Need Help

[speleobat2]

Donald,

Are you familiar with this website: http://ancestry24.com/

It is a pay site, but not expensive. I did the free search for Maria Magdalena Vermaak and quite a few results came up. Unfortunately, my subscription has expired so I couldn't check them out for you!

Carol

[Currie]

Hello Donald,

When did your grandfather travel to South Africa and what were the circumstances that led him there? Who would likely have accompanied him? Have you tried to find a record of his voyage to SA. This site has passenger lists for voyages leaving the UK between 1890 and 1960. http://www.ancestorsonboard.com/

Alan

[Montrose Budie]

Another good site for UK passenger lists is www.findmypast.com


For a W[illia]m DONALD b. 1906 +/-5 years there's no record for someone emigrating to RSA or anywhere in the continent from the UK.

Is it known if he came direct to RSA, or via another country? Another possiility is that he set out on a boat for Australia or New Zealand, but decided to leave at the post in RSA. There's one possible match that I can see where the address in Scotland is not that far from Ballater but the age is a wee bit out. And there's another, destination Assam, India, age a wee bit off, Scottish address in Aberdeen


What was his occupation?


Not everyone registered with a middle name kept kept and used that name during their liftetime, so, unless RSA registration law required the Scottish birth certificate to be produced when his death was registered, there's no guarantee that he wasn't originally given a middle name

mb

[donalds01]

Good Day,

I am not sure about his occupation, but I managed to find out that his fathers name was John and his mother something like Cindy. William Donald hand brothers as well and it is possible that more of his family are also in south africa.

Regards

Donald

[SarahND]

Hello Donald,

I am not sure about his occupation, but I managed to find out that his fathers name was John and his mother something like Cindy.

Was this the sound that was something like Cindy, or are you deciphering difficult handwriting? Cindy is not a name you find often in Scotland at that time. The closest in sound I can find is Sinclair (a female name as well as a male one, with a possible nickname of Sina or even Sinny). If it is a written name you are looking at, then perhaps Christy and variants would be closest. How did you get those names?

All the best,
Sarah

[donalds01]

Good day,
The name sounds like Cindy.
My aunt that gave me the information is now living in the US. As far as to my knowledge there are some of my family living somewhere in Scotland, but I don't know where.
I want to trace these as well.

Thank you for your response.

Regards

Donald

[donalds01]

Good day,
My grabfather's father was definately something like John, but his wife something like Margaret.
Regards

Donald

[donalds01]

Good day,

To what I could find on the passanger lists leaving UK.
The Donald's leaving the UK was on their way to Australia.I found Donald's to get off in South Africa at Port Elizabeth (Algoa Bay). What I found more that my grandfather, "according to the South African Authorities were born in Mosselbay, but I think that they might have got off the ship in Mosselbay".
My grandfather was definately born in Scotland on 26 June 1906/1907 and according to family was born in Balleter.
If any body can help me please, I need the information.

Kind Regards

Donald

[AnneM]

Hi Donald

As one who has a husband born in SA (on 26/06 though not 1906!!) and lives in Aberdeenshire I had a look for your grandfather but drew a blank. I think he may indeed have been born in SA and possibly it is his father who was born in Ballater or thereabouts.

Anne

[AnneM]

There is a John Donald born in 1872 in Ballater to John Donald, mason and Jane Mitchell. That's about the right age for the father of your William Donald. He seems to be a single farm servant in 1891. It may be a co-incidence but there is a J Donald, mason, travelling to SA in 1896 and I can't find your man in 1901.

Anne