STOODLEY/STOODLY - 1871-1885

[kanskar]

Danchaslyn - Thankyou for the information. Could you please clarify the type of bridge ?

Cheers Kanskar

[Danchaslyn]

 

Hello Kanskar

Sadly, not exactly, but know that the 'pillars' of the old bridge, exist to this day and can be seen alongside, and beneath the current road.

Most bridges in SA, of that era, were, I think, like the Ironbridge in the UK.

For instance the old rail and road bridges of Zululand were all "metal".

Cheers

Danchaslyn

 

[kanskar]

Danchaslyn - Thanks for the clarification on that. Kanskar

[Danchaslyn]

 

Hello Kanskar

I did read somewhere once, that the boom years of the early Cape started in 1874 or thereabouts??   

I'm curious, how did you place Frederick Stoodley in Jansenville?

Do you know if Amy & Elizabeth emigrated to South Africa, to, or did only Mabel and Frederick?

Cheers

Danchaslyn

 

[Danchaslyn]

 

Hello Kanskar

With regard to 'William Stoodley ran or owned a plantation nr Johannesburg?'

The Eastern Transvaal as it used to be known, North East of Johannesburg, is renowned for its tree plantations, mostly pines.  And, there are a few very 'old' towns there.

Again, the boom in these plantations was round about the 1870's!

Cheers

Danchaslyn

 

[kanskar]

A - He's listed on the muster roll for the Jansenville Yeomanry.

B - It is believed that the following emigrated:

William Stoodly/Stoodley - Blacksmith  
Eliza (nee Harvey)

Frederick William Thomas
Amy Eliza Eugenie
Emily Louisa
Mabel A

C - The plantation ownership is still a story at present. Until there is further evidence on William's whereabouts - it remains so.

D - Vbond (Frederick's great-grandson) & I can only trace Frederick & Mabel at present.  We do not know what happened to the others as yet.

Thanks

Kanskar

[Danchaslyn]

 

Oh ok, thank you.  So, the whole family as in Mr & Mrs W Stoodley and one son and three daughters, did definitely all emigrate together to SA.

Well done finding Frederick on the muster roll for the Jansenville Yeomanry!

Apparently the first two policeman for Jansenville were placed in 1874.

With regard to the plantation, there were also cotton and tobacco plantations in the 1870's at Rustenburg, also north of Johannesburg.

Cheers

Dancahslyn

[vbond]

Hi Dancahslyn,

Sorry I am a bit slow to reply but I did not get a notification and I have only just caught up.

Thanks for showing an interest. Your comment about building the bridge at Jansenville is interesting as the first job Frederick had when he arrived in Australia was to cost the building of a bridge over a creek in suburban Brisbane. He then went to work for the railways and state works departments as what we would now call a Project Engineer for 30 years.

We have his life reasonably mapped except from between 1871 (census england) and c1877 (Jansenville). After that he was in Port Elizabeth (1880) and Craddock (bought property 1882), and then England 1885 to marry and then, Australia.

In the lost period he would have done his apprenticeship as a Blacksmith. That could have been around Johannesburg. Specially if that is where is family was.

Or equally I believe that there was a railway built out of Port Elizabeth starting 1873 to Kimberly. This would have been an ideal training ground for a blacksmith/engineer.

Any insight is appreciated.

vbond

[kanskar]

VB - Did you hear anything back from Jansenville regarding the family ?

Kanskar