Die eerste plaasmoord?

James Sadie 

Ek het gedurende my navorsing oor my vrou, Pauline, se stamvader op hierdie interessante gebeure op die internet afgekom. Ek vra myself af of dit nie moontlik die eerste plaasmoord in Suid Afrika was nie. Volgens 'n sekere bron was dit baie moontlik die eerste nadoodse ondersoek aan die Kaap. 

Die Franse Hugenote in Suid-Afrika

Die Hugenote-monument in Franschhoek

Die ondervermelde inligting oor die Franse Hugenote is oorgeneem uit twee geloofwaardige webtuistes: die Hugenote-vereniging van Suid-Afrika en die  Suid-Afrikaanse Ensiklopedie. 

1820 Settler genealogy

Members may be aware of the following sources giving information about the 1820 settlers who had a major impact on life in the Eastern Cape.

The Bergtheil Settlers

Reprinted from Mole’s Genealogy Blog (click here to access). 

Jonas Bergtheil

A group of German settlers came to Natal in March 1848 on the ship Beta, under a private scheme arranged by Jonas Bergtheil. This was the first organized initiative to bring settlers to Natal, pre-dating the much-publicised and well-documented Byrne scheme. 

British concentration camps of the South African War, 1900 – 1902

These camps were formed by the British army to house the residents of the two Boer republics of the South African Republic and the Orange Free State. They were established towards the end of 1900, after Britain had invaded the Boer republics. 

In search of my great-grandfather

Myra Bosch 

I was inspired by my late brother's life task and brilliant book about our Jackson ancestors. Each family member received a copy. My husband, who had retired at that time, decided to create a family tree for our children. Our parents on both sides were deceased so he started looking up long forgotten aunts, uncles and cousins from his side of the family. He met up with a seasoned genealogist who introduced him to a computer programme which had exciting features such a variety of family trees and layouts for a book. 

Boer settlement in South America

Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina 

Once they lived here in their thousands, but now only a handful of Afrikaans-speaking Boers remain in the windswept Patagonian coastal town of Comodoro Rivadavia and its hinterland.

Between 1903 and 1909, up to 800 Boer families trekked by ship to this lonely spot on Argentina's east coast, about 1500km north of Tierra del Fuego.

They had suffered badly in the 1899-1902 South African War. Some had lost family members in Kitchener's infamous concentration camps; others had their farmhouses destroyed by British troops.

Schubert, die Weense woude en Barrydale

Diek van Wyk

Franz Schubert

65 jaar gelede, toe ek 'n eerstejaarstudentjie was, het 'n oom van my eendag 'n plaat met twee Schubert-liedere daarop vir my gespeel. Op die een kant was daar Der Erlkönig en op die ander ander kant Heidenröslein. Dit het my lot verseël. Ek was oombliklik en reddeloos 'n gevangene van Schubert se liedkuns. Vir die res van my lewe sou dit my passie bly.

‘n Voormalige Rhodesiër se bande met Ugie

Barry Vosloo

Myra Bosch

Myra Bosch, ‘n voormalige Rhodesiër en tans ‘n lid van die Jeffreysbaaise Genealogiese Geselsgroep, vertel dat haar ouma se broer, ds. MTR Smit, vanaf 1917 tot 1960 die NG predikant op Ugie was. 

Sterilisasie van armblankes in Suid-Afrika

Die vraag of armblankes in die middel van die vorige eeu gesteriliseer is om goeie gene onder Suid-Afrikaners te verseker, is ‘n ruk gelede op SA Genealogie bespreek. Hieronder volg ‘n geredigeerde weergawe van die elektroniese gesprek. 

The first people of the Kouga

Kobus Reichert

The Kouga region (Google Images)

“Kouga” is a KhoiSan word meaning: “Hippopotamus River”. It is a region with an abundance of archaeological sites and cultural artefacts linked to the first inhabitants of the land. The oldest evidence of the early inhabitants are large stone tools, called hand axes and cleavers, which can be found in the river gravels which capped the hill slopes in the region. These large stone tools are from a time period called the Earlier Stone Age and may date between 1 million and 250 000 years old. These large stone tools are often found associated with the gravels in the area, and were later replaced by smaller stone tools called the Middle Stone Age (MSA) flake and blades industries. Evidence of MSA sites occur throughout the region and date between 120 000 and 30 000 years old.

Die Van Wyks se voorgeskiedenis

Diek van Wyk 

Lynette Francis het op Maandag 6 Augustus in haar program Praat Saam met twee genetici gepraat waarin hulle dit onder andere gehad het oor die maniere waarop vasgestel kan word hoe iemand se genotipiese afkoms tot by die wieg van die mensdom bepaal kan word. Toevallig is my afkoms so bepaal. In hierdie hoofstuk uit my boek wat ek vir my kinders geskryf het, vertel ek, effens aangepas, daarvan. 

(Lees ook Using DNA to trace ancestry. Klik hier om toegang te verkry - Redaksie)

Using DNA to trace ancestry

Because the chromosomes mothers and fathers pass on to their children are reshuffled versions of the ones they inherited from their own parents, it is hard to use most chromosomes to trace genealogy back very far. Most of the Y chromosome, however, is handed down from father to son without changes. Likewise, in humans, the tiny bit of DNA contained in an unusual package of genetic material known as mitochondrial DNA is passed down from mother to child without any recombination. For this reason, these types of DNA can be used to trace your ancestry. 

Click here and here to learn more.

I was there

William Wood, interpreter to Dingaan.

(The following is an extract from Annals of Natal, 1495 to 1845, Volume C. John Bird. Struik: Cape Town. The pictures were provided by Google Images)

Dingaan's kraal

The form of Dingaan's kraal was a circle. It was strongly fenced with bushes, and had two entrances. The principal one faced the king's huts, which were placed at the furthest extremity of the kraal, behind which were his wives' huts. These extended beyond the circle which formed the kraal, but were also strongly fenced in. On the right hand of the principal entrance were placed the huts of Inhlela Dingaan's captain) and his warriors, and on the left those of Dambuza (another of his captains) with his men. The kraal contained four cattle kraals, which were also strongly fenced, and four huts erected on pole, which contained the arms of the troops.

At a short distance from the entrance was the trunk of a large tree, which was in a state of decay, and which no person was allowed to touch, being the tree under which Dingaan's father died, and which he valued very highly. Near this tree grew two other trees which are called by the Zulu's milk-trees.

Enigeen kan geskiedenis skryf

Barry Vosloo 

Volgens die Indiese historikus, Anjali Modi, bestaan daar ‘n groot gaping tussen gebeure wat die historikus uitbeeld en hoe gewone mense dieselfde gebeure beskryf. Eersgenoemde, sê hy, “is concerned about the practice of history writing, the uses of evidence, methods of interpretation … “ Laasgenoemde sien geskiedkundige gebeure dikwels “as a tool in [an] ideological campaign … in producing histories that justify its political goals.” 

Hiervan moet ‘n mens aflei dat dat gewone mense geskiedkundige gebeure op ‘n baie meer subjektiewe vlak interpreteer as die professionele ouens en dus ‘n skewe voorstelling daarvan gee. 

The Importance of Given Names

Donna Przecha 

Introduction

In genealogy we usually concentrate on surnames since they are the most important way of identifying people who are related. A surname is usually inherited and, while it may be changed, some form of it is usually retained. Given names are more important in a way because they represent a voluntary choice by the parents or, sometimes, by an individual. A name is usually not given lightly. It represents thought and feelings and can be significant to the researcher. 

First ever photo from 1826 to go on display

This blurry photograph is believed to be the world’s first ever. It is set to go on display in Germany soon. 

The photograph is called The view from the window at Le Gras and dates back to 1826. It was created by photographic pioneer Nicéphore Niépce at his Le Gras country estate in Saint-Loup-de-Varennes, France. 

Annual excursion: The Genealogical Society of South Africa (GSSA)

The Northern Transvaal branch of the GSSA has successfully negotiated with the management of the National Archives in Hamilton Street, Pretoria, to re-open their premises on the first Saturday of each month. 

The annual excursion of the GSSA to the Archives will therefore take place on 4 August 2012.

The Genealogical Society of South Africa (GSSA)

Ferdie van Wyk 

The Genealogical Society of South Africa (GSSA) was founded in 1964. 

Genealogy of Jesus

Jesus' genealogy can be found at two places in the Bible.