Volume 19 Issue 3/2003
Genealogists never die, they just keep on digging!
Meeting - 9th August - P.M.B. Archives
Please will those
members who wish to visit the Archives submit their Estate File requests so
that they can be forwarded to Pietermaritzburg no later than Monday 4th
August.
***
Meeting - 11th
October
Last year in October we discussed how we recorded and presented our research. This year we are planning a discussion on, “Where to now?!” and invite members to share in any problems or solutions they may have on facing their ‘brick wall’ in their research. After all, a problem shared is a problem halved!
***
Many thanks to Rob Saunderson, a friend of Don Porter’s who donated the book Henderson Heritage by P.L.H. Hathorn & A.H.Young to our library.
***
Submitted by Jaq
Benadie
This note is
principally about downloading the Naairs index displays as opposed to reading
them on line. Naairs is the site where you can find out which files are
available in the various archives. Use the link http://www.national.archsrch.gov.za/sm300cv/smws/sm300dl
to go there and choose an archive to search through. RSA might work best
because it covers all the archives.
1. Type in your
search criteria and click Search. A window will open telling you how many files
are available.
2. Choose to see
the Results Summary.
3. At the next
window click Select Page which will cause tick marks to appear alongside all
the indexes listed.
4. Now click on
Multiple Documents which will open a window showing 20 index description files.
There is more than one way of copying and pasting this information to read
later but the method I prefer is as follows;
5. On the Menu
Toolbar at the very top of your screen Click on View, then Source. A window
will open showing the content of a text file. From within that window click on
File, Save As and then save this file in a folder where you will remember to
find it again. A name for this file will be offered which you can safely accept
as is. Once saved you can close this window and click on Back to return to the
selection page without spending time on reading the content displayed.
6. Now click on
Clear Multiple Document List and wait for this to happen.
7. Click on Next
to bring up the next summary page. Now repeat steps 3 to 6 above.
This saving
technique facilitates a quick saving of the data which can be re-displayed and
read afterwards when you are no longer connected (at cost) to the internet.
I use the Excel
program which offers unique benefits to re-display these files as follows;
1. Load Excel and
click on open. Remember to change the file type you are opening to Text and
browse to find the folder in which you saved your files, then open the first
file.
2. Once loaded in
Excel these files have the same appearance as they did on the internet. If you
want you can now simply read them at your leisure but I prefer another few
steps for maximum advantage.
Click on Select
All which is the square left above cell A1. Click on Edit, Clear, and Formats.
All the internet type displays will now disappear and the file reverts to a
more typical Excel type of display.
3. Click on the
headings of column A and B to select them and then delete them by clicking on
Edit, Delete. Also click on the headings of lines 1 to 3 and also delete them
with Edit, Delete.
4. Place your
cursor in cell B1 and type in =trim(A1). Don’t omit the ‘=’ sign. If nothing
happens click on Format then Cells. On the Numbers tab choose General then OK.
Delete B1 and again type in ‘=trim(A1)’. The content of cell A1 will appear in
B1. Copy B1 with [CTRL+C] or click on the copy icon.
5. Place your
cursor in cell B2 and then simultaneously press [SHIFT+CTRL+DOWN ARROW]. The B
column should be selected all the way down to the bottom of your data. Whilst
it is so selected paste with [CTR+V] or click on Edit, Paste. At this point
will you notice that the data in column B is without the wasted spaces as they
appear in column A.
6. In the next
step we will copy column B and overprint it on column A. Place your cursor in
cell B1 and simultaneously press [SHIFT+DOWN ARROW]. Copy this selection with
[CTR+C] or use Edit, Copy.
7. Place your
cursor in cell A1, right click and then choose Paste Special from the window
that opened. Or click on Edit and choose Paste Special from there. Next you
must choose Values, then OK whereafter column B will paste over column A thus
eliminating the surplus spaces. Now delete column B.
You are finally
left with a crisp Excel data file. If this process is repeated with all the
text files you saved they can all be copied and pasted into a single file
leaving you with permanent record that is searchable. You can also attach your
own notes where applicable thus creating a record of research and results. If
you prefer to work in WORD then copy from Excel and paste into WORD. However
you cannot do the conversion described above in WORD.
Now all we need is
for Naairs to offer us the choice of downloading a text file as opposed to
viewing data live on line. It will not only save on phone calls but it will
also relieve the pressure on Naairs.
***
We had a most
interesting afternoon and we would like to thank Dr Dale Peters for leading us
through their new web page, http://khozi2.nu.ac.za and Prof. Nellie
Summers for introducing us to the Reading room.
Their library
includes many very interesting documents and included in the Genealogy section
are the following works:
1820 Settlers -
Genealogy
Afrikaners -
Genealogy
Botswana- Kings
and Rulers - Genealogy
Byrne Settlers -
Genealogy
Cape - Genealogy
Coloured People
(South Africa) - Genealogy
Dutch - Sri Lanka
- Genealogy - Periodicals
Genealogy
Genealogy -
Ireland
Genealogy -
Research [see:-}Genealogy
Genealogy - Wales
Germans - South
Africa - Genealogy
Herero (African
People) - Genealogy
Huguenots - South
Africa - Genealogy
Ngoni (African
People) - Kings and Rulers - Genealogy
Pedi (African People) - Genealogy
Richmond (Kwa Zulu
Natal) - Genealogy
Sandveld –
Genealogy
Scotland –
Genealogy
Settlers,
Norwegian – Kwa Zulu Natal – Marburg
Sotho (African
People) – Kings and Rulers – Genealogy
South Africa –
Genealogy
South Africa –
Genealogy - Periodicals
St Helena –
Genealogy
Swazi (African
People) - Kings and Rulers – Genealogy
Xhosa (African
People) – Genealogy
Zimbabwe Genealogy
Zulu (African
People) – Kings and Rulers – Genealogy
***
(Taken from
Genealogist’ Magazine, March1985, Vol 21. No 9)
Excerpt from,
Reconstituting the Family by Rosalin Barker
Pre-industrialised
society was less concerned with literacy than we are today. For the majority of people communication was
oral. As a result, the spelling of surnames
– and even Christian names, save simple ones such as John and Mary – was not
stabilised. Indeed, most surnames
crystalised in the individual form which appeared in the school rolls which
followed the 1870 Education Act.
In the days of
mass illiteracy the clerk or parson depended on the pronunciation of the couple
to be married, or the parents of the child or relatives of the bereaved. Parsons often came from distant shires. People moved into parishes from considerable
distances. Imagine what a Yorkshire
parson beneficed in Cornwall would make of Aisk Baa’le of Wikum Maart. He certainly would find it an odd way of
saying one was Isaac Beardwell of Wickham Market in Suffolk. It is never safe, therefore, to make any
assumption about spelling. Treat every
change of parson with suspicion – all the surnames are going to change. Imagine all surnames with a vowel growing an
aspirate ‘H’. Suspect all ‘Rs’ as
having a W in front – and vice versa.
Look at the first and last pronounced consonants of any surname – they
are phonetically most like to be consistent.
Watch out for foreigners – Welsh, Scots, Irish, Dutch, French and so on
– they may, especially in the early times, have their true surnames ignored and
known by their nationality and thus have two aliases. Worse still, they may be anglicised – like the Welsh in N.E.
Essex – Evans, Jeavons, Yeavons, in the 16th century, are
contemporary spelling of the same name in the same parish in the same family.
Christian names
offer traps other than spellings. Their
owners changed them or had them changed for them. Imagine the Smiths. The
oldest son is always Samuel. Samuel is
named by his doting parents and in the course of time, at a decent interval,
James is born. But three years later
Samuel sickens and dies of measles, leaving James the eldest son. But the eldest son is always called Samuel,
so James becomes Samuel, and genealogists are left in total confusion,
especially if the process is repeated at the death of James alias Samuel,
leaving the youngest Henry to assume the Samwellian mantle.
Rhodesian Genesis Jones,N
Richmond, Natal Coulson, J C
Roots - Saga of an
American Family Haley, A
S A and Transvaal
War Vol 1 Creswicke, L
S A and Transvaal
War Vol 11 Creswicke, L
S A and Transvaal
War Vol 111 Creswicke, L
S A and Transvaal
War Vol 1V Creswicke, L
Shore of Solitude Hamlyn,
N T
Sketches of Durban
& Harbour 1891 Methven,
C W
Skin Deep Walker, J
So-Called
conquered territory OFS, The Eloff,
C C
Somerset Muirhead, L R
South African
& the Transvaal War V1 Creswicke,
L
South African
& the Transvaal War V11 Creswicke,
L
South Africa on
World Sea –Lanes Young, G Y
South African
Blake Families in S A Blake, V
South African
Genealogical Reference Guide
South Africa’s
Heritage Caltex (Eds.)
Story of Great
Brak River, The Franklin, M
Story of Sidbury
1820-1920 Slater, L
Strydom Strydom, D J
Sunshine Settlers,
The Garstin,
C
Surrey Mee,
A (Ed.)
***
Scarlet Rash - A disease characterized by red rash
Scirrhis -
Cancerous tumours
Scotomy -
Dizziness, nausea and dimness of sight
Scrivener’s
Palsy - Writer’s cramp
Screws -
Rheumatism
Scrumpox -
Skin Disease, impetigo
Ship Fever -
Typhus
Siriasis -
Inflamation of the brain due to sun exposure
Sloes 0
Milk sickness
Sore throat
distemper - Diphtheria or quinsy
Spotted Fever -
Either typhus or meningitis
Stranger’s
Fever - Yellow fever
Strangery -
Rupture
Sudor
anglicus - Sweating sickness
Summer
complaint - Diarrhoea, usually in infants caused by spoiled milk
Swamp
sickness - Malaria, typhoid or encephalitis
Sweating
sickness - Infectious and fatal disease common to UK in 15th
century
Tussis
convulsive - Whooping cough
Venesection -
Bleeding
Viper’s dance - St
Vitus Dance
Worm fit -
Convulsions associated with teething, worms, elevated temperature or
diarrhoea
Yellowjacket -
Yellow fever
***
Belleyetere -
Bellfounder – person who made bells
Bellowfarmer -
Responsible for the care and maintenance of the church organ
Belly Builder -
One who fitted and built the interiors of pianos
Besswarden -
One appointed by the parish to look after animals
Biddy - A
female servant usually of Irish stock
Billyman -
one who operated a Billy Roller, a machine used to prepare cotton for
spinning
Birlyman - In
Scotland a ground officer or parish arbiter
Black Borderer -
One who made black edged stationery for funerals
Blemmere -
Plumber
Blentonist - A
Water diviner
Blindsman -
One employed by the Post Office to deal with incorrectly addressed
letters and parcels.
Bloomer -
One who produced iron from ore, a bloom smithy
Blue Stocking - A
nickname for a female writer. The Blue
Stocking Society met in the 1750’s to talk about literature.
Bluffer - An
innkeeper or landlord of a tavern or public house.
***
When and from
where churches were seceded
Jamestown 1891 Aliwal
North/Dordrecht
Jansenville 1855 Uitenhage
Kaapstad 1665 First
congregation in South Africa
Kalk Bay 1905 Simonstown/Kalk
Bay (reunited with Simonstown in
1941)
Kenhardt 1899 Carnarvon
Kimberley 1872 Before
the establishment of the congregation, miners were ministered to by
ministers form the Cape Colony
and the
OFS
Klein Boetsap (see Reivilo – 1883 Dutoitspan(?) )
Knysna 1851 George
Koeberg (See Philadelphia – 1863 Durbanville)
Komga 1859 People in Kaffraria were visited
by ministers from Glen
Lynden,
Albany and Stockenström
Kruisvallei 1843 Tulbagh
(as a result of a schism). Reunited with
Tulbagh in
1935
Ladismith 1851 Swellendam/Riversdale
Lady Grey 1861 Aliwal
North
Laingsburg 1883 Worcester/Sutherland/Prins
Albert
Loxton 1899 Beaufort West/Carnarvon/Victoria
West
Maclean(Macleantown) (see Komga)
Mafeking 1892 Vryburg
Malmesburg (see Swartland – 1745 Cape
Town/Stellenbosch)
Maraisburg-Hofmeyr
1876 Burgersdorp/Cradock
Middleburg 1852 Colesburg/Richmond/Graaff-Reinet/Cradock
***
This was taken
from the side of the Blue Ribbon Flour packet.
Blue Ribbon Flour
is KwaZulu-Natal’s oldest and most trusted brand of flour.
It was first made
in 1906 by Arthur May and his company, Arthur May & Collier. To this day, some people still refer to the
mill as ‘May’s Mill’.
Eileen Mary May
was one of Arthur’s young daughters and it was she who, on the farm Stagstones
near Rosetta, named Blue Ribbon Flour.
Her blue hair ribbon lying on the old yellowwood kitchen table one
morning, was the inspiration for the name.
Does one of our
members perhaps research this family?
***
12 July Personal
Research
9 August Visit
to Pietermaritzburg Archives.
13 September Personal Research
11 October Discussion
on problems
8 November Personal
Research
13 December Ancestral
Tea.
18 January AGM
***
Nigel McFerran, 22
Edgbaston Drive, Westville 3629
Phone: (031) 266-3177. E-Mail: mcferran@eastcoast.co.za
Joan Rachman, 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
***
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
***