My Introduction Letter to RootsChat, Hi Everyone
. My name is Edward Rodney Bishop van Gass. I was raised in South Africa, where I lived 35 years of my 70 years. The second 35 years have been spent in the United States, where we live in the little town of Grace, Idaho.
My Adoptive Mother was Sarah Louisa Bishop (S. L. Bishop), Daughter of George Bishop and (Wiessie) Marg. van Soelen. Her mother was a daughter of Provincial President Boshoff. S. L. Bishop. She is the only daughter and had five brothers. All six have since passed away. She was the second child, yet outlived all her brothers, when she died at almost 89 years old. She was never married. She raised her nephew Kevin Bishop, because his mother died when he was very young. His father married later again. This lady (Joyce?) had a son by her previous husband. Together Joyce and (AB) Arendt Boshoff had a daughter names Patricia.
I was adopted at the age of 7, some 63 years ago by S. L. Bishop, who was never married. She was a schoolteacher. My name was not changed until I emigrated to the U.S.A. and added the Bishop as my third given name.
As far as I can remember, George James Bishop was the grandson of James McKay Bishop.
I understand that we have the birth and death dates of James McKay Bishop. Has anyone ever seen the Birth certificate or Birth Record? I would think that his parents’ name should be on that record. Since I live in the United States, I do not have the constant availability for receiving South African Civil records.
The last time I tried to search family history on both the van Gass and Bishop lines, the receptionists were not very friendly and not quite willing to help. However, they wanted rather large amounts of money for the records, which they would “Forward) to me in the States. I was informed by other researchers that the records would never arrive, since the receptionist would only pocket the money, once we leave the Civitas Building in Pretoria. I supposed that it would not be easy to just hop over to South Africa, in order to find out why the records were not sent in the first place.
That is why I wondered if someone possibly had seen the Birth Certificate or other actual records that would indicate the information as to the parents of James McKay Bishop.
I would love to continue chatting with anyone regarding the bishop family. I have a few pictures of some of the Bishop and van Soelen families.
Take care and thank you,
Ed van Gass.
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Topic: Father of James McKay Bishop? (Read 5931 times)