Author Topic: Gouws Family dilemma.  (Read 1022 times)

Offline Lorand

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Gouws Family dilemma.
« on: Monday 18 March 19 05:49 GMT (UK) »
It seems my grandmother, SUSARA MARIA ALETTA GOUWS may have been illegitimate.
 She was born on 22 April 1886/7 in Britstown, Northern Cape Province.
Her mother may have been Helen (Ellie) Gouws  (nee Murray), sister to Andrew Murray, the preacher, but on Helen's death cert. there is no mention of a marriage or of having a child, though it seems she did have a daughter born out of wedlock according to (Cape Province Probate 1834-1989 in Familysearch.org.   
On my grandmother's marriage cert. on 30 January 1906 it mentions her foster-father as David Johannes Erasmus, but not her mother's name.
I am not sure if Gouws is her real father's name or an adoptive parent's name or whether Helen Murray did indeed marry a Gouws.
Is there anyone researching the Gouws family who can shed some light for me and be able to produce a birth certificate.
Many thanks
Lorand
McCall, Arnott, Ness, Galloway, Balfour, Botes

Offline TreeSpirit

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Re: Gouws Family dilemma.
« Reply #1 on: Monday 18 March 19 10:13 GMT (UK) »

I saw that her death notice had 1881 as her birth year (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DB57-3JT?i=1&cc=1407787 ), so I threw the net a bit wider and came up with a possible 22 April 1882 birth:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-61TS-HPK?i=87&cc=1392488&cat=2357448

Offline TreeSpirit

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Re: Gouws Family dilemma.
« Reply #2 on: Monday 18 March 19 10:25 GMT (UK) »
PS In 1906 David Johannes Erasmus was her "stiefvader", so he was her step father and not her foster-father ...(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C953-SS46-3?i=325&cc=1910846)

Offline Lorand

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Re: Gouws Family dilemma.
« Reply #3 on: Monday 18 March 19 23:45 GMT (UK) »
Thanks for the help.  I am aware that there is a discrepancy in the birth records of Susara Gouws, so will carry on searching for the birth certificate, which might prove difficult.
Lorand. 
McCall, Arnott, Ness, Galloway, Balfour, Botes


Offline solidrock

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Re: Gouws Family dilemma.
« Reply #4 on: Tuesday 19 March 19 00:28 GMT (UK) »
On Geni it has this info about her...

Susara Maria Aletta Susanna Botes (Gouws)

Birth:    April 22, 1887
Britstown, Bo-Karoo, Northern Cape, South Africa

Death:    July 21, 1964 (77)
Nasionale Hospitaal, Bloemfontein, Motheo, Free State, South Africa

Biological daughter of Helen "Ellie" Murray
Foster daughter of David Johannes Erasmus

Wife of Gysbert Johannes Botes

Children...
 Susara Maria Aletta Geldenhuys.  Birth: September 19, 1907
 Jacomina Maria Nienaber  Birth:    May 30, 1909
 Gertruida Pieter Steenhuizen (Botes)   Birth: January 05, 1912
 Elizabeth Wilhelmina Botes    Birth: February 10, 1913
 Bertus Johanna van Vuuren   Birth:    April 25, 1916
 Gysbert Johannes Botes   Birth: August 15, 1917
 Jacob Pieter Daničl (Jaap) Botes   Birth:  May 14, 1920
 Jacobus Christoffel Botes   Birth:  November 22, 1921

Offline TreeSpirit

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Re: Gouws Family dilemma.
« Reply #5 on: Tuesday 19 March 19 03:21 GMT (UK) »
Thanks for the help.  I am aware that there is a discrepancy in the birth records of Susara Gouws, so will carry on searching for the birth certificate, which might prove difficult.
Lorand. 

What makes it even more difficult is that Civil registration of births didn't start in the Cape until 1895! There is some stuff before 1895, but I don't think that it is Cape wide.
I'd be fairly amazed if the 1882 baptism would turn out to be for someone else. There are too many coincidences.