Thiele - East London

[DGM]

I am trying find more information on my great grandfather on my moms side. He was William August Charles Thiele born 21 Sep 1876. He married a Maria Magdalene. Their children were Doris Olive Ethel [my gran] Millie and Dennis.

I have little info on him other than a baptism certificate for my gran that states she was baptised in East London in 1908. I was told recently that he was  born on a German ship coming to South Africa and hence he was considered to be a German. I have tried to find a ship for that year but without success. This info would help me to locate his parents.

Can anyone help me please?

Many thanks
Donovan

[Wiggy]

Shouldn't think this is any help but one of my favourite authors in Australia was Colin Thiele.      He wrote wonderfully evocative books about the South Australian countryside and life in the early/mid 20th century.   He was part of a fairly big German community in South Australia.  I wonder if any of your family are connected to his?   He only died a few years ago I think.

Good luck with your research.   

Wiggy

[Leanne68]

Hi Donovan,

The NAARIS system offers up what looks like an estate file in the Free State archives for Maria Magdalene THIELE nee LOMBARD.  She seems to have died in 1941 and her spouse is detailed as William August Charles THIELE.  He is not described as pre-deceased so might well have still been alive after 1941. 

Estate files for the Orange Free State archives only go up to about 1950 and i don't see a record for him.
Searching the internet gave up the following site which records his date of death as 25 december 1968 in Kroonstad, South Africa.  The site owner might well be able to point you towards source material to help with who his parents might be.

http://www.tammymitchell.com/clanmowat/international/getperson.php?personID=I1018&tree=don

Best of luck with your search
best wishes
Leanne

[DGM]

Hi Leanne
Thank you for your help. I have struggled to find info and fortunately at the cape archives they were able to find the reference for the info you sent me. I will now have to find someone in Bloemfontien to go have a look at the file for me.

Tammy Mitchell [born Mowatt] is actually my cousin in Canada. We do a lot of research together and that is why that info is on the site.

Many many thanks
Donovan

[DelvaP]

hi Donavon
will have a look at the Bloemfontein Archive 4 you.
will be on leave 2nd week of July then will have a look and let you have details
at Church we have a tHIELE FAMILY.   will chat to them and find out if there is a connection
Delva
Bloemfontein

[DGM]

That is so kind of you and most appreciated. I do know that my great grandfather remarried after Maria died and his second wife outlived him.  I am most interested in the parents of August and Maria. My Aunt believes that August was born on a German ship while on route to East London which is why the family thought he was German. My gran was born in East London so they must have married there. I am not sure when they moved to Kroonstad but do have photos of the house and both of them taken there. Any info you can get from the estate papers would be most helpful

Thank you again
Donovan

[DelvaP]

Eventaully got to the Archives info is as follows:

Maria Magdalene Thiele (born Lombard)
born at Barkley East, Cape Province
Father   Zacharia Lombard
Mother Annie Magdelena Lombard (b Pelser - this lady might be related to my husband!)
Date of death   10.4.1941    @  62 years 4 months
She was a storeman at Champions in Kroonstad
Place of residence   49 Brand street, Kroonstad
Husband  WILLIAM AUGUST CHARLES THIELE '
they married in Aliwal North
Children were
Dorothy Annie Elizabeth (b 26/11/1903)  married DHJ Viljoen
Olive Maud (b 26/11/1905 married LE Erasmus)
Ethel Violet (B 20/9/1908 married JS Marais
Mildred Myrtle (b 9.9.1914 married G Ives)
Dennis (b 9/10/1919)

I also have a couple of pages of Thiele's will go thru and check if any of your names appear at all.
Hope this helps!

Regards

Delva

[DGM]

Thank you SO much for this.

Ethel was my grandmother who married Steve Marais. You have helped me go back one step further on this side of my family tree. August did remarry after Magdalene died. He left everything to his new wife's son from an earlier marriage which caused a lot of bitterness in the family - hence the lack of info.

If you ever need any info from the Cape Town Archives please dont hesitate to ask.

Once again many thanks - I am ever so grateful for this help.

Much love
Donovan Mowatt