Good afternoon,
To make a very long introduction short, I am a disaster medicine scientist and (I can explain later why if this is believed relevant) I write about WW1 animal mascots. Jackie the Baboon has been published in Stand To! (WFA Journal) and I am now for about 3 years researching an even more colourful mascot, named Nancy the Springbok of the South African Scottish (or 4th) Regiment. If you wonder what this has to do with your ancestor David McLaren Kennedy (DMK) - well - she was his pet. According to one MIL researcher, the late Capt PKA Digby, DMK contacted the 4th and the regimental poet, Sgt McVain agreed to welcome her. According to a "modern" MIL researcher, P Dickens, it was DMK's wife, Johanna Adriana Brits (JAB), who contacted the 4th and it was General T Lukin himself who answered her "delighted with the offer, bring her in".
Now, do I have questions? Yes, a lot. First "everything" seems to match, with the exception of dates. DMK would have been born (according to his SA death certificate) in 1881, but then this wedding certificate with JAB mentions he is 30. 17 December 1913 he would have been 32. So the numbers don't add up...
But I am convinced you and I are talking about the same DMK. What I want to know for my narrative on Nancy, is how he ended up in SA, what year, what farm, till when because he died as an agent for the Singer Company and his was buried in Bothaville in a single grave while his death certificate says "married". Regarding JAB, as she was from Wolmaransstad ("Boers"), 10 years younger, with certainty from Dutch descent (JoHanna instead of the Flemish Joanna, without H), they assumedly met at Potchefstroom. What happened to her? Why is she not buried next to DMK? Were they still married in 1933? Where in Vierfontein did they have their farm?
I really hope we can start an interesting discussion on this,
Sincerely,
Dirk Danschutter, MMSc
Brussels, Belgium
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Topic: William McLaren Perth (Read 2409 times)