Emigration to Rhodesia??

[Oscar]

I'm trying to help a friend whose relatives went to Rhodesia and to find any records is an absolute nightmare. Her ancestors married there and we're stuck with two people with the same name, but can't differentiate until we have the marriage cert - but as yet, zilch!

Gwyn

[MarionH]

Hi Gwyn,
Did you find any sites that have records of any kind for Rhodesia at all? I have been hunting on the net for anything at all but can't seem to find anything.
Marion

[Mary from Italy]

I doubt if there's anything online. Very few countries have online BMD or census records.

Might be worth trying the Times online archive in case there's a marriage, engagement or death notice.

The Rhodesia Pioneers mailing list might also be useful:

Zambia Mailing Lists

[Oscar]

Hi Marion

My friend (who lives in SA, but was brought up in Rhodesia) has been doing some digging for records too, but we have got nowhere at all. As Mary says, there's nothing on-line and I wonder how many records actually exist there at all, given the state of the country! It's such a pity, because we can go no further back without the relevant marriage record which should take us back to Scotland. Oh well, these things are sent to try us.............

Gwyn

[MarionH]

Thank you Mary, Thank you Gwyn,

I will check those sites but it does appear that the original black hole has moved has moved continents!! Poor Harold and Hannah will stay in the ether forever with only their birth and marriage gracing my tree.

Thanks for all of your help,

Marion

[Macbev]

Hi Marion

My friend (who lives in SA, but was brought up in Rhodesia) has been doing some digging for records too, but we have got nowhere at all. As Mary says, there's nothing on-line and I wonder how many records actually exist there at all, given the state of the country! It's such a pity, because we can go no further back without the relevant marriage record which should take us back to Scotland. Oh well, these things are sent to try us.............

Gwyn

Hi Gwyn. OH's Scottish grandparents married in Cape Town and their two children were born there as well. They brought baptismal certificates to Australia with them, but not the marriage cert or birth registrations as far as the family knows.

However, since you mention Scotland....I found a copy of the marriage details recorded in the 'Intimations' section of the Ayrshire 'Herald', which seemed to contain a lot of BDM events that occurred abroad concerning local families. It is worth while investigating whether the local newspaper in your family's area did the same.

[Uncle John]

My grandparents' marriage and my father's birth in India were both recorded in The Times.