Volume 19 Issue 4/2003
We wish to welcome our new members Adrian and Milly Rowe, and wish them lots of good fortune in their research.
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Congratulations!
Our treasurer, Joan Rachmann, has completed the book about her family, “They met in Natal” and we congratulate her on a job well done, after many hours of hard work.
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Ancestral Tea - 13th December
Just a reminder of our social event, and please try to bring something that Granny would have baked.
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(Report back.)
Just wanted to let you all know that this has been tried and tested with great success! It is well worth it, so give it a try. Many thanks again to Jaq for submitting this info.
For interest the following databases are available:-
GEN - Data of the South African Genealogical Society on Gravestones
HER - Data of the Bureau of Heraldry on registered heraldic representations
KAB - Cape Town Archives Repository
MAN - National Registers of Manuscripts and Photographs (NAREM and NAREF)
National Archives’ cartographic and library material, microfilms and copies
NAB - Pietermaritzburg Archives Repository
OVM - National Register of Audio-Visual Material (NAROM)
ROS - National Register of Oral Sources (NAROS)
RSA - All Archives Repositories and National Registers of non-public records
SAB - National Archives Repository (Public Records of Central Government since 1910)
TAB - National Archives Repository (Public Records of former Transvaal Province and its predecessors as well as of magistrates and local authorities)
TBD - Durban Archives Repository
TBE - Port Elizabeth Archives Repository
TBK - Cape Town Records Centre
VAB - Free State Archives Repository
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A lively discussion took place on our ‘Brick Walls’ and Nigel quoted from John Rowe/Family Tree Magazine – “Tip of the Week”
‘I had reached brick walls in several of my family lives. I happened on a history of Clarion County, PA. and discovered valuable information that allowed me to go beyond those walls. Since then I have made a point to check county histories of each county where my ancestors have lived. A few histories have even led to will books and probate records as a result of specific location information’
Most of us tend to restrict our research to BMD’s whereas there is an enormous amount of material available under other subjects and resources. A place to start is under the subject headings in the Family History Library Catalog, at the FHC.
Margaret Huber found her Kelly’s and we all shared in her excitement!
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As with surnames, given names can also be a stumbling block e.g.
Elizabeth and Isobel are interchangeable as with Peter and Patrick, Daniel and Donald. Agnes, Ann, and Nancy are all variations of the same name. Your ancestor Jane, may also have been called Jean, Janet or Jessie. A good name book to assist with this problem is Bardsley’s ‘First Name Variants’.
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(Taken from ‘Hilda’s Diary of a Cape Housekeeper’ by Hildagonda Duckitt)
Published 1902.
Cure for Toothache. – Mix 60 grains cocaine, 1 teaspoonful tincture of opium, and bottle. A tiny piece of cotton-wool steeped in this and put in the cavity of the aching tooth will give instant relief. All such powerful applications should be kept locked up, measured out by some other person not the patient.
Overdose of Laudanum, etc. - In case of an overdose of laudanum or opium or alcohol, immediately administer an emetic of mustard-and-water, and above all keep the patient awake and in motion, slapping him with wet towels and trotting him up and down the room till a doctor can be had.
Jaundice - The yellow flowers of the wild hemp, known at the Cape as “Dacha”, Cannabis sativa (the leaves of which plant used to be dried and smoked by the natives), made into a tea and taken three times a day, is most efficacious.
Those were the days!! (Ed)
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Boardwright - made tables and chairs aka carpenter
Bobber - one who polished metals, or one who helped to unload fishing boats
Bodeys/Body Maker - made bodices for womens garments
Bodger - made wooden chair legs and spars and usually worked in the woodland where they cut the timber
Boll - looked after power looms in the weaving industry
Bolter - sifted meal
Bondager - female worker on a farm who was bonded
Bone Button turner - made buttons using a lathe
Boniface - keeper of an inn
Book Guilder - decorated books with gold leaf
Bookholder - prompter in the theatre
Boonmaster - surveyor of roads with responsibilities of maintaining and repairing the road
Boot Catcher - servant at an inn who pulled off traveller’s boots
Boothman - corn merchant
Borler - made cheap, coarse clothing
Botcher - tailor or cobbler
Bottiler/Bottler - made leather containers for holding liquids eg.wine flasks or water bottles
Bottle Boy - pharmacists assistant
Bowker - bleached yarn
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The Internet, Computers & Genealogy
The Provincial Council of Natal
Thomas Sterley and John Matthews Jansen,T
Tongaat and African Experiment Watson, R G T
Tracing your Family History in Australia Hall, N V
Track Down Your Ancestors Catlett, E
Uphoko Khumalo, R S
Valiant Harvest Osborn, R F
Vinnicombe’s Trek Currey, R N
Wanderings (History of Jews) Potok, C
Who Saved Natal? Bender, C
Wilhelm Posselt Bourquin, S
Wilts and Dorset Penguin Guides Muirhead, L R
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When and from where churches were seceded
Molteno 1881 Dordrecht (?)
Montagu 1854 Swellendam
Moorreesburg 1879 Swartland
Mossel Bay 1854 George
Murraysburgh 1856 Graaff-Reinet
Namaqualand
(Springbok) 1850 Clanwilliam
Napier 1848 Bredasdorp/Caledon
New Bethesda
(Niew-Bethesda) 1878 Graaff-Reinet
Niewe Kerk, Cape Town 1891 see Tamboerskloof
Niewoudville 1897 Calvinia
Noorder-Paarl 1875 Paarl
Oudtshoorn 1853 George/Mossel Bay
Paarl 1691 Stellenbosch
Pearston 1859 Graaff-Reinet/Somerset East
Petrusville 1882 Philipstown
Philadelphia 1863 Durbanville
Philipstown 1873 Colesberg
Piquetberg (Piketberg) 1833 Clanwilliam/Swartland/Tulbagh
Porterville 1879 Piquetberg
Prieska 1878 Victoria West/Carnarvon
Prince Albert 1842 Beaufort West
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11 October Speaker/Activity
8 November Personal Research
13 December Ancestral Tea.
18 January AGM (3rd Saturday)
8 February Personal Research
14 March Speaker/Activity
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Nigel McFerran, 22 Edgbaston Drive, Westville 3629
Phone: (031) 266-3177. E-Mail: mcferran@eastcoast.co.za
Joan Rachmann, 31 Adrienne Ave. Glenashley 4051
Phone: (031) 572-3184.
Cynthia McFerran, 22 Edgbaston Drive, Westville 3629
Phone: (031) 266-3177. E-Mail: mcferran@eastcoast.co.za
Jaq Benadie - Information Technology. Ph: (031) 708-3746
Graham Bode - Ph: (031) 916-6779
Rona Bode - Activities Ph: (031) 916-6779
Paul du Plessis - Preservations/Archives. Ph: (031) 767-2676
Anne O’Brien - Librarian. Ph: (031) 309-1771
Annelise Peters - Ph: (031) 208-2910
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Family History Centre,
Church of the Latter Day Saints,
144 Silverton Road.
Entrance in Montgomery Road
Phone: (031) 202 3024
Our meetings are held at 2.30 on the 2nd Saturday of every month except in August when we have an arrangement to go to the Pietermaritzburg Archives between 8.30am and 12.00pm. and our AGM is held on the 3rd Saturday in January.
For the record, the F.H.C. is also open at the following times:
Tuesday 6pm – 9pm for own research
Wednesday 1pm – 4pm
Thursday 9am – 12.30pm and 6pm – 9pm
1st Saturday of every month 10am- 4pm