DIARY OF A NATAL MOLE
October 2004

1 A week ringed in black on some Olympian calendar (I quote Noel Coward): computer crash 28 September. Diagnostics being carried out; Mole trying not to panic. Failing. Being without e-mail, time to tidy my study and hard copy files (yes, I'm a dinosaur in that regard). Also to browse through back issues of Family Tree Magazine - surprising what emerges, e.g. a reader claiming that her ancestor, John BAXTER, and not the generally-accepted Frank BOURNE, was the last surviving defender of Rorke's Drift; may be a topic for our Anglo-Zulu War correspondent Graham Mason to investigate. Sure he would have plenty to say, as the vexed question of who WAS and who WASN'T at Rorke's Drift has been a focus of his research for some time.

2 Since both the pc and the Mole-mobile refuse to function, take brisk walk in attempt to regain equilibrium. Only partially successful. Await arrival of car mechanic. Send e-mails by proxy to explain hiatus in communication due to computer problem. How dependant we are on these machines- and on the people who fix them.

3 Note epitaph mentioned in The Taunton Chronicle 23 May 1827 (and quoted in Family Tree Magazine May 1998) : "Elizabeth, wife of Major-General HAMILTON, who was married 47 years and never did one thing to displease her husband." (This inscribed on south wall of Streatham Church, Surrey.) A dubious claim to fame. Was she a doormat? Or a clever cookie?

6 A day at PMB Archives (punctuated by further car hiccups). Meet a visiting genealogist from Essex, who, on the track of some of her own ancestors, had been disappointed with level of assistance at the Master's Office.
On that subject, the MO has space problems and have shifted an entire raft of estate files to storage in PEBS Building PMB. No-one is able to tell me what years are covered by these files, which seem to be effectively "lost" until they are finally transferred to archives - where they should have gone in the first place. (Though space is at a premium at PMB Archives too and archivist Peter Nel blanched visibly at my suggestion that the errant files should be taken over by them.) Take another look at 70 page unpublished thesis by J H DAVIES (A1705) which lists "Sailing vessels engaged in trading on the South African Coast 1806-1849", with names of captains and some details of ships. BELL features along with his relative by marriage, CAITHNESS.
Make a note to check the Guide to Accessions at PMB Archives (of which the DAVIES mss is one) - this index is kept on the main table in the Reading Room and is always worth spending a few minutes in. Unusual subjects include Durban's First Gaol, the Lighthouse etc, and there are biographical notes on various families e.g. COLENBRANDER, genealogy of LANGTON & SHUTTLEWORTH and many others. "Accession" indicates that the items were given to Archives by private donors.

10 Continuing research on the fascinating voyage of the "Leven" and Edward Philip DURNFORD: results destined for the genealogyworld site in due course.

11 Another twiglet on the DIXON-SMITH family tree: born today, Paige RUSSELL daughter of my nephew Cade and wife Suzie (nee GOULD). Cade is the son of my late sister-in-law Charlotte (nee DIXON-SMITH). So, with arrival of baby Isabel last month, two new descendants of William DIXON-SMITH amongst us. Paige arrived coincidentally on the birthday of long-standing family friend Eulah LANDERS - the LANDERS and SMITH families were neighbours at Umzinto.

12 Back on-line, thankfully. Working through piled-up Inbox.

13 3-day research trip to PMB where the jacaranda is in bloom and the bougainvillea flourishing magnificently in the dry season. Heat indescribable. At archives again dip into the History of Early Verulam, published thesis by M Park in Archives Year Book for SA History 1953 Vol II - a good background read for anyone with Verulam Wesleyan settler ancestry. A table at the end gives comments, mostly positive, made by some of these settlers: Wm COWEY remarks that "I should look upon the Colony in a much better light had it not been for the wreck of our vessel (the Minerva) and after that the loss of all by fire " while Stephen STARR delivers himself of the opinion that "a man with capital may save money if he is not a great mule". Most of them express no regret at having emigrated and James STANTON says of the rural retreats of Verulam: "Cannot think I am out of England." Praise indeed.

14 Whole day at Natal Society Library in the newspapers. From the Natal Mercury Feb 25 1869 an interesting snippet for all those who use PIGGOTT'S Directories in their UK research. Death: on the 22nd February, Helen, beloved wife of Mr James LLOYD, youngest daughter of James PIGGOTT Esq, Map and Directory Publisher for all the Principal towns and cities in the United Kingdom, aged 39 years. The Lloyds' infant daughter Eva Florence aged 7 months predeceased her mother by one day.

15 Still in the newspapers, reading contemporary reports of the Minerva wreck including comments by Captain BELL. Some of this material will (eventually) be uploaded on our maritime pages.

19 Take delivery of 30 boxes of my goods and chattels which have been in storage for nearly three years and find wedding pix of my parents, sports teams of the 1920s and 30s and other memorabilia.

20 Friend Carolyn brought her laptop to show me photos of her trip to Canada and induced envy in Mole. But does one really want another machine? Would it cut down, or add to, workload?

21 Arrival of long-awaited papers on my maternal great grandfather Finlay GIBSON's military career; he was discharged from the British Army after serving in the Afghan War 1879. Am entranced to find that his civilian occupation is given as "parasol-maker". Nice change from ag labs. Even more surprising, his brother William was in Natal for over a year, from shortly before the battle of Isandhlwana 1879, serving with the 2nd Battalion 4th Foot. I had no idea a member of this family had sojourned in SA, other than my grandmother, Finlay GIBSON's daughter, who came out with her husband Joe HAMILTON from Ayrshire around 1910. I'm indebted to SAPPER Mason for the details on the GIBSONs. Having previously unsuccessfully hired a UK military researcher who told me after "trying" that it was "impossible" to find any service papers for Finlay, I now can't help wondering just how much effort said researcher expended on my behalf.

22 Society of Genealogists forthcoming events calendar includes a lecture on 13 November by Geoff Swinfield on Inherited Diseases:
"With the great advances in the study of DNA, it is clear that susceptibility to many diseases may be caused by mistakes within genes. This talk will look at how such abnormal genes are inherited and how genealogy, its records and techniques, can be applied to the study of such traits and diseases in a family or lineage. How can analysis of Y chromosomes and mitochondrial DNA provide an insight into where we originated and determine if we are related to those who share a surname?"
Not for the first time, Mole wishes that a tiny piece of John of GADDESDEN (ca 1280-1360) was available for DNA testing. There would be some point in that - whereas I cannot feel that discovering my descent from one of 7 supposed "genetic Eves" dating millions of years back would add anything whatsoever to my life.

Re-watch a terrific episode in the "Ancestors" series from BBCTV on "Nelson's Island" : how wonderful it would be if we could produce something of similar quality in SA. The Brits do this sort of thing so well. Riveting stuff.

23 Take another look at the film "Zulu": comments can be found on genealogyworld AZW pages re the numerous inaccuracies in this offering on the battle of Rorke's Drift. Most noticeably, the emphasis, totally incorrect, that the 2/24th were a Welsh regiment. Still, the film remains a classic, even though I doubt whether the lads launched into the stirring strains of "Men of Harlech" (or indeed anything else!) as the Zulus closed in for their final attack. Michael Caine (in his first starring role, as Gonville BROMHEAD) must have had his smile fixed since this movie: some dentist had given him two rather rabbity and startlingly white front teeth over which the actor has difficulty closing his mouth.

26 PMB for a couple of days.

27 Find that the index to Durban marriages 1885-1914 is not in the correct box. This means that an inconsiderate researcher has placed the volume in some other box and its almost impossible to know where to look for it. A headache for Archives and an inconvenience for others who need the volume. I hear that it is not unknown for certain people using the reading room to purposely pop an index volume in another box they are busy with - so that when they return everything they were using before will be found in one place. Unfortunately, no-one else would be in on the secret, and hours of time may consequently be wasted. Ideally, each box that is put on the "returns" table after use should have its contents checked before being replaced in the vaults, but staff don't have that sort of time and the onus is on researchers to ensure that material used is returned in good order and in the correct box. It's the least we can do.

Back down the freeway in rain and mist and happy to collapse into The Palace.

Note, a propos nothing in particular, a brief mention in Natal Witness Feb 8 1850:
"Cargo of Ladies for California: ... a merchant of St Jago in Chili advertised for 200 young, white, poor and virtuous girls ...of average prettiness, to be taken to California and there honourably married to the thousands of North Americans and other strangers who, having made their fortunes at the mines, are now anxious to throw themselves and wealth at the feet of the first passable specimens of womanhood whom fate and a happy wind may cast upon their shores."
This, of course, was an expedient often resorted to in the colonies where women were in short supply - think of the Kennaway Girls. I wonder how such alliances worked out.

Mole