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Author Topic: Finding information on a grandmother for my great aunt  (Read 2790 times)

Offline Babitoes

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Finding information on a grandmother for my great aunt
« on: Monday 23 June 14 22:52 BST (UK) »
My great aunt Nola is getting on in years and has always wondered about her grandmother, where she came from and more information about her. All the information we have is as follows: Her name was Sophia Louisa Tarpey (or Tarpay or Tarpy) and she was born in Cornwall, England. She was married to a Jack Forestal (from England) but something happened (divorce,death??) but she eventually married my great great grandfather John A Matthews. They lived in South Africa and they had a son John Joseph Matthews. We'd like to know how she ended up in South Africa, was she sent over as an orphan, why she left England. If anyone can help us that would be greatly appreciated.

Offline Craclyn

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Re: Finding information on a grandmother for my great aunt
« Reply #1 on: Monday 23 June 14 22:55 BST (UK) »
Hello and welcome to Rootschat.
Can you give us some more information about the possible timeframe?
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Offline Babitoes

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Re: Finding information on a grandmother for my great aunt
« Reply #2 on: Monday 23 June 14 23:03 BST (UK) »
Thank you :-)

Umm, we don't have many details. We think she was born in 27/07/1864 in Cornwall, England and she died in 18/09/1937 Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Her son John Joseph Matthews was born 10/04/1898 in Benoni, Gauteng, South Africa.

We don't know when she married Jack Forestal, we don't know anything about her folks and how she got to get to South Africa and to eventually marry my great great grandfather.

One of the many rumours was that she was an orphan and was sent to South Africa.

Offline Craclyn

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Re: Finding information on a grandmother for my great aunt
« Reply #3 on: Tuesday 24 June 14 00:02 BST (UK) »
Initial quick search is not throwing up either a Sophia or a Louisa of the right age with any of your variations of the surname. Can try to take a closer look tomorrow.
Crackett, Cracket, Webb, Turner, Henderson, Murray, Carr, Stavers, Thornton, Oliver, Davis, Hall, Anderson, Atknin, Austin, Bainbridge, Beach, Bullman, Charlton, Chator, Corbett, Corsall, Coxon, Davis, Dinnin, Dow, Farside, Fitton, Garden, Geddes, Gowans, Harmsworth, Hedderweek, Heron, Hedley, Hunter, Ironside, Jameson, Johnson, Laidler, Leck, Mason, Miller, Milne, Nesbitt, Newton, Parkinson, Piery, Prudow, Reay, Reed, Read, Reid, Robinson, Ruddiman, Smith, Tait, Thompson, Watson, Wilson, Youn

Offline Babitoes

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Re: Finding information on a grandmother for my great aunt
« Reply #4 on: Tuesday 24 June 14 00:06 BST (UK) »
I think that's where my great aunt got stuck. She knows so little but would mean the world to her to know a bit about her granny before she dies.

Thank you so much for your time :-) I can give u more information about my great great grandpa her husbands family genealogy but it's mainly South African history.

Offline Annette7

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Re: Finding information on a grandmother for my great aunt
« Reply #5 on: Tuesday 24 June 14 01:37 BST (UK) »
Neither surname is native to England - both of them appear to be Irish.

I, too, cannot find any trace of either of them in England and no trace of the name Tarpey/variants in Cornwall at all.

Sorry.

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Offline Ruskie

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Re: Finding information on a grandmother for my great aunt
« Reply #6 on: Tuesday 24 June 14 01:38 BST (UK) »
I can't help specifically with SA genealogy, but just wondering if Sophia's SA death certificate would give her place of birth or parent's names? Alternatively if she married John in SA would that give these details? Marriage would be better as information would have been supplied by Sophia herself.

It would be good to narrow down a place of birth in Cornwall. It is possible that she was born with a different surname if she can't be found under Tarpey or similar. (due to illegitimacy, remarriage etc)

Also, is there such a thing as immigration records (arrivals) in SA?

Have you found her marriage to Jack Forestal? Did they marry in SA? That certificate might be worth purchasing too if possible especially if there are any doubts about her origins.

Offline jorose

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Re: Finding information on a grandmother for my great aunt
« Reply #7 on: Tuesday 24 June 14 17:43 BST (UK) »
http://www.national.archives.gov.za/
There appears to be a record in 1927 (estate record, I think these are) for a Jack Forestal, wife Una Amelia nee Brent. Also for Sophia Matthews born "Tarpey" (estate record in 1940 which just means it didn't get sorted out for a couple of years)

Civil death record:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01679/

No parental info. Gives her as "born Tarpie", aged 73.  Turpey/Turpie might also be worth looking into?
There were definitely lots of Cornish immigrants (miners) into the Benoni area where her son was born in 1898...
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Offline Babitoes

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Re: Finding information on a grandmother for my great aunt
« Reply #8 on: Tuesday 24 June 14 23:02 BST (UK) »
Oh my word Jorose, that is so fantastic. That is the closest we have ever come to knowing anything about her. All the information seems to add up. Would be interesting to know about her uk life
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