Shipping lists to South Africa

[Olde Crone Holden]

I have just found some family correspondence, dated 1973, a letter from Mrs RV Stevenson of East London, South Africa.

She mentions "Nellie Whittaker" and says how much her own daughter resembles her.

Nellie's father, Alfred Whittaker (1861-1947) went to KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, some time between 1901 and 1912 (he remarried in 1912 in SA).

Are there any shipping lists for the period 1901-1912, please? I haven't a clue why an ordinary Printer's Compositor would suddenly emigrate to SA. He died there in 1947.

Thanks!

OC

[JBee]

Don't know if any of these links will bring a result.

There's also findmypast and ancestors on board

British

PASSENGER LISTS ON THE INTERNET

Passenger Lists

FamilyRecords.gov.uk | Topics | Emigration | What records are available?

[Olde Crone Holden]

Thanks JBee, I'll look at these as I haven't done very well so far! It is looking as though the whole family went with him as I can't find any trace of them after 1901.

(But why did no one in my family think to say how interesting that great uncle Alfred went to SA, ggggrrrr!)

OC

[Little Nell]

Perhaps it didn't seem interesting to them, or they were glad to see the back of him!

[Mary from Italy]

You can search the passenger lists on FindmyPast for free, but you'll need to buy credits to see the full result (or find somebody who has a sub):

Findmypast UK outbound passenger lists now cover 1890 to 1960 a list 18.4 million passengers

Unfortunately it only gives the first initial of a lot of passengers. There's no Alfred Whittaker, but several A. Whittakers going to SA.

I haven't a clue why an ordinary Printer's Compositor would suddenly emigrate to SA.

Maybe he fought in the Boer War and decided to move there after the war?

[Olde Crone Holden]

I found the ones on FindMyPast and one of them does look quite interesting.

I tried to refine the search to see if any of his children went with him (some of them were still very young) but I lost the search page and couldn't be bothered to go back!

I'm off to have another go. The tree holder on Ancestry, who has him in SA, has not replied to my previous messages, grrr, and appears to have only their own line on there, although they do have details of his first marriage and children.

I am just sat here contemplating the impossibility of SA research!

OC

[kylejustin]

:i had an ancestor that was thought to be born in s.a. the tree holder had it, two had yorkshire, and one had no clue. it looked a bit funny, as the parents wereborn and married in england, apparently moved to s.a., and then came back for my ancestor to get married in leeds!!

turns out she was born in yorkshire though, so have no idea were the holder got any other ideas. familysearch is so helpful!!:p

[Olde Crone Holden]

kylejustin

No, I think this one is based on genuine family knowledge as they have a lot of careful detail from 1912 onwards (second marriage in SA) including actual addresses etc.

It's the English bit they are a bit shaky on!

I am, of course, ASSUMING (haha) that his first wife did die before he married number two in SA. I can't find a suitable death for her in England......

OC

[Mary from Italy]

She may have gone out with him and died in SA.

[Olde Crone Holden]

Mary

Yes, I have considered that possibility with great gloom!

OC

[Olde Crone Holden]

Oh, how absolutely INFURIATING!

I have found a message board, someone posting in 2001 (lol!) about what is almost certainly this family, although mmn is completely wrong. Tried to reply but a message came up saying that due to spam, the message board wasn't accepting any more messages!

However...they say that Beatrice, youngest daughter of Alfred Whittaker, married in South Africa but moved to Calgary, Canada. I haven't a clue how to follow this up...did they have census in Canada?!

Poster also states that George (another son) died in WW1 (doesn't say where but I presume SA).

GRRRRR.

(I cannot match shipping lists on Findmypast with this family unless they all travelled separately and there are too many hits to open them all on the offchance, at 30 credits a go)

OC

[Trina]

Tat's a coincidence! My Great Grandfather and family went to South Africa after the 1891 census and before the 1901. He was a letterpress compositor - Foreman! - too. Perhaps he saw the same ads!

The parents died out there and the children - now adults returned. I have never been able to find out anything about what happened to them out there.

I can check Canadian censuses if you like - though never had much success with my own family who also went there.

Trina

[Olde Crone Holden]

Thankyou for that, Trina, but I have no idea of Beatrice's married name! She was born in 1899, so wouldn't have married much before 1920, I shouldn't think.

I am wondering if some of the children DID come back to the UK, as I can remember my Gran talking about Nellie Whittaker in a way that suggested she was in UK rather than thousands of miles away. Why didn't I listen properly!

That's interesting too about printers. I didn't consider that he might have answered a recruitment drive, just thought he decided to up sticks and go. What a culture shock that must have been - mucky old Manchester to South Africa!

OC

[Mary from Italy]

The 1881 Canadian census is on familysearch.

Other censuses here:

Automated Genealogy

[Olde Crone Holden]

Thankyou Mary, a useful site which I have bookmarked for future use, but I am hampered by not knowing Beatrice's married name.

OC