Genealogical Society of South Africa
Durban and Coastal Branch
Volume 23 Issue 4/2007
New Members
We would like to extend a very warm welcome to our
new members, Ruth
Archer, Marthinus Pretorius, and
Dave Sutcliffe and wish them lots of success in their
research and a fruitful association with the Society.
***
Message from the
Treasurer
Please note that subscriptions may be deposited in
ANY branch of Nedbank in South Africa – our banking details are :
Account Name : The
Genealogical Society of South Africa
Bank : Nedbank
Account No. : 2144
092 346 (BROADWAY)
NB : Members banking via
INTERNET must quote the Code No. 114405 as well as our account number. Please notify the treasurer of your renewal
either by post, telephone (evenings) or by e-mail.
***
Alphabetical list of Scottish names
associated
with clans and families
by George Way of Plean
(Past secretary to the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs)
The variety of surnames within a Scottish clan do
not represent separate and definable sub-clans but instead reflect the vagaries
of transition of the Gaels into the English naming system as well as marriages,
migrations and occupations. The main family itself may have developed a
variety of surnames.
The subject of “septs” is a
contentious one and one which is difficult to resolve with any degree of
historical accuracy. The preferred
modern usage is to avoid the use of the term "sept" and to simply describe
these names as what they are - surnames of the family and of allied or
dependent families.
There are also endless variations of Scottish
surnames and the list below is neither comprehensive nor definitive but is
intended solely as a guide to the possible connections a name may have to a
recognised clan or family featured in detail elsewhere.
Note that spelling of names have changed
considerably over the years. For example when emigrating to America the name
was often spelled as it sounded giving rise to different spellings. The Highlanders when asked what their name
was gave their parents name first as was the custom at the time and thus their
own name was not recorded. So all in all it is a bit of a minefield tracing
your name to a clan but we hope this list and our associated septs list and Spelling of Names will be of some help.
Clan Buchanan
Basken, Baskin, Bede, Bonnieville, Boyne, Buck,
Buckie, Bucky, Cawsell, Chapp, Chrystal, Clapperton, Coscrach, Costie, Costy,
Cranach, Crannach, Crystall, Crystal, Crudon, Cruden, Cruddon, Colman,
Donleavy, Donlevy, Dove, Dow, Dowe, Fasken, Faskin, Fitchie, Fitchy, Gammerie,
Gammery, Gibb, Gibson, Gilbertson, Hardin, Hardman, Hardnan, Harper,
Harperson, Kermack, Leisk, Lennie, Lenny, Macaldonich, Macandeoir, MacAslan,
MacAuselan, MacAuslan, MacAusland, MacAuslane, MacCalman, MacCalmont,
MacCalmont, MacCammond, MacChruiter, MacColman, MacCormack, MacCrystal,
MacDonleavy, MacGibbon, Macgreusich, Macinally, Macindeor, Macindoe, Mackinlay,
Mackinley, MacMaster, MacMaurice, MacMurchie, MacMurchy, Macnuyer, MacWattie,
MacWhirter, Masterson, Meason, Merson, Mondie, Mondy, Mundie, Mundy, Murchie,
Murchieson, Nible, Niblo, Ogston, Ogstone, Ogstoun, Prince, Rattliff, Ratcliff,
Ratliff, Rattcliff, Risk, Runcie, Runcy, Ruskin, Shakle, Spittal, Spittel,
Tarves, Tarvis, Teunion, Teunon, Tewnion, TinnonTucks, Wadsworth, Wadsworther,
Watson, Watt, West, Whammond, Willgook, Whyman, Whymon, Yull, Yuille, Yule.
Clan Cameron
Chalmers, Kennedy, MacChlerich, MacChlery, MacFall,
MacGillonie, Macildowie, MacKail, Maclerie, MacMartin, MacOnie, MacOurlic,
MacPhail, MacSorley, MacUlric, Macvail, MacWalrick, Martin, Paul, Sorley,
Taylor.
Clan Campbell
Bannatyne, Burns, Burnes, Burnett, Connochie,
Denoon, Denune, Harres, Harris, Haws, Hawson, MacConnechy, MacConochie,
MacGibbon, Macglasrich, MacIssac, MacIver, MacIvor, MacKellar, MacKessock,
MacKissock, MacLaws, LacLehose, MacNichol, MacOran, MacOwen, MacPhedran,
MacPhun, MacUre, Ure.
Clan Campbell of Breadalbane: MacDiarmid, MacDermid. Clan Campbell of Cawdor:
Caddell, Calder. Clan
Campbell of Loudoun: Hastings, Loudoun.
Clan Colquhoun
Cowan, Cowen, Culchone, Ingram, Kilpatrick, King,
Kirkpatrick, Laing, MacAchounich, MacLintock, MacMains, MacManus, MacOwan,
Maccowan, MacClintock.
Clan Cumming
Buchan, Comine, Comyn, MacNiven, Niven, Russell.
Clan MacGillivray
Gilroy, MacGillivour, MacGilroy, MacGilvra,
MacGilvray, Macilroy, Macilvrae.
Clan MacGregor
Black, Caird, Comrie, Fletcher, Gregor, Gregorson,
Gregory, Greig, Grewar, Grier, Grierson, Grigor, Gruer, King, Leckie, Lecky,
MacAdam, Macara, Macaree, MacChoiter, Maccrouther, Macgrewar, Macgrowther,
Macgruder, Macgruther, Macilduy, MacLeister, MacLiver, MacNee, MacNeish,
MacNie, MacNish, MacPeter, Malloch, Neish, Nish, Peter, White, Whyte.
Clan Macinnes
Angus, MacAngus, MacCainsh, MacCansh, MacMaster.
Clan MacIntyre
Tyre, MacTear, Wright, McEntire
Clan MacKay
Bain, Bayne, MacCay, MacCrie, Macghee, Macghie,
Mackee, Machie, MacPhail, Macquery, Macquoid, Macvail, Neilson, Paul, Polson,
Williamson.
Clan MacKenzie
Kenneth, Kennethson, MacBeolain, MacConnach, MacIver,
MacIvor, MacKerlich, MacMurchie, MacMurchy, MacVanish, MacVinish, Murchie,
Murchison.
Clan MacKinnon
Love, Mackinney, Mackinning, Kackinvan, MacMorran.
Clan MacKintosh
Adamson, Ayson, Combie, Crerar, Dallas, Doles,
Elder, Esson, Glen, Glennie, Hardie, Hardy, MacAndrew, MacAy, MacCardney,
MacCombie, MacCombe, MacComie, M'Conchy, Macglashan, Machardie, Machardy,
MacHay, Mackeggie, M'Killican, MacNiven, MacOmie, Macritchie, MacThomas, Niven,
Noble, Paul, Ritchie, Seawright, Siveright, Shaw, Tarrill, Tosh, Toshach.
Clan MacLachlan
Ewan, Ewen, Ewing, Gilchrist, Lachlan, Lauchlan,
MacEwan, MacEwen, MacGilchrist.
Clan MacLaren
McLaren, MacLaurin, MacLaurin, MacLauren, McLauren,
McLarin, McCLarin, MacLaran, McLaran, MacLaruan, MacLeran, MacLaurie,
McLaurie, Laurence, Lawrence, Law, Lawson, Low, Lowe, Lawrie, Laurie, Lowery,
Lowry, Faed, Patterson, Paterson, Peterson, McPater, Patrick, MacPatrick,
MacRory, McCrory, McGory, MacRuari, Wright, MacGrory, Peterkin and Borison.
Clan MacLean
Beath, Beaton, Black, Lean, MacBeath, MacBheath,
MacBeth, Macilduy, MacLergain, MacRankin, MacVeagh, MacVey, Rankin.
Clan MacLennan
Gilfiman, Gillfiman, Gilfillian, Gilliland, Lagan,
Laggan, Lenan, Lennan, Lennon, Leonard, Leonerd, Loban, Lobban, Logan, Loggan,
Lyndon, MacAlenon, MacAlinion, MacAlinden, MacAlonan, MacClanachan,
MacClanchan, MacClaron, MacClennen, MacClendon, MacGilillan, MacKilligan,
MacLarnon, MacLenagan, MacLenahan, MacLenadhan, MacLenden, MacLendon,
MacLennon, MacLernon, MacLoran, MacLorinan, MacLyndon, MacWilname, McClenaghan,
McClendal, McClendas, McClendon, McLandon, McLendall, McLendon, McLennon,
MackLenddon, MackClenden, MackLendin, MackLendon, MacLendall, Meclendon,
Mclendon, Winan, Winning, and Winton.
Clan Gunn
From son of
Alexander – Allisterson, MacAllister, Sandison
David – Davidson, MacDade, MacDhaidh
Henry – Henderson, Eanrig, Enrick, Inrig, MacKendrick, MacEnrick
George – Ganson, Gaunson, Georgeson, MacSheoras
James – Jameson, Jamieson, MacHamish, MacKames, MacKeamiks,
MacKeamish
John – Johnson, Kean, Keene, MacIan, MacKean
Thomas – MacComas, Thomson, Tomson, MacOmish
Thorkeill – MacCorkill, MacCorkle
Olaf – MacCullie
Robert – MacRob, Robertson, Robinson, Robison, Robson
Magnus – MacMains,MacManus, Magnus, Main, Mann, Manson, Manus
Rory – MacRory, Rorieson
William – MacWilliam, Will, Williamson, Wills, Wilson, Wylie, Wyllie
Neil – Nielson, Nelson, MacNeil
Swan – Swan, Swann, Swanney, Swanson.
To be continued………
***
Natal
Marriage Index Project
Adrian Rowe the project leader has recently sent
out the following letter to the members of the team members who are busy with
transcribing:
“UnfortunateIy the Genealogical
Society of Utah (GSU) has still been unable to get approval from the Dept.
of Home Affairs for the approval for the Indexing of their
records!
However some good news! Mel
Thatcher of GSU who is based at Salt Lake City, and is their representative for
Africa and Asia, has agreed to request the digitization of the 16mm and
35mm films. This will mean that there will not be such a problem with
only having one 16mm microfilm reader at the Durban FHC, which has been a worry
to me for some time. It will mean that those people who would like to
work at home and who have a computer will be able to do so. We have had a
person volunteer her services who lives in Johannesburg, so we may be able to
bring her on board.
It will also mean that our Indexing may
well be the first digitization project in South Africa to be made freely
available on the internet by www.familysearchindexing.com, once permission has been granted by
the Dept. of Home Affairs.
For those of you who are not aware, I do
receive many requests for lookups on the NMI from all over the world, and we do
supply many certificates on request. There has been a problem for about
two months as the microfilm printer has been causing trouble but eventually
the technician has found and fixed the problem (the price quoted to Jenny was
for R5000!).
Many thanks to everyone for
their contribution to our Indexing Project, and my special thanks to
Lyn Paul, Dawn & Matthys van Niekerk for their particularly hard
work. Keep it up.
If you’d like to make contact to have
look-ups done, please log on to www.genealogyworld.net -
click on the Natal Marriages icon on the right side of the main page. The database consists of Natal marriage
transcriptions from 1845 to 1923 and we are close to reaching 50,000
transcriptions.
On behalf of the Society
we would like to thank Adrian and his team for their dedication and hard work
in making our research all that easier.
A special thank you to our members Lyn, Dawn and Matthys for their
contribution to the Project.
WILLS : A MINE OF INFORMATION.
(Submitted
by David Honour)
Using
the information found in old wills can be far more rewarding than one first
imagines. With a bit of in depth
reading an old will, can uncover far more than who was left the family treasure
or who was still alive on a certain date. The wills written in the 1600 and
1700s can reveal a great amount of family history as well.
I had
traced my family tree fairly easily back to the marriage of Richard Honour to
Elizabeth Barfoot in Hardwick in 1780. The research had been through the normal
channels starting with oral history from living relatives, old photos and
eventually the parish records for Weedon and Hardwick. However in 1780 the
trail ran dry as neither Richard nor his bride had been born in Hardwick and
there was no other relationship in the village to work on. At that point I was
fairly content as 1780 seemed a good way back to get and without a bit of luck I
would have no way of knowing where Richard had haled from.
My
first bit of luck arrived from the BGS with a list of Honours recorded by them
for various parish records. This confirmed that there was a family of Honnors
living in nearby Wing up until the early 1800s. I obtained the micro-films from
the local LDS family history centre here in South Africa and after a couple of
weeks studying had a comprehensive tree of the Wing Honnors from 1546. On this
tree I had a birth record for a Richard Honnor that tallied near enough to the
burial and age of my Richard Honour in Hardwick. But how could I be sure this
was the same individual and if it was why would he have moved from Wing to
Hardwick?
I
contacted the Buckinghamshire Archives and found that there was a list of
Honnor wills from Wing dating from the 1500s through to the 1700s. Through a
local researcher I obtained copies of these wills and started to put together a
picture of how the family had lived over the generations. They were all
Dairymen and Yeomen having what appeared to be a good standard of living and
for many years were not sorry for a few pounds. But then all this stopped
abruptly in 1764.
My
Richard Honour was the second surviving son of Richard Honnor (22/03/1711 to
18/02/1752) and the grandson of William Honnor (bur 12/02/1752). In the will of
his father Richard junior had been left the princely sum of £50, certainly
enough to start a young man off well in life. However when studying the wills
of his grandfather and older brother a different picture starts to appear.
Grandfather
William Honnor died in February 1752 and as was the normal situation in that
era wrote his will on his deathbed. He hurriedly left all his possessions and
the family business of the dairy to his eldest son Richard senior. This was a
normal occurrence and certainly nothing out of the ordinary, some of the other
children also getting a share of the family belongings. It is when we check the
will of Richard that the disaster in the family appears.
Richard’s
will also starts with the usual detail “being infirm of body but of sound and
disposing mind and memory”. The date of the will a mere 9 days after his
father’s, smallpox had hit the village. Richard in his haste left the whole of
the family estate to his eldest son William, a young lad of just 14 years of
age. Richard junior at this time was only 2 years old and would only receive
his legacy of £50 from his brother upon reaching the age of majority.
Life
for older brother William must have been traumatic, not only had he lost his
grandparents (grandmother Anne dying 4 days after her husband) and his father
in the space of a week but the livelihood of the family, which at that point
was 7 brothers and sisters, was now his responsibility.
For a
while they must have muddled through and may have been quite successful as
William married Alice Jordan in 1758 and his two eldest sisters also found
suitors the same year. But tragedy was about to strike the family again and in
1763 William died early probably through another round of the dreaded smallpox.
His hastily written will sums up the situation. Instructions to his executors
was simple, all possessions were to pass in to the hands of his wife who in
turn was to sell everything to pay off the debts. Failing this instruction the
property was to pass in to the hands of Thomas Newland. At this point young
Richard was still only 13 and would never receive his father’s inheritance.
With
the passing of William not only was the family income lost but also the family
abode. The youngest siblings may have been taken in by relations (God Parents)
but the older ones would have had to fend for themselves, not an easy situation
in the late 1700s. The eldest unmarried sister fairing the worse, her death in
1783 being recorded in the parish register as “Poor”.
So with
no means of income and possibly nowhere to live it is now evident that young
Richard Honnor moved away from Wing to find employment. Having been brought up
in a farming environment he would have been able to get work as an agricultural
labourer. When we find him again in 1780 in Hardwick he must have been just
making a living for himself and even the Posse Comitatus of 1798 he is only
recorded as a servant.
So from
the few pages of facts from these wills some meat has been added to the bones
of a part of my family history.
***
Bulletin Board
v
CD – Liebbrandt/SA
Interest
For those of you who have not obtained a copy of
the above CD which was compiled by Jaq Benade, do not despair – there are still
copies available. Besides containing
transcripts by Liebbrandt of Cape Journals from 1652 to 1806 (including
Riebeeck’s journal), there is a folder of various early day maps mostly of the
Cape; the Titanic passenger list, and an Afrikaans radio broadcast of a
half-hour discussion about Ansella van de Kaap, a slave woman who was freed
from slavery, married Lourens CAMPHER and thus became the stammoeder of all
Campher’s in South Africa. The cost of
the CD is R10-00.
v
NAAIRS Search
Did you know that you can do a NAAIRS
search on document numbers. For
example, document KAB CJ 2649 – WILLS from 1686-1708, enter the following :
Top line enter “KAB”
Second line enter “CJ”
Third line enter “2649”
v
The MacLeans of Coll
The following e-mail was sent to us by member,
Colin Garvie, which makes interesting reading.
“The last of the chiefs
of the MacLeans of Coll was Alexander MacLean who settled in Umhlali/Umgeni and
died here in 1875. His sister Juliet
joined him and later married Ashe Windham, Magistrate of Greytown. Alexander never married. From his Estate papers I find he was buried
in the St. Paul’s Cemetery (West Street Cemetery now) which I visited but could
not find his grave or vault. Existing
West Street Cemetery Registers do not seem to record the burial. If anyone knows or can assist me in locating
Alexander MacLean’s grave I would be greatly appreciated.
For anyone who is interested, author Nicholas
MacLean-Bristoll of Coll, in his huge volume From Clan to Regiment records
fascinating information about the MacLeans of Natal. Juliet MacLean’s Natal
Diaries makes equally interesting reading opening her diary on the 24th
September 1857. This is the 150th
anniversary of her diary.
I would be interested in making contact with local
MacLean and Windham researchers. Garvie family tradition traces the family
roots back to John Garbh MacLean of Coll. Garvie is a sept of Clan MacLean.
Recently, and mysteriously, estate papers of the
MacLeans of Coll, missing from a solicitor's office in Scotland going back to
the 1500s, was spotted by chance by a British dealer in a house clearance sale
in Port Elizabeth! It turned out that
some Macleans had emigrated to South Africa after the estate was sold. Apparently when the island of Coll was sold
in 1856, the Macleans, the lairds of Coll, were scattered across the
globe.
The papers were acquired by Nicholas Maclean- Bristol,
who lives in Breacachadh Castle on Coll in the Inner Hebrides. They included a royal charter of 1528 and
other family and legal documents. Two
letters written in 1646 by the Marquess of Montrose to Maclean of Coll thanked
him for sending his sons to fight for the King.
So
one hundred and fifty years after disappearing, rare and valuable documents of
a Hebridean clan had been taken back to Scotland.”
If you are researching the MacLean family and
would like to share information with Colin please contact him at garvie@iafrica.
v
Questionnaire : Family
Names
We are busy building our database of family names
which members are researching, in an effort to share information on family
names that they may have in common. A
big thank you to those who have already submitted their completed
questionnaire, these will be added to the already established database which
was started in 2001. The questionnaire
also lists members’ brick walls which will be printed in our next newsletter. The names in the database will be circulated
once complete.
v
Western Cape Record and
Archive Service
eGSSA have advised that they have received a few
queries as to whether the situation at the KAB has affected eGSSA's
photoservice at other archives. While the KAB photographing ban has obviously
impacted us there, they were happy to advise
that the situation at the other archives TAB, VAB & NAB was
(still) unchanged. eGGSA are currently
in negotiation with the KAB archives in an attempt to resolve the problem but
as yet nothing has been resolved.
We are advised that the only way to currently
order copies of Cape files is through the KAB archives themselves. The process
is as follows:
1.
Send order
(max 50 per month) by either e-mail to readroom@pgwc.gov.za, by fax
to +21-465-2960 or by post to:
Western Cape
Archives
Private Bax X0-25
Cape Town
8000.
2.
The Archives
will send you a document to be signed and returned to them by either fax,
e-mail or snail-mail to above addresses.
3. Archives will send a quotation and bank account details
- the required amount can be deposited into their bank account,
quoting the provided reference number or can be paid via cheque drawn on a
South African bank.
4.
Be prepared to
wait - this is presently a lengthy process. Some members have indicated that
orders placed at the beginning of October have not reached point 3 above as
yet.
The cost is 80c per page. No additional charges for mail.
We will keep you informed of any change in arrangements.
***
“FAMILIES IN BRITISH INDIA
SOCIETY” (FIBIS)
If you are
researching family of British or Anglo-Indian descent who lived and/or
served within the Indian sub-continent from 1600 to 1947, you
may well find something on this website.
This is a great site
and definitely worth a visit. The data
is very largely taken from sources within the British Library’s India Office
Records Section . This data is provided
free of charge, however certain supplementary data – essentially background to
the lives and service of ancestors in India – are available in the ‘Members
Only’ Section.
FIBIS Search allows you to browse the following
records :
Wills and Probate - Directories – Publications - Miliatry
records – Censuses – Bonds - Miscellaneous – Maps - Ecclesiastical records -
Personal Papers – Photographs – Cemeteries – Maritime.
each of which have sub-folders.
Just to entice you a little
more, for example under
“Directories/East India Register and Directory”, there are -
Births 25,667
entries
Deaths 16,948
entries
Marriages 9,885 entries
Please note, that should
you not have access to the internet, you can contact one of your committee
members who would gladly do look-ups for you.
IF ONLY !!!
by Shirley Richardson
If only I could turn back the clock, not to
childhood days, just say seven years! The year would be 2000 and I would be starting
to search for my family’s history.
I would begin by emptying the biggest cupboard in the house and making space for a set of
lever-arch files, one for each family name, as well as files for newsletters,
and “how to find” articles, etc.
I would be METICULOUS in my note making. I would
take a hard covered notebook with me every time I visited the Family History
Centre, archival repository or Local History Museum. My notebook would
accompany me on all my visits to family and friends of the family, in the hope
that I would hear something helpful.
To begin with I would set aside the first third of
the book for Films and Death Notice numbers. I would have columns for “DATE
ORDERED”, FILM OR NOTICE NUMBER” and “RECEIVED”. The rest of the book would be used as a journal or diary. In this
section I would head each page with a family surname and try to enter
information on that page relevant to that family only. This would save me a lot
of time when I had to refer back to my notes.
Starting with the date, I would then record the
titles of the books that I read, and whether or not I learned anything of
interest to me. I would follow the same procedure when viewing a film, first
writing down the number of the film and the names and dates I came across. If I
did not gain anything from the film I would note that as well. If I was
fortunate enough to have success, I would file a copy of the record in my set
of lever-arch files.
I would make sure that I captured all relevant
information in a spreadsheet in our computer, as soon as possible. One folder
per family, until I decided which family tree programme to use. Naturally, I
would make regular back-ups.
I would NEVER throw away a single death notice,
baptism or burial record that did not belong in MY family. Hopefully, I would
realize that I might not be the only person in the country desperate to find
missing links in the same family name. I might be able to supply that missing
link one day.
Of course it is far too late now. My filing system
is beyond redemption. I have so many pieces of paper with scribbled notes that
I struggle to remember where I put them. I have still not decided which family
tree programme to use.
WAIT A MINUTE!
Perhaps it is not such a good idea to turn back the clock after all. I would not have a DIGITAL CAMERA to
use!
***
Diary Dates : 2007
08 December Ancestral Tea / Speaker t.b.a
***
Committee Members 2007 - 2008
Chairman
Jacques Benadie, P.O.Box 2337 Pinetown, 3600.
Phone: 031-708-3746 E-Mail: jaqb@telkomsa.net
Treasurer/Membership
Shirley Richardson
Phone:
031-266 1753 E-Mail : therichardsons@telkomsa.net
Secretary/Newsletter
Judy Letard, P O Box 1000, Mount Edgecombe
4300
Phone: 031-508 7304 (w) Cell: 072-146-7922
E-Mail: kdee@mweb.co.za
Librarian
Paul Bower, P O
Box 1156, Hillcrest 3650
Phone : 031-765
6512 Cell: 082 973 0221
E-Mail: anzan@mweb.co.za
Octogenarian
Annelise Peters - Ph: 031-208-2910
***
Our Venue for Meetings
Family History Centre,
Church of Jesus Christ of
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. 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 10 am – 12 noon.
Wednesday 1 pm – 4 pm
Thursday 9 am – 12 noon and 6.30 pm – 9 pm
Last Saturday of every month from 10 am – 4 pm
Or by appointment phone –
cell 083 661 4457
***
“You do not know who you truly are
until you know from where you have come”