer) and she is still staying in Cape Town as well. If you want I can try and locate some telephone numbers for you. My uncle James have got two son's also George (Geo) and James . My uncle Alexander (Alex) have only got one daughter Belinda. My father , George Lancely Gordon married my mother Cornelia Magrietha Smit and they had 4 sons. My eldest brother is my stephbrother because my mother was divorced when my father met her so my eldest brother kept his father's surname  - he is Herman Fouche - he is staying in Ashleigh in Pinetown. My father and mother were married for 54 years. My eldest brother's name is George Marthinus Gordon , then it is me James Gordon and then my youngest brother Gerhardus Gordon. You can see my mother wa a real Boertjie (judging by the names). I have got a daughter and a son , my daughter is Jamie-Lee Gordon and my son is Joshua James Gordon. I will try and assist as far as I can wrt your questions. The way that I understand it is that our great grandfather was James Gordon(I bear his name) - he used to go to Portabella Bay for his holidays and I understand that he resided in Edinburgh. He emigrated to South Africa and he bought one of the biggest farms in the district of Beaufort West - the farm is called Hottentotsrivier and is somewhere on the Frazerburg road. My uncle James (Jim) actually went to the farm a couple of years ago and it is now the property of the Esterhuizen or maybe van der Westhuizen family. My uncle walked throught the old homestead which basically still looks the same as he can recall it from his childhood years. My grandfather , George McPherson and his brothers grew up on this farm as well as my father and his brothers and sisters untill the great depression of 33. I hope this helps in the meantime. - Regards James Gordon.

Offline Cheekybum

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Re: Flora McPherson/Gordon b. Inverness?
« Reply #35 on: Thursday 26 August 10 19:48 BST (UK) »
Hi James

Thank you so much for your reply.

I eventually gave up on searching for information. As you can see, my last post was almost 2 years ago.
I asked my father, Eben Roux, to read your reply and he's all excited again. He also remembers your uncle Donald quite well.
The last bit of your reply is spot on as I did alot of research and my information matches yours.
We are still trying to establish where my grandmother, Flora Gordon, was actually born. My grandmother was your grandfather's older sister. The oldest was Isabella though.
Our problem comes in that she never really talked about her childhood, although I do know that most of the children grew up on the farm (Port Nolloth is also mentioned). My father do mention that they went for many visits in Beaufort West on the farm, which he describes as really large.
Your grandfather was born on 7 July 1902 if I am correct then? I don't have the date he died, if you could maybe provide me with that info for a start?
As far as I can gather, you only knew about the sons that was born. The other two were the older daughters, one my grandmother and the other was Isabella.
I also can't find any information about an actual marriage taking place between our great grandfather, George Lancely Gordon and Flora McPherson. This is another confusing part. Unless you or someone else is in possession of a document proving an actual marriage, my grandmother used to say that our great grandparents were (sorry for the Afrikaans) "...getroud met die handskoen...", maybe you know something about that?
Another thing is that my grandmother used to mention that she was born in Inverness. I tried to establish whether there were any records of this but I didn't get very far. Apparently she was bout 7 years old when they came to South Africa (again). That would mean that Isabella was born in SA and Thomas was born in SA. My research at another site confirmed this, as I could find no record of my grandmother, your grandfather, or uncle Donald being born in SA.
Do you have any idea where your grandfather was born?
Gordon, McPherson, Lotriet, Roux, Claassens