Comic Family Tree

As tempting as it may be to dive in and follow every juicy lead, you’ll find that you will soon become overwhelmed. Your research will be far more satisfying if you focus. You could follow back your maternal or paternal line to a progenitor (direct ancestor), such as your first ancestor to arrive in South Africa. Or you could chose to find all the descendants of a particular couple (say your great-great-great grandparents) and their descendants, discovering a wide network of living cousins.
You’ll also have to consider your financial and time resources: proving that you’re related to Henry the Eighth may require that you travel to England or hire a professional genealogist. You’ll be going back 20 generations and an investigation this complex would take years, if not decades.
You will have one or more of many reasons to start down a particular genealogical trail:

*you have a lot of leads for that line, making it a natural place to start
*you are trying to find a long-lost family member (perhaps on behalf of an elderly relative)
*you are trying to secure an ancestral visa
*you want to trace a hereditary disease
*you’ve seen an old photo of an ancestor who looks like you, and you’re inspired to trace your genetic heritage
*you would like to prove a family legend true
*you’d like to know who all your living relatives are
*you’re trying to find a memento that was “lost ” to a distant relative
*you believe you’re related a particularly famous historical figure
*you know that there is a piece of land that you could claim for under South Africa’s land restitution policy.

All of these are valid reasons. What’s important is that you decide the scope of your project before getting absorbed into the fascinating task of tracing your family history.

Find our more in our Beginners Guide

Did you know that Cape Town has generally been considered as the initial major port of entry for South Africa?

How can we help?

Start searching over 60 000 records of passengers from Europe to South Africa on our Passenger Records

• 1688 – 1950 Miscellaneous Passenger Records (1971 records)
• 1841 – 1905 Natal Witness Passenger Lists (13402 records)
• 1842 Grahamstown Journal Passenger Lists (52 records)
• 1847 Shipping and Mercantile Gazette (1243 records)
• 1849 – 1860 Eastern Province Herald Shipping (10441 records)
• 1850 – 1853 Government Gazettes Passenger Lists (1138 records)
• 1850 – 1923 Passenger Lists from the Cape Town Archives (10260 records)
• 1896 – 1910 South Africa Magazine (6656 records)
• 1901 – 1923 Passenger Lists From the Cape Times (1446 records)
• Shipping Records 1800 + (2879 records)

Search our Shipping Records to find out who the Captain of the Ship was and what cargo was on board

Tracing the departure of passengers from England can be found in various repositories such as the Cape Government Gazette papers (1805 to 1900) in the Cape Town and Natal Archives. Government Gazette papers are also held at the National Library in Cape Town.

The National Library in Cape Town also they holds passenger lists which were printed in daily newspapers under the shipping intelligence section.

Newspaper shipping columns are by far the most accessible but it is a long and tedious task. If you are not sure what ship someone arrived on during a particular then more than up to 52 newspapers of the Cape Times will need to be searched.

Most of the original shipping registers are non existent thus the newspaper records are inaccurate and incomplete.

Passengers in steerage or “economy class” are not listed and those that are no initials are given to classify any person.

However these passenger lists are guidelines and cannot be assumed as 100% correct. On many instances only initials and surnames are given, sometimes only surnames are given and titles and children were sometimes listed as “and 2 children” or “governess and baby boy” or simply 200 passengers and no names at all are mentioned. Many times surnames and names are misspelt, passengers also sometimes never embarked or their ticket was used by someone else and the names were not changed or they used a pseudonym name to escape some form of family or criminal predicament. On occasions where Saloon passengers where listed the rest of passengers would be a simple number.

Generally first and sometimes second class passengers are mentioned, but steerage passengers and the so called “economy calls” which were the majority on board – were seldom listed. Military regiments travelling by sea were usually listed as the regiments with its principal commanding officer only being named.

What to look out for

When unassisted or private individuals are listed generally only surnames appear unless they had a title such as doctor, Sir, Lady etc. Single women or unaccompanied people were listed either as Miss, Mrs. or Messrs. This does complicate researching when looking for the run of the mill surnames. Children too were treated as subordinates and where not mentioned and just listed as “and 4 children” or “master Wood”.

Records to be searched at the Cape Archives are the Registers of Arrivals and Departures of Ships, Algoa Bay 1846-1901 which are held under Reference CC which means the Archives of the Secretary, Cape Town Chamber of Commerce. These registers however give the captain’s name and sometimes the first class passengers only. Another good source is the Public Works Department PWD Volume 2/401 which holds passenger lists for 1872-1884.

There are also Registers of Applications for Aided Immigration 1882-1902 under the Public Words Department PWD Volumes 2/408 to 2/410 and Application Forms Received for Aided Immigration for the years 1875-1889 are in PWD Volumes 2/402-2/404.

In London at the Public Records Office in Kew, the reference BT 27 is the one to search for outbound passengers of 1890 to 1960. This documentation supplies the names of persons sailing from English harbours with the final destination being outside of Europe and the Mediterranean . To use these records the researcher must have some knowledge or approximate date of departure and the port to have any reasonable hope of finding a passenger’s name. The BT 32 Registers of Passenger Lists date from 1906 onwards.

Whilst prearranged immigrant schemes such as the 1820 Settlers and others are well-known these passenger lists are inconsistent and full of errors.

Economic Conditions

Around the time of the 1881 census was the tail end of the 2nd Industrial Revolution these were some of the aspects which changed peoples lives and made them immigrate.

1. the growth of cities and other population shifts

2. working conditions for men, women or children

3. changing role of women

4. impact of inventions on life

5. living conditions in the cities and in the countryside

6. health and sanitation

7. education

8. housing

9. income and wealth accumulation

10. role of labour unions

11. changes in family life

12. transportation

13. leisure

Bearing in mind the largest number of people immigrated to South Africa ever at one time was between 1856 and 1873 when tens of thousands of immigrants came from England. Most of them came to work on the expanding harbours and extensive railways systems. From 1870 onwards emigration to the colony peaked following the discovery of gold and diamonds.

By 1870 virtually all emigrants went by steamship. Competition between the steamship companies helped, to some extent, to improve conditions for the emigrants. From about 1900 third class cabins began to replace the steerage accommodation. Accommodation was still basic, but it was a considerable improvement.

Between 1830 and 1930 over nine million emigrants sailed from Liverpool bound for a new life in the New World of the United States, Canada and Australia and South Africa. For much of this period Liverpool was by far the most important port of departure for emigrants from Europe largely because by 1830, she already had well established trans-Atlantic links essentially in the import of cotton and timber. Liverpool was also well placed to receive the many emigrants from the countries of North Western Europe. Irish emigrants first crossed to Liverpool by steamship, while Scandinavians and Russians/Poles crossed the North Sea to Hull and travelled to Liverpool by train. Liverpool’s share of the emigrant trade began to decline from the late nineteenth century as emigrants increasingly came from the countries of southern and eastern Europe. Some passed through Liverpool, but more sailed from the nearer German and Italian ports.

There were three main motives for emigration. Some of the emigrants were fleeing from the hardships of poverty and unemployment; this was particularly applicable to the 1,250,000 Irish who emigrated between 1845 and 1851 as a result of the potato famine. For Russian and Polish Jews, emigration was a way of escaping from political and religious persecution. Other emigrants were not suffering the hardships of poverty or the terror of persecution, but were attracted by the possibility of a higher standard of living.

Most emigrants usually spent between one and ten days waiting for their ship in a Liverpool lodging house. In the mid-nineteenth century emigrants passing through Liverpool were liable to harassment and fraud by local confidence tricksters, who became known as ‘runners’. Runners frequently snatched the emigrants’ luggage and would only return it if the emigrant paid a large fee. In the late 1840′s and 1850′s, lodging houses were often inhospitable, dirty and overcrowded.

Until the early 1860′s most emigrants left Liverpool on a sailing ship, and the voyage to Australia would take about 3- 4 months. Most emigrants travelled in the cheapest class of accommodation, known as the steerage. This was similar to a dormitory with bunks down the sides and tables in the centre. It was frequently overcrowded with poor ventilation. Emigrating in a sailing ship could be unpleasant, particularly during a storm; it was only better in degree in the early days of steamships! Diseases such as cholera and typhus frequently reached epidemic proportion as infection spread through the confined decks. Scores of emigrants died on this account.

The 1855 Passenger Act helped to improve conditions, laying down minimum standards for rations, space and sanitation. From the 1860′s the situation began to improve as steam started to replace sail, and the steamship companies started to look after emigrants during their stay in Liverpool, with their representatives meeting the emigrants on arrival in Liverpool.

The emigrants were taken to lodging houses which were frequently owned by the steamship companies, but delays still occurred and there continued to be complaints about treatment in Liverpool even in the early 20th century.

Passports + Permissions

No permission, passport or application form was necessary in order to emigrate from Great Britain or Ireland in the 19th century. Only when financial assistance, from or via the government, was required, did forms of application have to be completed.

If you have any old newspapers or Cape Government Gazettes with passenger lists – please email them to us – your contribution will make a difference!

Some further reading:

• Aided Immigration from Britain to South Africa 1857 – 1867 by Esme Bull
• Cornish Immigrant to South Africa by Graham Dickason
• Emigrants Guide to South Africa
• British Residents at the Cape, 1795 – 1819. by Peter Philip

Nthathi_Moshesh

Join SABC 2 + Ancestry24 on a voyage of discovery as we track the ancestry of some of South Africa’s most influential celebrities. Who Do You Think You Are? is a  re-run of the 12-part documentary series commencing on SABC 2 from Monday 30 November at 7:30 pm.

Be captivated as well known personalities such as Nthati Moshesh, Candice Moodley, HHP Jabulani Tsambo, Riaan Cruywagen, Meshack Mavuso and Kurt Schoonraad go in search of their family history, bringing them face to face with the hidden stories of their ancestors. These celebrities will have a pivotal role in the series; their stories will be used as “emblems” of the historical trends that have created modern South Africa and their experiences will enthuse viewers to think about and start exploring their own family ancestry.

Each episode is presented as a highly personalized film, yet the wider historical themes they reveal situates the audience in the broader South African historical context.

South Africa’s most comprehensive ancestral and genealogical service, Ancestry24, assisted producers and researchers of Who Do You Think You Are? Ancestry24’s Channel Manager Heather MacAlister spent many hours in the archives and at various other repositories to assist with the research of the individual celebrities.

Join us as we effectively travel back in time to meet the featured celebrities extended family and those that knew them, and walk where their ancestors lived and worked.

The international series format has triggered a general interest in family history and a return to libraries, museums and domestic travel as people go back to the small towns they or their families came from.

The first episode of this groundbreaking series features actress Nthati Moshesh. Nthati Moshesh is adored by her film and television fans throughout the country and beyond our borders. Nthati is best known for her leading roles in the drama series Home Affairs and the soapie 7de Laan.

Nthathi also happens to be the great, great grand-daughter of King Moshoeshoe, the first king of Basotho.

Nthati crosses the border into Lesotho to speak to historians and family members, and travels to understand her ancestry. Will she decide to change her name back to Moshoeshoe or will she remain Moshesh? But why is her surname now different? What happened along the annals of history?

There’s only one way to find out. Be sure to tune into SABC 2 at 7:30 on Mondays, 30 December for the first episode of Who Do You Think You Are?

To find out more about your own ancestry go to ancestry24.com or vist www.sabc2.co.za for more information.

Please see below for full broadcast schedule:

30 November 2009 – Nthati Moshesh

07 December 2009 – Riaan Cruywagen

14 December 2009 – Meshack Mavuso

21 December 2009 – Candice Moodley

28 December 2009 – HHp/Jabulani Tsambo

05 January 2010 – Kurt Schoonraad

Acknowledgements SABC 2

The Cape Town Family History Society will be exhibiting private Family History exhibits from its members this Saturday the 19th September from 14:30 until 16:30 at St. Johns Anglican Church Hall, near Wynberg Military Camp, Wynberg.

This open invitation for a cup of tea and a cake promises to be a welcoming experience for novice and established family historians. The Society is now in its 7th year of existence and offers a variety of help, expertise and good fun for budding genealogists. Something not to be missed. To find out more about the Society you can go to their home page here.

If you live in KwaZulu-Natal and you want to trace your family tree your first port of call should be the Pietermaritzburg Archives Repository.

“There is a notion that the archives are elitist, but they are accessible to everyone and we can offer a service in the three languages of the province — Zulu, Afrikaans and English,” says Pieter Nel, assistant manager: Repository Management, Department of Arts and Culture at the Pietermaritzburg Archives Repository in Pietermaritz Street.

“The majority of our users are people­ who are interested in family history,” says Nel. “Sometimes people think it’s a case of coming in and we can just give them their family history. We can’t, I’m afraid, but we can give them pieces of the jigsaw puzzle.”

You might find several pieces of the jigsaw in the deceased estate files.

“In these you find death notices and these can give you a variety of information — the person’s occupation, the names of spouses, parents, and children. We have these files from 1846 up to 1974. You can search our database on the website to see if we have any records.”

The repository holds these documents thanks to an arrangement with the Master of the High Court, which is the office of origin. A similar arrangement with the Department of Home Affairs sees the repository holding birth, marriage and death registers for certain districts in the province. “These are not on the website so you have to physically go there and do research,” says Nel.

If your ancestor was an immigrant the European Immigration Records can also be of help. “But these are only for people who came on assisted passages. In the 19th century there were several immigration schemes to get people to come to the colony of Natal. We have registers of all those but not of everyone who came to the province. But newspapers such as The Witness have shipping lists of new arrivals.”

Civil registration documents, church and cemetery registers held by the repository can also be useful plus you can obtain a copy of the booklet Leafing Out Your Family Tree compiled by Nel, which provides a step by step guide to tracing your family tree as well as explaining exactly what is in the repository and how you can best access information.

“But you have to do your homework before you come,” cautions Nel. “Have discussions with family members, make sure that names are correct. You won’t get very far with a nickname.”

Over the years there has been an ongoing interest in family history according to Nel.

“But there was a peak several years back when people were trying to find out if they were eligible for United Kingdom ancestral visas — they had to be able to prove that a grandparent was born in the UK.

These days we also get a lot of overseas e-mails from expats trying to trace family origins.”

Nel acknowledges it is “more challenging” for black people to trace family history via written records but there are deceased estate files for blacks. These were compiled by magistrates and Native Affairs Commissioners and predominantly relate to rural people.

“If your relative was a mineworker and that relative died in Johannesburg, the record would come back to the person’s province of origin and be sent to the local magistrate or commissioner,” explains Nel.

The Pietermaritzburg Archives Repository also holds archives of the Indian Immigration Department which include marriage registers (1891 to 1963) and deceased estate files (1900 to 1961).

The registers of Indentured Indian Immigrants (1860 to 1911) are held by the Durban Archives Repository. These archives are often used by Indian South Africans who apply for a Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) card, which permits people with Indian ancestry to live and work in India on a permanent basis.

“People like to connect to their roots but it’s also important to see how history can have a practical application,” says Nel.

Acknowledgement: Natal Witness + Stephen Coan

Dawn Matthews

Join SABC 2 on a voyage of discovery as we track the ancestry of some of South Africa’s most influential celebrities. Who do you think you are returns on Sunday, 16th August at 21h00 with a more refreshed line-up tracing the ancestry roots of 6 of our favourite local celebrities.

The series follows Dawn Matthews, Colin Moss, Dion Chang, Patricia Glyn, Vusi Mahlasela and Jonathan Shapiro “Zapiro as they take us on a journey of self realization, in search of their family history, bringing them face to face with the hidden stories of their ancestors.

“If the heart wrenching, nostalgic and reminiscent episodes we saw in the first series are anything to go by – then SABC 2 viewers can expect quite a ride as the second series of Who do you think you are promises even more interesting and gripping findings.” said Lebo Malete – SABC2 Publicity.

Each episode is presented as a highly personalized film, yet the wider historical themes they reveal situates the audience in the broader South African historical context.

Join us as we effectively travel back in time to meet the featured celebrities’ extended family and those that knew them, and walk where their ancestors lived and worked.

Episodic info:

The first episode of this groundbreaking series features Dawn Matthews who is a South African actress best known for her role as Shakira in one of the soapies in South African television. Prior to that she was known for her role as Constable Gillian Peterse on the SABC1 drama Series Interrogation Room, from 2004-2006. Born in Oudtshoorn she grew up there until she got a chance to study drama at Stellenbosch University where she graduated in 1997.After studying, Dawn did a stint at Cape Town’s Artscape Theatre and performed in community theatre productions in the area. She got her first break in the Afrikaans drama series Soutmansland.

Be sure to tune into SABC 2 at 21:00 on Sunday, 16 August for the first episode of Who do you think you are?

To find out more about your own ancestry go to ancestry24.com

Full broadcast schedule:

16 August – Dawn Matthews

23 August – Colin Moss

30 August – Dion Chang

06 September – Patricia Glyn

13 September – Vusi Mahlasela

20 September – Jonathan Shapiro “Zapiro”

15 Generasies Mitochondriale DNA

Eva / Krotoa van die Kaap

Die publikasie van Dalene Matthee se Pieternella van die Kaap [1] en Dan Sleigh se Eilande [2] het wye publisiteit verleen aan die lotgevalle van Petronella en haar ma Eva/Krotoa, Jan van Riebeeck se pleegdogter en hottentoose tolckinne . Eva/Krotoa was lid van die Khoi-stam genaamd die Goringhaicona (of sg. Strandlopers), die eerste inheemse mense wat Jan van Riebeeck aan die Kaap teëgekom het. Wat minder bekend is, is dat baie Suid-Afrikaners van Petronella afstam, insluitend bekende genealoë soos Mansell Upham en Hans Heese [3] en ekself ook.

Kry nou jou DNA toets

Gedurende die opstelling van my kwartierstaat [4] het dit my opgeval dat my oor-oupagrootjie, Dirk Jacobus van Schalkwyk [5] (my Kekulé-nommer 49 [6]) se matriargale lyn van sy moeder Hilletje Smit (my Kekulé-nommer 99) direk gaan tot by Eva/Krotoa (my Kekulé-nommer 3199).

Daar het ook onlangs ‘n groot aantal publikasies verskyn [7] oor die rol van DNA-navorsing, veral die studie van mitochondriale DNA (mtDNA), in die bestudering van die moderne mens se herkoms.

In die lig van bostaande het ek besluit om te probeer om die matriargale afstammingslyn van Eva/Krotoa tot tans lewende vroue te probeer navolg. Die eerste sewe geslagte het ek gelukkig toe reeds tot my beskikking gehad. Dat ek dan hiper-polities-korrek sal wees as ek gelyktydig ‘n hou kan inkry teen rassisme én manlike chauvinisme was ‘n verdere aansporing!

Ten spyte van die groot aantal doodloopstrate waarin ek onvermydelik beland het, deur onvoldoende inligting in sterfkenisse en kerkregisters en die (skynbare of ware) uitsterwing van die vroulike lyn, het ek goeie vordering gemaak vir nog vier geslagte totdat ek my vasgeloop het in ‘n muur met die familie Ehlers/Eelders.

Toevallig blaai ek eendag in die boek [8] van Nico Walters, my oud-kollega en medelid van die Wes-Kaapse tak van die GGSA en merk op dat daarin ook Ehlerse voorkom. Toe ons op die saak ingaan, vind ons uit dat die persone na wie ek soek, onder sy oumagrootjie se nageslag val. (In sy eie tak het die vroulike Eva/Krotoa-lyn uitgesterf.) Gevolglik kon ek die ontbrekende skakels vind tot by lewende persone.

Hierdie matriargale lyn vanaf Eva/Krotoa tot tans oorlewendes verloop as volg:

Generasie I (Kekulé-nommers)

32767 Eva/Krotoa GORINGHAICONA *1643 x 02-05-1664
32766 Pieter van MEERHOFF *1637, aankoms 22/03/1659 vanaf Kopenhagen Denemarke

Generasie II

16383 Petronella van MEERHOFF x
16382 Daniël ZAAIJMAN vanaf Vlissingen Nederland, van Mauritius na die Kaap in 1705

Generasie III

8191 Magdalena ZAAIJMAN x
8190 Johannes BOCKELBERG *1668, † 1709, aankoms 1705 vanaf Kolberg Duitsland via Mauritius

Generasie IV

4095 Petronella BOCKELBERG *1698 Mauritius x 04/09/1712
4094 Coenraad Hendrik FEYT aankoms 1708 vanaf Alverdissen Duitsland

Generasie V

2047 Anna Catharina FEYT ~05/08/1714.x 14/01/1731
2046 Nicolaas LOUBSER ~05/07/1717

Generasie VI

1023 Maria Johanna LOUBSER ~11/04/1734 x
1022 François SMIT ~17/04/1729

Generasie VII

511 Hilletje (Helena) SMIT ˜ 04/06/1758, † 1816? x 09/02/1777
510 Gerrit (Dirkse) van SCHALKWYK ,~03/07/1744 Kaapstad +1806.

Generasie VIII

255 Maria Jacomina van SCHALKWYK *23/12/1777, ˜ 03/05/1778, Swartland x 13/11/1797
254 Johan Daniël EHLERS/EELDERS ˜ 04/09/1768.

Generasie IX

127 Petronella Elizabeth EHLERS/EELDERS ˜ 25/10/1807 x 8/04/1830
126 Christian STADLER ˜ 13/11/1803.

Generasie X

63 Maria Jacomina STADLER *02/07/1831, ˜ 23/10/1831 Kaapstad (Luthers), † 1908 x 04-04-1853
62 Johannes Jacobus van TUBBERGH *01/08/1817, † 1887.

Generasie XI

31 Petronella Elizabeth van TUBBERGH *19/02/1855 x
30 Andries Johannes EELDERS/EHLERS *13/04/1842 Malmesbury, ˜ 16/11/1845 Swartland, † 12/03/1929.

Generasie XII

15 Hilda Jacomina Gerrendina EELDERS/EHLERS *15/06/1876 x
14 Andries Johannes LAUBSCHER .

Generasie XIII

7 Petronella Elizabeth LAUBSCHER *16.07.1906 † 22.06.1991 x
6 Abraham Andries TRUTER *09.11.1902 †20.08.1961

Generasie XIV

3a Hilda Jacomina Gerrendina TRUTER *16-07-1933 Hermon
3b Engela Elizabeth Johanna (Ela) TRUTER verpleegster/sekretaresse, *17/10/1935 Hermon x
2b Stanley Peter COCKRELL verteenwoordiger, *Kaapstad.
3c Petronella Elizabeth TRUTER *13-02-1950 Wellington x
2c Hendrik Petrus Lodewyk MEYER *26.06.1943

Generasie XV

1b Lizette Rose COCKRELL verpleegster, * 23-09-1961 Pinelands, d.v. Stanley Peter COCKRELL en Engela Elizabeth Johanna TRUTER x 05-01-1991 Kaapstad David (Dave) ROBBINS rekenaar-programmeerder, * 10-12-1966.
1c Ronel MEYER * 13-02-1979 d.v. Petronella Elizabeth TRUTER en Hendrik Petrus Lodewyk MEYER .

Hierdie matriargale lyn is meer as ‘ n blote kuriositeit: dit het ook ander implikasies. Volgens genetici word die mitochondriale DNA (mtDNA), afkomstig van die ovum van die moeder, feitlik onveranderd van moeder na kind oorgedra, in teenstelling met die grootste deel van die menslike DNA wat in die kern van selle voorkom en wat bestaan uit ‘ n kombinasie van die DNA van beide ouers. Hoewel mtDNA blybaar tot ‘n geringe mate ook van die vader oorgeërf word kan word ( ‘ n verskynsel wat paternal leakage genoem word) [9] en deur spontane mutasies kan verander, is die analise van mtDNA nogtans ‘ n betroubare metode om vroulike afstammingslyne te bepaal. Dit vorm die grondslag van die studies wat Afrika aandui as die “Wieg van die Mensdom”, en hoe die menslike bevolkings oor die afgelope ongeveer 150 eeue oor die wêreld heen versprei het [7].

Voordat soortgelyke studies met betrekking tot Eva/Krotoa en/of ander vroulike lede van haar stam uitgevoer kan word, is dit nodig dat meer van hulle afstammelinge in ander vroulike lyne opgespoor moet word sodat vasgestel kan word of hulle dieselfde mtDNA profiel oplewer.

Behalwe vir die afstammelinge wat hier geïdentifiseer is, is daar is sekerlik nog baie ander sulke persone in Suid-Afrika. Hierdie studie het gekonsentreer op die nageslag van Maria Jacomina van SCHALKWYK, wie se nageslag moontlik nog meer vroulike lyne tot tans lewendes kan oplewer. ‘ n Meer vrugbare en relevante (omdat dit baie meer geslagte teruggaan) veld sou wees die vroulike nageslag van Petronella se ander dogters, Catharina (x Roelof Diodati), Eva (x Hubert Hanse van der Meyden) of Maria (x Hendrik Abraham de Vries), waarvan die laaste die belowendste lyk.

Hierin lê dus ‘ n uitdaging aan ander genealoë om deel te neem aan die soektog na nog ander nasate van Eva in ‘n direkte vroulike lyn, wat die geleentheid sou bied om, met die huidige tegnologie, ‘ n stukkie van ons land se verlore genetiese erfenis te kan herontdek.

Erkennings

Aan die Truter-susters vir toestemming om hul genealogiese besonderhede te publiseer.
Aan Nico Walters vir onontbeerlike hulp met ontrafeling van die Ehlers/Eelders-familie.
Aan Nico Gey van Pittius vir waardevolle inligting oor navorsing met betrekking tot mtDNA..

Verwysings

[1] Matthee, Dalene: Pieternella van die Kaap, Tafelberg, Kaapstad (2000).
[2] Sleigh, Dan: Eilande , Tafelberg, Kaapstad (2002).
[3] Upham, Mansell: Persoonlike mededeling.
[4] Malan, O G: “My Kwartierstaat: Herkoms en Kwartierverlies”, C apensis 4/2002 pp 22-27.
[5] Malan, O G: “Die Swerfjare van Dirk Jacobus van Schalkwyk”, Capensis 4/2003 pp.18-23.
[6] Malan, O G: “Die Kekulé-kode vir Kwartierstate”, Familia Jaargang 40 No 1 (2003) pp. 34-36.
[7] a) Sykes, Bryan: The Seven Daughters of Eve: The Science That Reveals Our Genetic Ancestry , W.W. Norton, 2001.
b) Dawkins, Richard: River out of Eden: A Darwinian View of Life , 1995.
c) Carmichael, Terrence and Alexander Kuklin: How to DNA Test Our Family Relationships . DNA Press (2000).
d) Fitzpatrick, Colleen and Andrew Yeiser: DNA and Genealogy. Rice Book Press (2005).
e) Oppenheimer, Stephen: The Real Eve. Modern Man’s Journey out of Africa (2003).
f) Pomery, Chris: DNA and Family History: How Genetic Testing can Advance your Genealogical Research . London: National Archives (2004).
g) Savin, Alan: DNA for Family Historians . Maidenhead: Genetic Genealogy Guides (2003).
h) Smolenyak, Megan and Ann Turner: Trace Your Roots with DNA: Using Genetic Tests to Explore Your Family Tree . Rodale Books (2005).
[8] Walters, N M: Die Walters-diaspora en Familieboek Privaat Uitgawe 2005.
[9] Marianne Schwartz and John Vissing: “Paternal inheritance of mitochondrial DNA”. New England Journal of Medicine 347 (8) pp. 576-580 (Aug 22, 2002).

Korrespondensie: Ockert Malan

Acknowledgements to the Author as well as the Genealogical Society of South Africa Western Cape Branch Magazine of Capensis

Family History research is one of the fastest growing hobbies in the world and South Africa is no exception. Be warned though, the hobby does come with a few hazards – for instance people might think:

a) you are nuts
b) you are a prying busy body
c) you have nothing better to do with your time
d) you are living in the past, or
e) all of the above

Don’t despair – you are not alone!!!! Research in any field is never easy but when you are researching the lives, families and actions of real people, you might encounter attitudes and opinions you never expected. The up side is that you will become somewhat of a Sherlock Holmes, a diplomat and a scholar and if this is not enough you will also end up with enough knowledge of history to qualify for at least a diploma. What more could you want! Welcome to the world of genealogy!

A few golden rules:

Like all things in life there are rules that govern how you go about doing things, so let’s take a look at a few that apply to genealogy:

Rule 1

Start with yourself and work backwards.

Start with what you already know. i.e. yourself and siblings, your parents, your grandparents etc. To help you get started you can fill in the details of your immediate family on the chart we have provided with this brochure, starting with yourself and going back as far as you can. If you do not know specific dates, don’t worry, we will get to them later.

Rule 2

Know where you want to go.

In the beginning, choose an ancestral line, which interests you, and concentrate on researching that one. If you try and research maternal and paternal lines simultaneously it might become too much for you. That is not to say that you should not store every bit of information you come across concerning all your ancestors but only that the bulk of your efforts be concentrated in one direction.

Rule 3

Always make a note of your sources.

When you go hunting for proof of family ties or stories, you must always write down where (the source) and when (the date) you got the information. Better still, always try and get copies of the original documents if you do not own them. E.g. If an Uncle has a letter written by an ancestor who fought at Delville Wood in WW1, try and get a photocopy of it for your own files. If you can’t take it away with you or photograph it, a handwritten transcription will do. Understandably most people do not want to part with original photographs or other material but you can ask for a copy. If you make use of material belonging to other people, it is courteous to acknowledge them in your footnotes.

Rule 4

Never make assumptions.

Assumptions can waste a lot of your time and are the cause of many a family historian abandoning their quest. For example, don’t assume that an ancestor married in the Anglican Church because he was English. This can send you on a two year wild goose chase after which you might find that he married in the Dutch Reformed church because that was the religious denomination of the new Missus. If you do not find grandfather in the place you thought he might be, look further afield, including unlikely places!

Rule 5

Respect the dignity and privacy of relatives.

Family historians, in their eagerness to ferret out information from family members, often make the mistake of pushing them for information that they are reluctant to discuss. Never push your boundaries to the point of disrespect. Remember too that some of your discoveries might shock or upset your relatives. A case of illegitimacy or a criminal record might not be known to family members so be sensitive to their feelings and use your discretion when discussing your discoveries. In the case of adoptions, for instance, professional counselling is essential before making contact with the people concerned.

Rule 6

Never trust a family rumour.

We all have them in our families; our own personal ‘Myths & Legends’. These often take the form of…”it is said that we are related to the Duke/Earl/Marquis of Blah Blah…and the country estate awaits us in England, that is if we can just find those lost letters to prove it etc. etc.” These are the things that usually get us interested in the family’s history in the first place so don’t be disappointed to find that there is only a grain of truth in the stories and they might not be anywhere near as romantic as they are made out to be. You might find that the only connection to the Duke/Earl/Marquis was that your ancestor was a footman in his household or something of the sort. As with any rumour, where there is smoke there is usually a fire of sorts but with the telling, things get a little embellished. It does not matter!! They are your ancestors no matter what their station in life.

Rule 7

You have to accept them warts and all

You might come across things your ancestors did (or did not do) that shocks you. You are not alone! There are skeletons rattling in every family closet so be prepared to accept them the way they were – after all they are your very own skeletons and there is nothing you can do now that will change what they did then. Be objective when evaluating your information and tell the truth.

Rule 8

Enjoy Yourself

Family history research will set you on a journey of discovery. You will learn things about history, about your ancestors and ultimately about yourself. Your time will be filled with piecing together the vast jig-saw puzzle of your extended family. The main thing is that you should enjoy doing it. Enjoy gathering and arranging the information, knowing that you will end up producing as accurate an account of your family’s history as you can, one that will be appreciated by your descendants in years to come.

By Sharon Warr alias Sharonus Scribus

A Synopsis

The outstanding character of all living organisms – from viruses and bacteria to elephants and huge trees – is that they contain genetic material that enables them to multiply. This genetic material is the blueprint for all characters that are passed on to the offspring. The following is a brief summary of the processes involved.

Genetic material

The genetic material of all organisms on Earth is nuclein acids. They form long chains of which the active constituents are linked molecules known as nitrogen bases. There are only four different nitrogen bases in every type of nuclein acid – but by occurring in different sequences, they form an infinite variation of codes.

The two types of genetic material are ribonucleic acid (RNA) and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). In organisms with cells – therefore all known organisms with the exception of viruses -DNA forms the blueprint for new body cells and sex cells, while RNA acts as “messengers” in the cell and is involved in the formation of proteins. Viruses, however, have only either RNA or DNA.
Procaryotes (bacteria and proto bacteria) have no separate cell nuclei, the DNA forming a single circle. In eucaryotes (organisms with cell nuclei) the genetic material is more or less arranged in X-shaped structures called chromosomes.
Eucaryote cells also contain organelles (mini-organs) called mitochondria and – in plants – plastids with their own genetic material. They are circular, indicating that the organelles descend from free-living prokaryotes. The heredity units on the chromosomes are called genes.

Chromosome numbers and ploidy

Each eucaryote organism has a fixed number of chromosomes, although this may differ in the sexes of some species. In man this number is 46 – but it can vary from as little as one in certain male ants to more than a thousand in some ferns.
Human chromosomes occur in two sets, which means that for each of the 23 chromosomes in a set, there is one in the other set with more or less the same composition. The exception is the sex chromosomes, of which humans have one pair.

Females have two identical sex chromosomes, called X chromosomes, but men have only one X chromosome and a much smaller so-called Y chromosome. This form of sex determination occurs in nearly all mammals and many other organisms. The number of chromosomes per set is abbreviated to n. In the case of man, it is written as n=23 and 2n=46 in its abbreviated form.

Organisms with two sets of chromosomes are called diploid (noun as well as adjective), those with only one haploid and those with more than two poliploid. Poliploids can be triploid (3n), tetraploid (4n), and so forth.
Most organisms are diploids. Haploids are extremely vulnerable because they do not have an extra copy should anything go wrong with a chromosome. In honeybees and many related insects of the order Hymenoptera, males – which are relatively unimportant in this species – are haploid.

Poliploidy may cause problems with, among others, organ formation and propagation and is rare in animals. It is reasonably common in plants that have fewer specialised organs, a less specific build and usually no special sex chromosomes. Unequal ploidy tends to cause more sterility than equal ploidy. For example, bananas, which are triploid, very seldom contain seeds – but hexaploid (6n) wheat is fertile.

When sets are complete, they are referred to as euploids. Aneuploidy arises when there are one or more chromosomes too few or too many. This usually has a far-reaching effect on the organism and is often fatal.
In man only a few types of aneuploids are viable. The best-known form of aneuploidy is Down Syndrome, which is caused by an additional chromosome 21.

Cell division

Cell division is essential for growth and renewal, as well as for the formation of sex cells. Two different types of cell division occur.

The division of body cells is known as mitosis. During this division the number of chromosomes remain constant and the original cell divides into two, each a replica of the original cell. This is possible because each chromosome “zips open” and divides into two.

While the process is taking place, the removed part is substituted piece by piece out of building substances in the cell and linked together. These replicated, identical chromosomes of each pair move to opposite poles of the cell and constriction takes place between them.

Another process is necessary for the formation of sex cells as they are to be fertilised: the chromosome number must be halved so that the new cell that is formed after fertilisation will have the original number of chromosomes. This takes place through meiosis, or reduction division.

Here the chromosomes separate from each pair and temporarily attach to each other. The chromosomes exchange genetic material before they move to opposite poles. The difference between mitosis and this stage of meiosis is that the chromosomes do not divide.

The two cells that are formed each have only half of the normal chromosome number. A second division similar to mitosis now takes place: the four cells are forerunners of sperma, ovicells or other sex cells. The number of chromosomes in a sex cell is known as x. (Compare this with n above – although x and n are often the same for a certain organism, the concepts are not the same.)

Traditional applications of genetics

Man has realised for many centuries that characters are transferred from one generation to the next – and this knowledge has been used long before the nature of genes was known. Thousands of years ago farmers all over the world realised that they could improve the quality of their field crops by selecting and sowing only the best seed, while in the choice of marriage partners family history of serious diseases was taken into account.

More recently it became possible, among others:

To identify the carriers of certain genetic diseases and to determine through prenatal tests whether women in high-risk groups were expecting affected babies.

To cure certain genetic diseases, for example through organ transplants, and to control others with treatment.

To exclude paternity through blood tests in many cases. More recently, tests were developed to prove paternity.

To determine the sex of babies before birth.

To breed many new garden and agriculture plants and animals.

New and future applications of genetics

During the past decade or two tremendous development took place in the area of genetic research. It not only became possible to study genes close-up, but also to manipulate them and to change the genetic composition of organisms. These techniques are often controversial.

Some people have ethical and religious problems with tampering with the blueprint for life. Others foresee serious practical consequences should manipulated organisms get out of control. It is also feared that only the privileged will have access to the new technology products, and that the gap between rich and poor will further increase.

On the other hand, proponents of biotechnology are of the opinion that genetic manipulation has many possibilities for the treatment of diseases, the development of agricultural supercrops that will help alleviate famine, and the limitation of the use of insecticides.

Of the latest developments are:
The Human Genome Project (see also article by this name), whereby almost the entire genetic code of man has been determined. Deciphering of the code is at present done internationally and researchers hope to be able to eventually determine precisely where every gene is located on every chromosome.

It might soon be possible to analyse the genetic composition of an embryo and to discover what the baby developing from it will look like, as well as to which diseases he or she will be susceptible. In future parents will probably be able to choose which of various embryos they wish to have implanted and doctors will be able to correct genetic abnormalities early in pregnancy.

It will even be possible to compile an individual health programme for every person that would be ideal for his or her specific genetic profile. The emphasis can be shifted to the prevention rather than the treatment of serious diseases such as cancer and heart diseases.

Genetic manipulation of agricultural crops. Instead of only relying on cross-breeding to improve crops, genes from other species are transferred to improve yields or to render plants more resistant to insect pests.
Cloning. After a sheep, Dolly, was the first mammal to be cloned in 1997 from the cell of a dead animal, a variety of other clones have been created. Cloning can be used to create whole herds of exceptionally superior animals, to increase stocks of endangered species and even to cultivate organs for transplantation.

Research on the relationship between organisms. By studying certain genes that occur in a variety of organisms, the relationship between different forms of life can be determined. This does not only make the classification of living organisms much more accurate than in the past, but should also provide important information on how certain structures, tissues and organs have developed through evolution.

The signatures of our ancestors are windows to our past. Before the invention pen and paper people like the Khoi and the Egyptians used rock art and hieroglyphics to depict there name names. There was no other form of confirmation of names except those folk lucky enough to be able to read and write.

Signatures tell us whether or not our ancestors were literate and also how educated they were as well as whether or not they were beginner writers, nervous about writing or perhaps they had a disability of some kind.

One of the first things our ancestors probably learnt to write was there name and to sign their name – this form of identification would have at first probably be thought as the work of the devil as how could anyone try to see if they were really that person? Most of us write out signature without even thinking and sometimes find it very difficult to try (just for fun) to copy our grandparents or great grandparents ones. If you have spent time in the National Archives and looked through the countless death notices or estate papers between the years 1840 and 1880 – much of the writing is very similar albeit many of you would find it difficult not only to read the persons name who signed the document even though the actual person who signed the document did not fill it in making it even more intriguing. .

As the makeup and material of paper and pen has changed over the centuries so have signatures also changed. They way we were taught to write and by whom make a large impact on how our handwriting and signatures have endured. I am certainly not proud of my handwriting and find that many youngsters today have even worse writing skills – the emphasis in basic writing skills is one the wane and is a great loss to anybody tracing their family history.

How many of us actually print out and file an email ? We forget that in a 100 years’ time [email protected] might be your great grandson’s signature and there will be nothing in paper format – heaven forbid as it will all look the same!! We all love keeping old letters and either filing them in box files or and old – and we know that the ink there will remain there much longer than from a printer cartridge.

To get the most out of signatures we need get the most information from the records that are available, we have to decipher these records and put meaning into the symbols we see on the old documents or papers that we find. As we read wills, death notices, baptisms, marriage certificates or even simple birthday cards we very often find that the text is gibberish to us and sometimes completely un-comprehendible.

You will find out as your research goes back in time the further back you go the more difficult it becomes to decipher old signatures. It is important to remember that many of our names today are still spelt phonetically meaning written the best way you could and how it sounded.

In many instances old handwriting looks similar to our modern day shorthand with dropped or (upper or lower) letters in names. Assuming what these names should or should not be can be a fatal mistake. If someone’s name is written in a signature such as Edwd does not necessarily mean the persons name is Edward as it could be Edwin. Names should be transcribed exactly as they are written – notes can always be made but never change the original record.

Signature of David Senekal

The signature of David Senekal (believe it or not?)

One of the letters in the alphabet that has changed the most is the Double SS which is used to be written as FF or fs like the surname Burgeff which is actually Burgess. Over 100 years ago the “s” was often written like a backward “f.” This strange symbol for “s” was used very commonly in instances where there was a “double s.” The unusual s first, called the “leading s.” Then the regular s.