Birth records - Durban area

[jen5525]

does anyone know of online birth records source for S. Africa?  The records would be for the 1920-1930 time frame.  They do not appear to be indexed on family search, but I have a marriage certificate that gives me an approximate year of birth of 1923.  Wondering whether its possible to find online, or if not, can this be found in the archives?
thanks!

[pampoen]

The only ones I know of is if you search using family search you may find the birth or baptism date. If you want the actual birth certificate you need to apply through home affairs or your nearest South African embassy. Perhaps if you give us the name someone may be able to find the baptism of the child.

[jen5525]

Thanks. I'm still trying to figure out what records are and aren't available.  Their births aren't indexed on family seach unfortunately.  I'm trying to find records of the births of Norman Stewart and Ethel Jean Stewart.  Their parents were Frederick Forbes Stewart and Emiky Ann Wiseman.  I found Norman on NAAIRS. He died in 1954 and it indicates he was born in Durban.  I don't have a year of birth, but my guess is between 1920 and 1930, as the parents married in 1919, in England.  I did find a marriage certificate for Ethel in 1947.  She was 24, giving date of birth of 1923.  I assume she was born in South Africa, but I'm not sure, as it's possible she could have been born in England, since I'm not sure if she was younger or older than her brother Norman.  I'm trying to pin down a time frame of when their parents went to South Africa.

[3sillydogs]

If you can get the estate files it will give age at time of death and from that a year of birth can be calculated.

You can also try looking through these unindexed baptisms it may take some time but you could be lucky.

http://africangenealogy.blogspot.co.za/2015/08/south-africa-methodist-parish-registers.html

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GT7Y-Q8K?owc=SFV7-BZ9%3A44975801%2C51425101%3Fcc%3D1468076&cc=1468076

[Nookie]

There is a tombstone for Frederick and Emily. He died on 8 August 1960 and Emily on 20 November 1949. Propped up against it is a stone for John Desmond Chambers. I see that he was married to an Ethel Jean Stewart.  A bit more searching, and I have found that her date of birth was 16 November 1922.  Hope that helps a bit.

[Nookie]

If I have the correct Ethel Jean I see that the marriage certificate says she was born in Natal.

[jen5525]

thanks Nookie! that helps a lot!  I actually had the grave marker for Frederick and Emily, but did not remember it had the other stone propped up against it.  From the inscription "my beloved husband and my dear father" I'm inferring that John Desmond Chambers and Ethel Jean must have had a child.  Wish I'd remembered about that stone!  We were really interested to find (1) when Frederick went to S. Africa and (2) any descendants of his..and now we have one more generation...his grandchild. 

Is there any way to pin down a date of birth for Ethel's brother Norman.  I have his death in 1954 from NAAIRS and it indicated he was born in Durban.  If he's older than Ethel, that would help pin down when Frederick arrived in SA

[Nookie]

Also buried at Stellawood is Norman Stewart who died on 25 October 1954 aged 34 which would give his birth round about 1920.  You can see the tombstones if you go to eggsa.org

I have not found the arrival of Frederick and Emily unfortunately.

[pampoen]

DEPOT     NAB SOURCE    MSCE TYPE      LEER  VOLUME_NO 0                                                                     
SYSTEM    01 REFERENCE 2631/1954  PART      1                                                                     
DESCRIPTION  STEWART, NORMAN. BORN IN DURBAN, NATAL. UNMARRIED. DECEASED ESTATE.   
STARTING  19540000  ENDING    19550000.

DEPOT     NAB  SOURCE    MSCE  TYPE      LEER   SYSTEM    01 REFERENCE 1710/1967                                                             
PART 1   DESCRIPTION  CHAMBERS, JOHN DESMOND. BORN IN CAPE TOWN. S SP CHAMBERS, ETHEL  JEAN. BORN STEWART. DECEASED ESTATE.                                 
STARTING  19670000    ENDING    19680000

You can apply to http://www.eggsa.org/ to get a copy of the file from the archives. This should show his date of birth.