FAMILY HISTORY

[GAZZAMCK]

My family arrived here in the very early days, from scotland and england
family diaries are in dbn museum, botanical gardens planted by great grand daddy on my dads side, haygarth road in kloof named after my grans father.

family has fought and bled in
zulu wars
boer wars
the fields of france
deserts of egypt
hills of monte cassino
bush of angola


maybe if i post my families written history and the hardships they faced, leaving england due to no future and poverty
i could be considered more south african.

please post your known family history and how you came to be here, may be interesting

[Captain Hook]

Great grand dad was the original surveyor of the streets of Pretoria, cetshwayo translator to Elizabeth. And a commandant general for the boers. Not bad for a Murphy.

Quail side, a playboy who won a lotto in the 1930s, got drunk and got on the wrong boat in Belfast. I shit you not. Decided he liked the weather and stayed.

[Anomander]

Well, I think it was around 1688 when my paternal ancestor landed at the Cape. But, I guess even 300+ years can't make me a true South African in today's political climate.

So, sad as it is, it now seems very likely that, for my little branch of the family line at least, that wonderful, passionate, and rich South African journey might end soon, and a new family journey will start from scrach on the other side of the globe. Hey, I never thought I would one day be the founder of a family dynasty, but maybe a century from now my descendants will look to me like I look to that first French Huegonot who landed in the Cape back in 1688. Who would've thunk it.

[45acpglock]

My paternal ancestor landed in the Cape in 1704 from Holland and married a French girl in 1714. They had 11 children from which 1 died early. A farm was allocated in the Drakenstein area to him. In 1836 my ancestor (believe the grandchild of my paternal ancestor) joined Gerrit Maritz to trek to the Transvaal. He also married Gerrit Maritz's sister. They then settled on a farm behind the Cullinan diamond mine. On our family farm they found diamonds. The farm stayed in our family until the early 1980's and then was given to the then KwaNdebele or incorporated into a semi-independent homeland for the Ndebele people. (Hope I can file a land grab). I believe one of his sons was a famous commandant in Anglo-Boer war. My grandfather moved from the family farm to Boksburg and died in a mine accident. (This was in the late 1930's). My father moved to Pretoria and studied at the University of Pretoria and met my mother there. They got married and my dad passed away in 2014. I also found that my mother is related to my paternal ancestor's wife the French girl. So on my father's side I am from Dutch and French and from my mother's side double French.

[Grobbie]

Just recently found out that my great, great grandfather was General JHN Grobler. I have my name thanks to him.

His father was born in George in 1807. I moved to George about 5 years ago. Full circle it seems. Later his sons moved to the Eastern Transvaal.






I have 2 other grandfathers that died in the 2nd Boer war.

My great grand mother survived the influenza plague and concentration camp. Folklore stories says she used an axe to defend herself and kids on the farm in the second boer war.

My family has historical connections with the Swazi King in the late 1800’s. Something to do not enough mining labourers in the Eastern Transvaal. Some of my nieces and nephews have Swazi names. My grandfathers uncle Thys was called the white Swazi king. This same Thys looked after Paul Krugers body on the train from Cape Town to Pretoria. A nephew was also named Rhatlogo which is swazi for big head.

I also have lots of family that went farther north to Botswana.

Mom side of the family all farmers that settled in the Freestate when they landing late 1600 directly from France.

My uncles were involved in the Congo. I have lots of newspaper clippings and letters. Amazing stories.



I am busy creating a family tree and it astounds me from where and how far we actually came from.


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[MSW2]

My family tree can also be traced back to the Cape in the time of Van Riebeeck. Births in Holland before 1652 and deaths after that in the Cape.
No idea of the manner of family involvement in historical events. Perhaps it is something I should start looking into.

[Knoffel]

My g-g-g....g'father came to South Africa as a soldier from France in the late 1600s, started farming and owned what is now one of the major wine farms in South Africa. He is also one of the ancestors of President Paul Kruger.

[CorditeCrazy]

My family is a spread. The furthest back I can go is the Arrival of the Huguenots back in 1690. This is also the source of my now Africanized surname: Pinaard to Pienaar. I also have 1820 settler blood (Searle - the Blanco and Brak River Searle’s and the Richardson’s who settles in the Wilderness Area), German missionary’s (the Helms who tracked up to the northern Cape with Moffetf), Highland (McKlintoch), Irish (Rusk).

Carel Celliers was a great, great, great - you get the picture- grandfather. My great grandfather Searle left the Cape with Rhodes and settled in Kimberley working for de Beers. Some were the original pioneers into Matebele Land. Some of my forefathers faced each other during the last Boer war.

Proud to know that I’m part of the “original sin”

[MTTSS]

Forefather on Father's side came to the Cape in 1661 (9 years after van Riebeeck, some 375 years ago).
Worked as a farm labourer for established farmers.
His son was the first purchaser of the farm Vergelegen after Van der Stel.
On mother's side, French Huguenots. Fleeing (?) religious persecution.
Forefathers on father's side left the Cape in 1842, six years after the Groot Trek. Brought land from the Griquas in the Kimberley / Boshoff area and settled there.

Family members were involved in Anglo Boer war, some also interned in concentration camps, the English took over the family farm in the OFS and built a fort on it.

Grandfather on father's side was boxing champ of SA Air Force (Spitfires) when WW2 broke out. Refused to go and fight the Germans and gave up the Air Force - the Germans after all supplied us with Mausers in the Anglo Boer war, and there was remaining bitterness against the English still. He rather did his thing with the OB.

Bush war - well, one of the family members was a well known general. And his son died whilst being a member of 32.

Another uncle went MIA over Angola in his Impala or Mirage, can't remember which. Was too small when we attended his memorial service but i do remember the sadness of the memorial service.

Aunt was a nurse stationed in Katima. Went to visit her there in 1988.

We had a family member that was murdered in SWA by SWAPO. Still remember the images of what was left of the bakkie after 72 shots from AK's at the gate, but can't recall the exact relationship, was too small.

[pbuitendag]

I envy you guys. I have no idea where my ancestors came from. Any tips on how to go about finding that out, both father and mother's side?

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