Where did you go Aunt Eliza?

[fridayschild]

I am trying to solve the mystery of what became of my Great,Great Aunt Eliza Jane Gorman nee Hough after she was widowed in 1910. Her husband was Philip Gorman born in c1872 possibly in Devon who was killed in a mining accident on 4th April 1910 in the Transvaal. The newspaper report in the local paper says that his wife and children were with him in South Africa.
I have searched the incoming and outgoing passenger lists on Find my past and Ancestry and I think I may have found Philip accompanied by his Brother In Law sailing to Natal from Southampton in 1907 but there doesn't appear to be any trace of Eliza and her children ever sailing to South Africa and no sign of her returning after his death. I have searched resources in England and there appears to be no trace of her or her children ever returning to the UK.

[Gillian Mauchan]

Have you searched NAAIRS there is a tantalising document rhat might be your Great Aunt

DEPOT     TAB                                                                   
SOURCE    MHG                                                                   
TYPE      LEER                                                                 
VOLUME_NO 0                                                                     
SYSTEM    01                                                                   
REFERENCE 4971/43                                                               
PART      1                                                                     
DESCRIPTION          FRENCH, GEORGE SAVILL.                                               
STARTING  19430000                                                             
ENDING    19430000                                                             
REMARKS   SURVIVING SPOUSE ELIZA JANE FRENCH. (BORN HOUGH).   

though maybe not

DEPOT     TAB                                                                   
SOURCE    TPD                                                                   
TYPE      LEER                                                                 
VOLUME_NO 8/755                                                                 
SYSTEM    01                                                                   
REFERENCE 220/1934                                                             
PART      1                                                                     
DESCRIPTION          OPPOSED APPLICATION. ELIZA JANE FRENCH (BORN HOUGH, FORMERLY CRANKE) 
           VERSUS GEORGE SAVILL FRENCH.                                         
STARTING  19340000                                                             
ENDING    19340000   

What were her children's names you could try searching for them
Regards
Gillian

[fridayschild]

Thankyou for your reply Gillian....what are NAAIRS?, I have never heard of them.

She had 3 children:
William born c.1890
Florence Evelyn born c.1892
Clarence Philip born c.1895

I am not sure whether there were any more children, possibly born in South Africa or if any of them survived to Adulthood because I have found no trace of any of them in England or on Ships Passenger lists to or from England

[Gillian Mauchan]

The NAAIRS website is an index for documents (some) in the South African Archives

http://www.national.archives.gov.za/naairs.htm

I think if you look through the resources on this list there are tips on how to use it.

Had a quick scan and I can't see any records that may relate to the children

Regards
Gillian

[fridayschild]

I clicked on the link, but I am not sure where to go after that!

[Gillian Mauchan]

Hi

Choose Search on the next screen you choose the archive you want to search - if unsure choose RSA as that covers all the archives

Follow the other links on the first page they explain more about how to interpret the acronymns and also give you the links to various archives

Regards

Gillian

[fridayschild]

DEPOT     TAB                                                                   
SOURCE    MHG                                                                   
TYPE      LEER                                                                 
VOLUME_NO 0                                                                     
SYSTEM    01                                                                   
REFERENCE 15533                                                                 
PART      1                                                                     
DESCRIPTION          GORMAN, PHILIP BENJAMIN.                                             
STARTING  19100000                                                             
ENDING    19100000                                                             
REMARKS   SURVIVING SPOUSE ELIZA JANE GORMAN.

I found the above reference which is more than likely the right family, but I don't know what type of document it is....if I email the Repository will they give me the information that the document contains?

[Gillian Mauchan]

They will probably quote you an amount to copy it - I haven't copied anything from the Transvaal archives but have received plenty from the Cape Archives - the cost was very modest .

The definition for Leer  (correspondence file) in this case it is most likely the death notice .
It will probably tell you the deceased's parents, date of death , spouse and children.

Regards

Gillian

[fridayschild]

I have a detailed newspaper account of his death, so I probably wouldn't gain anything new by getting a copy of the record from the archive, I guess it is likely to remain a mystery as to what became of her and her children!