Harold Smith, died 1919, Durban

[Keston]

Hi,

Thanks to those who have included informative posts on this board about researching in South Africa.  I have done quite a bit of research in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand on various branches of my family, but am now looking at a line which lived for a while in South Africa, so for a researcher without local background they have been greatly appreciated!

My search is for any information I can find on Harold Smith (b. abt. 1879, Ashton under Lyne, Lancashire, d. 4 Mar 1919, Durban).

Harold was a bricklayer and family information is that he and some or all of his brothers Leonard (b. 1880), Sydney (b. 1884), and Fred (b. 1893), who were all bricklayers spent time working in Natal.  Family information is that through the firm Smith & Booth, they were responsible for building many of the houses in Pietermaritzburg.  Whilst the other brothers returned to the UK, Harold died on his way back to the UK in 1919.

The family story is that he died on the boat of diphtheria and was returned to Durban, where he is buried.  He left a family, including three small children in England.

Thanks to suggestions on this board, I have now found a Death record and will for Harold on the Family Search website.  This provides the interesting information that he actually died in Room 13, Belgrave Hotel, Durban, and that he committed suicide.  Although we know he was working in Pietermaritzburg in 1915, at the time of his death he was or had been working at the Reynold Bros Sugar Mill, Sezela on the south Natal coast.

For me this clearly raises all sorts of interesting questions.  The first of which is whether there would be any newspaper record of his death.  I have found good write-ups in Australian papers for example of similar events for other family members.

Also, where was Belgrave Hotel and is it still there, and which Durban cemetery is he buried in.

I would also be keen to track down any information at all that may exist on Smith & Booth in Pietermaritzburg.

I have done a lot of searching on the web, and have found the transcriptions that have been done of some Durban cemeteries and have not found him included.  I have also seen the EGGSA website which seems to include transcriptions of some local papers.

I am keen to understand whether there are any other sources of newspaper or burial records and whether anyone can shed any light on the other small bits of information coming from the family or the death record.

Any suggestions on this would be most gratefully accepted!

Many thanks,
KESTON.



 

[sugarbakers]

Keston

Whilst I can't help with SA family research, I do have a little info on the sugar mill mentioned.

There's an excellent book on the SA sugar industry ... "Valiant Harvest, the Founding of the South African Sugar Industry 1848-1926" by Robert F Osborn, pub 1964.
Reynolds Bros Ltd was a very large company, and one which bought out many smaller concerns, eventually running huge estates in the Umzinto area. The book has a small picture of the Sezela mill in 1924, with a caption that implies it was established around 1914 to cope with the enormous amounts a cane available from the Reynolds estates locally.

If you can't find a copy of the book, just PM me your email and I'll send copies of the relevant pages.

[pampoen]

Keston a few bits of info. The newspapers in South Africa as far as I know are not digitised. More than likely seeing he committed suicide he would have had a paupers burial in West Street cemetery. I managed to find a picture of the Belgrave hotel but could not enlarge it. The hotel no longer exists.

[Keston]

Many thanks for these tips! I
Will look for the book. It is also great to have a picture of the hotel.  Could you please tell me the source of the photo?

Many thanks,
Keston.

[pampoen]

That photo came from the Killie Cambell museum in Durban. I was sent this photo by someone whose great grandparents owned the hotel from 1890-1900.

[pampoen]

In a book titled "Durban a Pictorial History" by Ian Morrison on page 101 is some more pictures of the hotel.. According to the South African Magazine of 5/12/1903 there was a fire in the newly added wing. Covered by insurance of 500 pounds. The family story was that it was the first three story building in West St. Taken in 1903.

[Keston]

Hi,

Many thanks for these wonderful photos.

Thanks,
Keston.