Saturday 27 December 2008

ENJOY YOUR FAMILY

Good idea from Kimberley Powell, About.com Genealogy Guide [genealogy.guide@about.com]

Please remember this holiday to spend and enjoy time with your family.

Ask questions about their history.

Pull out old photo albums.

Take new photos.

Sing songs together.

Write down treasured family recipes.

Set up a video camera and record your conversations around the holiday table.

Please remember that family is what family history is all about.

Happy holidays to you and your families!

Thursday 25 December 2008

FESTIVE MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN

Dear friends,

Another year has sped close to it's end.

A year with mixed fortunes - some good progess but a shrinking membership. Very disturbing and will receive detailed attention in forthcoming committee meetings.

Wonderful progress in our library with a fantastic contribution by Celia Bayliss before she moved to Cape Town. And a promise of a further vast donation from the estate of Peter Smits who, regretably, passed away last year. And a greatly improved location - much more space and additional storage cabinets. Assistance from Graham Southey and Derek Rubidge to place stickers in the donated items and/or to capture items electronically so that this can eventually be made available to members.

Interesting subjests well handled by speakers at out monthly meetings but a regretably small attendance by members!

Finances are in good shape thanks mainly to good sales of our e-SAGI database. The assistance of Dennis Pretorius in this regard, must be emphasised. Despite hicups, the database has grown subtantially and, although the expected number of people contained will fail to meet the 2008 target of 450,000, the target of 500,000 before the GGSA AGM in Bloemfontein in March 2009, is achievable.

I thank each and every member of the committee for their loyalty and assistance as well as each branch member who contributed no matter how small the contribution. In particular, I thank Gerhard Marloth and Penny Evans for their willingness to join the team in 2009!

For 2009, my wish to all is a year of unexcelled growth, health and prosperety. May all your 'blank walls' have cracks enabling you to find your 'lost' ancestors, and may the year ahead, for the branch, show continued growth in not only membership but also activities and interesting projects to which our members can respond and help to build our branch to greater hights.

Should you have complaints/thoughts for improvement, please contact me - I welcome all and any correspondence.

Ek vertrou ons Afrikaanse vriende sal verstaan dat hierdie boodskap in Engels uitgestuur word om komunikasie te vergemaklik.

Best wishes and friendly greetings,

Lucas Rinken, chairman

Saturday 29 November 2008

"MENTORS" FOR MEMBERS CONSIDERED

Report from Lucas Rinken (left), chairman of the Gauteng Branch of the GSSA:

The branch committee today (Saturday, 29 November 2008) at length discussed the decline of the branch membership from 83 to 64 last year. It was more disturbing when Richard Ford (right), National Executive Member and editor of Familia, gave a report back of the NEC meeting in Cape Town on 22 November 2008 indicating that the national membership had risen.

Questions now asked are:
  • How can we attract more members?
  • How can we ensure that annual membership is renewed?
  • Are we providing our members with value for money in terms of monthly meetings/support?
I was particularly pleased when, in a discussion after our meeting, Danie Jacobs suggested that we should introduce a system of mentors for each member. So often members come to our meeting and do not hear what they hoped to hear. However, being new members, they don't ask questions and we never see them again. Others join up at events like Hobby-X and that's the last we see or hear of them.

If each new member could be assigned to a "mentor" in order to:
  • retain contact,
  • encourage them to attend meetings and
  • try to assist in genealogical matters,
it could be greatly beneficial to members and the branch.

Details would have to be worked out and members need to be carefully allocated to the right mentor. A structured system where experienced members take a maximum of five members under their wings is forseen. Such allocation will be based on common interests or whatever criteria will be considered.

Methods of assistance need to be worked out.

I look forward to comments and suggestions from members at your earliest convenience. E-mail me at lgrinken@iburst.co.za.
  • I am happy to announce that Gerard Marloth has agreed to join our committee next year as membership secretary.
  • Furthermore, Penny Evens (left) has agreed to join the committee to be a spokesman for beginners and to keep the committee focused on what members need.

BABY NAMES EXPLORER

  • Thomas took a serious dip in the 1960's, but recovered 30 years later.
  • David reached his peak in the 1960's. Nowadays he is not popular anymore.
  • Benjamin is rapidly losing steam.
  • Until the 1970's nobody knew of Chloe. Now she is the most popular.
  • Charlotte follows right behind.
These are some interesting facts about the history of names in New South Wales, Australia. In the latest newsletter of the electronic newsletter for family historians from the Society of Australian Genealogists most interesting information is given about "100 years of baby names".

The editors writes: "Not strictly a genealogy website but nevertheless one that may be of interest to researchers. Produced by the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages and The Powerhouse Museum, the Baby Names Explorer site is an interactive site allowing you to browse through more than a century of the top 1200 baby names in NSW.

“Enter all or part of a name in the name field and the graph adjusts to show the pattern of name usage over time. For example, entering the name 'Barbara' shows that the name reached its peak in the 1940s and was the 7th most popular girls name at that time. This site is a fun way to see whether your family naming patterns were typical of the time.”

Above: The rise and fall of the name "Robert" in NSW. (Please note: you cannot enter a name above. Click on "Baby Names Explorer" above. It takes a while to load.)

Keep in mind that these statistics related to only one territory -- New South Wales -- in Australia.

  • Interesting subject for someone to do research in South Africa. How many babies are still baptised these days as "Jacomina" or "Johanna" or "Jacobus"? When did "Mireille", "Zander" and "Edzard" occur for the first time?

Wednesday 26 November 2008

ELEKTRONIESE TELEFOONGIDS BRING VREUGDE

Die genealoog (of persoonsopspoorder) moenie Telkom se elekroniese telefoongids gering skat nie. Dis ‘n waardevolle hulpmiddel.

Gister het ‘n merkwaardige verhaal bekend geword toe Sandra (fiktiewe naam), ‘n vooraanstaande sakevrou in die Oos-Kaap, vertel het hoe dié gids haar gehelp het om haar aangenome dogter se biologiese ouers, na ‘n soektog van baie jare, op te spoor.

Agtien jaar gelede het sy en haar man die baba, Marlene (fiktiewe naam), aangeneem. ‘n Klompie jare het Sandra Marlene belowe dat sy haar regtige ouers opgespoor sal hê teen die tyd as sy haar 18de verjaardag vier.

Die soektog was jare lank aan die gang. Sandra het onlangs nog ‘n beroepsopspoorder groot geld betaal om te help. Sy het nog nie weer van hom gehoor nie.

Intussen het Marlene se 18de verjaardag nader gekruip.

Sandra het weer deur al haar dokumentasie gegaan om opnuut leidrade te probeer vind. Daar was ‘n adres – in ‘n ander provinsie -- op een of ander dokument. Toe sy op ‘n keer daar was, was daar niemand en die bure het vertel die mense wat daar woon se van* kom nie ooreen met die van waarna sy soek nie.

Heelwat later en ná nog baie navrae het Sandra Marlene se biologiese ma se nooiensvan nagespeur. Dit was al. G’n name, voorletters of adres nie.

Verlede week – enkele dae ná Marlene se 18de verjaardag -- was Sandra bra bedruk. Daai belofte aan Marlene …

Toe onthou sy dat iemand haar van die elektroniese telefoongids vertel het. Met wanhoop was sy voor haar rekenaar op die internet. Sy het Marlene se ma se nooiensvan op die elektroniese telefoongids ingetik. Daar was ‘n raps meer as 100 van hulle in die land.

Noukeurig het Sandra hulle een vir een deurgekyk -- nie dat sy gedink het sy sou iets van waarde vind nie. Dit was nog ‘n dag, nog ‘n metode, nog ‘n probeerslag. Ná enkele minute kon sy nie glo wat sy voor gesien het nie. Langs een van diegene op die lys voor haar, was die einste adres waar sy tevore gaan soek het.

Sy het sonder aarseling gebel. Dit was Marlene se een ouma (haar biologiese ma se ma). Daar was baie trane en baie vreugde.

En Marlene weet nou waar sy vandaan kom. Boonop is die groot ontmoeting dié naweek.

Die eenvoud van die saak is dat Sandra vroeër die verkeerde van* by die regte adres gesoek het. Met nog een brokkie inligting wat bygekom het, het die elektroniese telefoongids die geheim ontrafel. Bygesê: Sandra was geduldig en vasberade. Sy het nooit moed opgegee nie. Haar woord teenoor Marlene het sy nagekom.

* Die verkeerde van was toe al die tyd die pa s’n van wie die ma intussen geskei is.

Saturday 22 November 2008

MAANDVERGADERING: 29 NOVEMBER 2008

Datum: Saterdag, 29 November 2008

Tyd: 14:00 tot 16:00

Plek: NG Kerk, Ontdekkerskruin, Phillipslaan, Ontdekkers, Roodepoort
(padkaart onder)

Die aard van die byeenkoms sal 'n uitstalling wees met die klem op die boeke en pamflette in ons biblioteek. Dit sal lede die geleentheid bied om te sien wat ons het sodat hulle dit beter kan benut.


Toegang: R5,00 vir verversings.

ALMAL IS WELKOM.

KLIK OP DIE KAART OM DIT VERGROOT
(BRON: Mail and Guardian Online)

Saturday 15 November 2008

How to Create Your Own Genealogy Blog

Have you ever considered creating your own blog? A genealogy blog?

You may be thinking, "So, WHY do I need a genealogy blog?"

The short answer is:
  • So that other genealogy researchers can find your blog (set up around a SURNAME you are interested in).
  • The visitor to your blog finds something interesting on it that helps them.
  • They may contact you and SHARE information with you that can help further YOUR genealogy research.
Where does one start? How is it done?

There are various blogplatforms. This blog of the West Gauteng Branch of the GSSA is done on BLOGGER. It is owned by Google.

Click here and read how to go about.

WORDPRESS is also a popular platform for creating blogs.

Tuesday 4 November 2008

IMPRESSIVE SAG

Thought SAG stands for South African Genealogies?

Yes, but not only that. Click here and have a look.

"For the second year running the SAG has been among the prizewinners in the annual Website of the Year Awards run by the Federation of Family History Societies in the UK.

"Last year (2007) we received a Highly Commended award in the Overseas Society section.

"We were delighted to recently learn that we've been awarded 2nd overall in the same category for 2008."

Wednesday 29 October 2008

Dealing in Historical Documents

A scary report for South African genealogists to note:

What family historian wouldn't love to possess their great, great grandfather's original will or a centuries old family Bible? Such items are treasures for anyone with a love of history. But they are also a rich source of income for collectors, leading to our nation's history disappearing piece by piece into private hands.
  • In the summer of 2006, a former National Archives intern named Jim McTague stole 164 historical documents from NARA's Philadelphia facility, selling almost half of them on eBay.
  • Six years earlier, former National Archives employee, Shawn P. Aubitz, pilfered several hundred documents and photos over a period of months, including pardons signed by Presidents James Madison and Abraham Lincoln.
  • During a six-year period from 1996-2002, a Virginia amateur historian named Howard Harner repeatedly tucked Civil War papers into his clothes and smuggled them out of a National Archives research room.
  • In 2006, Western Washington University discovered that more than 600 pages of maps, lithographs, charts and illustrations had been torn from at least 102 vintage volumes.
  • Edward Forbes Smiley III, a Massachusetts dealer, was sentenced to 42 months in prison for stealing 98 rare maps from university libraries in the United States and United Kingdom between 1998 and 2005.
These and other thefts of historical documents are discussed in the excellent article To Catch a Thief which appeared in the April issue of Smithsonian Magazine. In response to such thefts, the National Archives has a program in place to help recover lost and stolen documents.

Read more at: About.com: Genealogy.

Saturday 18 October 2008

10 Ways to Celebrate Family History Month

October is regarded by many, especially in America, as "Family History Month". Many genealogists have adopted the month as their own. Who the person is who came up with this idea nobody knows, neither why October was chosen. However, whether you're new to genealogy, or have devoted a lifetime to it, here are some ways to craft and commemorate your past.

1. Get Started Tracing Your Family Tree;
2. Create a Family Cookbook;
3. Record Family Stories;
4. Uncover Your Family Health History;
5. Take a Trip Back in Time;
6. Scrapbook Your Family Heritage;
7. Start a Family Website or Blog;
8. Preserve Your Family Pictures;
9. Get the Next Generation Involved;
10. Craft a Heritage Gift.

Click HERE for the detail.

Sunday 12 October 2008

GRATIS HANDLEIDING VIR GENEALOGIESE NAVORSING

Daniël Jacobs skryf op SAGEN:

Die 2004-weergawe van my Handleiding vir Genealogiese Navorsing is al geruime tyd beskikbaar. Klik HIER om dit af te laai. Die grootte van die volledige handleiding was altyd ongeveer 24 MB. Sommige mense het probleme ondervind met die aflaai daarvan. Daar is nou 'n PDF-weergawe van 14MB beskikbaar vir aflaai. Ek glo die PDF-weergawe sal minder probleme gee met die aflaai. (Dit beslaan 189 bladsye met 94 aanhangsels -- altesame 389 bladsye.)

Daniël skryf onder meer in die handleiding:

  • Ek het ‘n BA Hons in Geskiedenis aan die US en die Nasionale Diploma in Argiefwetenskap aan die RSA Technikon verwerf. Ek doen reeds die afgelope 18 jaar genealogiese en historiese navorsing en was vir 3 jaar werksaam in die NGK-argief en vir 3 jaar in die Nasionale Argief in Kaapstad. Ek het ook in September 2004 ‘n boek oor die geskiedenis van die Vosloo-familie voltooi vir mnr. Ton Vosloo, die voorsitter van NASPERS. Sedert 1992 is die kursus reeds deur meer as 80 mense bygewoon.
  • Die doel met die kursus is om vir die kursusganger te leer hoe om familienavorsing te doen. Alhoewel groot dele van die kursus van waarde sal wees vir navorsing oor enige Suid-Afrikaanse bevolkingsgroep, word in die bespreking van bewaarplekke, bronne en die gevallestudie veral gefokus op die bronne en navorsingsmetodiek wat vir navorsing oor blanke Afrikaner-families van belang is.
  • Wat is die oorsprong van die kursus? Ek het dikwels in die Nasionale Argief, Kaapstad se leeskamer opgelet dat 'n persoon byvoorbeeld die oggend in die argief sou aankom, die hele dag daar vertoef en dan die volgende dag weer daar is. Met die aanknoop van 'n geselsie het ek dikwels vasgetel dat die persoon nog nooit in die argief was nie, ten spyte van 'n hele dag se navorsing, veel vordering gemaak het nie. As ons dan gesels oor waarna die persoon op soek was, kon ek dikwels, deur die gee van 'n paar leidrade, hom of haar help om wesentlik vordering te maak met sy of haar navorsing. Ek het toe mettertyd besef dat daar 'n behoefte is aan 'n praktiese kursus wat vir die navorser vertel wat hy moet doen vandat hy by die argief se deur instap totdat hy weer daar uitstap. Die materiaal is dus baie prakties.
  • Die argiewe en ander navorsingsinstellings bevat 'n onuitputlike bron van inligting. Daar word beweer dat geen groep oor sulke omvattende bronne m.b.t. sy voorgeslagte beskik as die blanke Afrikaner nie. Dit waarskynlik onder meer omdat feitlik alle blanke Afrikaners vir ongeveer die eerste 250 jaar aan die NG Kerk behoort het en die dokumente nie soos baie van die Europese dokumente in oorloë verwoes is nie.
Op 'n ander trant skryf Daniël dat Karel Schoeman nog 'n indeks van sy VOC-registers beskikbaar gestel vir aflaai. Klik HIER.

Friday 10 October 2008

MAANDVERGADERING: 18 OKTOBER 2008

Datum: Saterdag, 18 Oktober 2008

Tyd: 14:00 tot 16:00

Plek: NG Kerk, Ontdekkerskruin, Phillipslaan, Ontdekkers, Roodepoort
(padkaart onder)

Onderwerp: Die Ontwikkeling van 'n Elektroniese Genealogiese Dataabsasis van Burgerlike Sterftes Gedurende die Anglo-Boereoorlog: 1899 -- 1902

Aanbieder: Celesté Reynolds

Verkorte CV:
  • 1998 – 2001: Erfeniskoördineer van die Federasie van Afrikaanse Kultuurvereniginge (FAK). Een van haar take was die organisering van die 100-jarige herdenking van die Anglo-Boereoorlog. Dit is waar haar studie rakende die burgerlike sterftes gedurende die dié oorlog beslag het. Na deeglike ondersoek is tot die slotsom gekom dat daar slegs afsonderlike lyste is van die sterftes van vroue, kinders en bejaardes wat in die oorlog oorlede is en nie 'n gekonsolideerde lys nie.
  • 2007: Ná meer as vyf jaar se navorsing verwerf Celesté ‘n meestersgraad (met lof) aan die Noordwes-universiteit (NWU).
  • 2008: Aangestel as Argivaris by die NWU. Haar take sluit onder meer in die saamstel van inventarisse, die ontsluiting en beskikbaarstelling van inligting sowel as die langtermynbewaring van historiese dokumente asook die Universiteit se fotoversameling
  • Celesté dien op die bestuur van Erfenis Potchefstroom wat homself beywer vir die bewaring van ons kultuurerfenis. Sy is lid van Historia, SAMA, SAPCON en dien op die bestuur van die Noordwestak van die SA Genealogiese Genootskap. Sy is ook betrokke by die saamstel van die FAMNEA-publikasie.
  • Haar verhandeling is beskikbaar by die takbiblioteke van die NWU, insluitend die Vanderbiljpark- en Mafikengkampus. Die CD wat die databasis van name van oorlogslagoffers bevat, kan daar besigtig word.
  • Die Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns het vanjaar geld beskikbaar gestel vir die publisering van haar MA-verhandeling. Dit word selde vir ’n Meestersgraad oorweeg.
Toegang: R5,00 vir verversings.

KLIK OP DIE KAART OM DIT VERGROOT
(BRON: Mail and Guardian Online)

Sunday 5 October 2008

TV Personality a Genealogist

What does a radio and TV personality do in his free time? Especially if he is young, South African, controversial, a disc jockey of note and one of the judges of the TV show, IDOLS?

He researches his family history.

Why does he do it?

"Because it's the stuff you can't change: the way you look, sound, your talents or lack thereof, your genetic predisposition to run or fight, how clever or stupid you are, all the good stuff. So shouldn't you want to know what that stuff is?"

Read the story of Gareth Cliff here.

Sunday 28 September 2008

Die Sjinese Afrikaan

Johann Prozesky van Astonbaai laat weet: My broer vertel my pas die storie van 'n Sjinees met die naam Sem Ting wat so met die draai van die 19e na die 20e eeu na SA gekom het. Hy meld toe by die owerhede aan en net voor hom, in die ry mense, was ene Khumalo. Dié se saak is afgehandel en toe die klerk vir die Sjinees om sy naam vra, sê hy "Sem Ting". Hy is toe as Khumalo geregistreer.

Indien jy 'n Sjinese Khumalo sou raakloop, weet jy hoekom!

Thursday 25 September 2008

I Have The Results of My Genetic Genealogy Test, Now What?

Are you interested in genetic genealogy? DNA?

Blaine Bettinger is a leading genealogy DNA expert.

He is author of a blog titled: The Genetic Genealogist. Click here to visit the blog.

The site is also subtitled, Adding DNA to the Genealogist’s Toolbox.

Blaine wrote an e-book,
"I Have The Results of My Genetic Genealogy Test, Now What?"

The e-book is available free of charge at his website. Click here to download the e-book.

Sunday 21 September 2008

NUWE WEERGAWES VAN TWEE DATABASISSE

300 000 GRAFTE SE DATA

Die Begraafplaasprojek (Cemetery Recording Project) van die GGSA het ‘n wonderlike mylpaal behaal: teen die einde van September 2008 sal dié databasis gegewens oor nie minder nie as 300 000 grafte in Suid-Afrika bevat.

Dié aankondiging is Saterdag, 20 September 2008, deur Peter Moss (links) wat aan die stuur van die projek is, by ‘n vergadering van die Nasionale Uitvoerende Komitee (NUK) van die GGSA bekendgemaak.

Die Wes-Gautengtak was die gasheer van dié vergadering.

Volgens Peter sal die sewende weergawe van die projek by die GGSA se volgende Algemene Jaarvergadering in 2009 vrygestel word.

Die omvang daarvan is nou van so ‘n aard dat dit waarskynlik nie meer meer op ‘n CD sal pas nie. Gevolglik sal dit op ‘n DVD vrygestel word.

Die huidige sesde uitgawe bevat na raming 250 000 grafte se besonderhede (teenoor die 300 000 van aanstaande jaar se nuwe weergawe). Dit kan bestel word by André Heydenrych, nasionale tesourier van die GGSA. Sy epos-adres is: aheydenr@mweb.co.za. KLIK HIER as u nóú 'n epos aan André wil stuur.

Vir die oningeligtes: die Begraafplaasprojek behels die optekening van grafte van veral plase en kleiner dorpies in Suid-Afrika.

Bywerkings word deurentyd gedoen.

400 000 PERSONE SE DATA

‘n Tweede groot prestasie is die aankondiging van Lucas Rinken (links) dat elektroniese Suid-Afrikaanse Genealogiese Indeks (e-SAGI) se volgende weergawe 400 000 name sal bevat. Lucas is die man wat reeds jare lank aan dié databasis werk. Dit bevat data van feitlik al wat ‘n familie in Suid-Afrika is. Lucas is ook voorsitter van die Wes-Gautengtak.

Dié databasis is eweneens nou te groot vir ‘n CD. Dit sal op DVD teen R120 plus R10 posgeld beskikbaar wees.

Hierdie pryse is vir versending in Suid-Afrika. Versending na die buiteland sal groter posgeld meebring. Pryse moet met Dennis Pretorius bevestig moet word. Bestellings kan ook by Dennis geplaas word. Sy epos-adres is krugersdorp@pixie.co.za. KLIK HIER en stuur nóú 'n epos aan Dennis.

Die doel van die indeks is om aan navorsers 'n betroubare databasis te voorsien wat deurgaans opgedateer word. Data word van 'n menigte bronne ingesamel en by bestaande data gevoeg. Lucas maak nie daarop aanspraak dat die data volledig en korrek is nie. Dit is nietemin 'n uitstekende bron vir diegene wat op soek is na vertrekpunte om familie te vind.

Die databasis bevat sowat 144 000 families en sluit altesame 25 500 vanne in. Sommige vanne is egter gedupliseer as gevolg van verskillende spellings. As voorbeeld noem Lucas dat daar De Wet en de Wet is. Vir die rekenaar is dit twee verskillende spellings. Een van sy take is juis om al die data te standaardiseer.

Een van die groot voordele van eSAGI is dat die data op 'n moderne rekenaarprogram (Legacy) geplaas is. Dit bring mee dat familieverbintenisse tussen mense met verskillende vanne geïdentifiseer word. Anders gestel: met die koppelings wat Lucas tussen families (met die rekenaar) maak, "ontdek" die rekenaar nog meer koppelings wat 'n mens andersins moontlik nooit van sou geweet het nie.

Vergelyk dit met boeke wat stamregisters weergee. Boeke bevat hoofsaaklik die name en data van mense met 'n spesifieke familienaam (van) asook die persone met wie hulle getroud was. Soms word die ouers van laasgenoemde (m.a.w die skoonouers), genoem. Daar hou dit op.

Met eSAGI word al die ooreenstemmende name van baie verskillende stamregisters gekoppel.
  • 'n Persoon se stamregister word dus aan die stamregisters van sy skoonouers gekoppel.
  • Vir dieselfde persoon se kinders beteken dit dat hul stamregister aan hul oupas en oumas aan hul ma se kant gekoppel word.
Sodoende kan 'n mens 'n baie meer uitgebreide familie ontdek -- en sodoende daardie voorouer of ander familie vind waarna al so lank gesoek word.

Lucas bestee daagliks baie ure aan dié projek. Die opbrengs uit verkope gaan aan die Wes-Gautentgtak van die GGSA.
  • Hierdie twee databasisse is van groot waarde. Menige genealoog het met inligting wat hierdeur bekom is, hul voorsate en waardevolle inligting gevind.

Thursday 18 September 2008

MONTHLY MEETING: 20 SEPTEMBER 2008

Date: Saturday, 20 SEPTEMBER 2008;

Time: 14:00 to 16:00;

Place: Dutch Reformed Church (NG Kerk), Ontdekkerskruin, Phillips Avenue, Discovery, Roodepoort (Map below);

Subject: The History and Research at Braamfontein Cemetery;

Presenter: Alan Buff, Regional Manager, Parks and Cemeteries, Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Council.

Short CV:

Alan has the training portfolio at the Johannesburg Parks Department. He trained in the United Kingdom, specialising in Cemeteries. He has been responsible for the design of a number of our newer cemeteries and is an advocate of changing the concept of burial grounds as places for the dead to places for the living.

Entrance Fee: R5,00 for refreshments.


CLICK ON THE MAP TO ENLARGE
(SOURCE: Mail and Guardian Online)

Saturday 13 September 2008

34 PUBLICATIONS TRANSFORMED INTO 5 CD's

Last month we reported about Celia Baylis who did her genealogy manually, ending up with 34 publications.

Bob Saunders, vice-chairman of the West Gauteng Branch, transformed this into five CD’s. Here he tells how he did it.

Click HERE to view the previous report.

My collaboration with Celia, demonstrates that, no matter how insignificant you view your own efforts, it is still very important. Vital facts and personal histories are lost (possibly forever) every time one of us or our family passes from this world without those facts being recorded and stored in a suitable repository, whether it be in the form of a journal to another family member, or as a slightly more “official document” presented to the society for safe-keeping.

If you believe that your work is that insignificant that it cannot stand as a publication on its own, and is therefore not worth donating -- please think again. Those of us old enough to have learnt the three r's at school, notably reading, (w)riting and (a)rithmetic, will recall having to study poetry and learn said poems parrot-fashion. These poems were always in an anthology -- a collection of poems by numerous poets.

We could do the same with smaller works and create compendiums of these donated works, properly indexed. Thereby two important objectives are achieved:

• collecting important facts pertaining to families and
• preserving them for future generations.

The reality of “official” archive material disappearing forever is not that far-fetched. Besides gross insensitivity and ignorance, blatant disregard or disaster (fire, flood, earthquake, war), the greatest tragedy would be for a vital clue to be lost due to complacency by any one of us, here and now.

I appeal to you not to underestimate the value of your personal knowledge of your own family to future generations possibly seeking that vital link, in much the same way you have found yourself frustrated in your own pursuit of familial links.

Our blogmaster has asked me to report on the collaboration between Celia and myself.

Celia had produced 34 publications on her greater family. I (amongst others) was instantly impressed with the volume and quality of work, and immediately identified the value of it to future generations of those families. I realised what a remarkable contribution to the branch this collection would be. Added to that was Celia’s desire to see her works in an electronic format that could possibly appeal to the younger set, and be that much easier to distribute within the family. Add to this my knowledge of and access to technology that could achieve Celia’s dream and simultaneously secure this great work for our own branch collection, and you end up with an offer that cannot be refused and a challenge to achieve that goal.

For Celia, it was a relatively simple task: hand over the completed works, and finalise those that were still in production.
For me, the task was to master the technology and faithfully reproduce her works in the shortest possible time, as she was packing up home to move to the Cape. I am happy and proud of the fact that we both achieved our goal albeit in the nick of time.

In toto, I spent six weeks labouring on the copying (about six booklets a week = 1 booklet a day) scanning, collating and editing.

After the first six books were done, there was an experimental production of a disc to assess whether or not I was on the right track, and whether my methods were accurately reproducing the originals. It would also serve to propose the presentation, i.e. disc content and labeling, and cover “artwork”. This trial run turned out rather well, as Celia was most impressed with what I had achieved and couldn't find any mistakes or omissions.

There were however a few technical. I had compiled a couple of the booklets where some larger inserted items interfered with the flow of the document. When Celia highlighted this problem, I consulted with some more knowledgeable colleagues and a solution was found. I, on the other hand, could also see room for improvement and the need to restructure the works in a more logical and chronological fashion.

A second meeting with Celia ensued and the improved disc was presented as a “final draft”. We finalised the composition of each disc chronologically within each family group with a rough chronology of the actual production of the series. With less than a week to go, the last two books were received for reproduction and inclusion in the set, and the final production of the artwork was finalised and reproduced.

Then followed the cutting of two full sets (one for Celia and one for the branch) and 10 family specific sets for Celia to distribute as gifts to the families concerned -- a magnanimous gesture in my opinion. This was a total of 36 discs to be cut. A process which took 15 hours alone and caused me to miss the original (convenient) deadline, as I had grossly underestimated the time I would need to do this. Celia was sufficiently gracious to take this minor disappointment in her stride, and meet me the next day (on her way to dish out the first of her gifts), to collect the entire order.

I am sure she was a worried lady as I received a call as I was making final preparations to leave home for our rendezvous, to say she had arrived at the meeting place early. This was the last thing I wanted to happen, my “client” arriving before me. Anyway, I still arrived late because I also underestimated the traffic on Witkoppen road on a Sunday morning -- could it get worse? Well, fortunately it didn't. I had all the goods, and was finally able to hand over the discs and the last two books that I had copied, plus two others that had to be recopied as I had misfiled the original scans first time round. Celia was suitably impressed and obviously relieved that I had not misled her. So all was well that ended well, and off we went in opposite directions to enjoy Sunday lunch with our respective loved ones.

The 34 volumes translated into 4 833 pages to be copied -- thank heavens for technology and access to it. The only difficult task was to scan in documents larger than A4, as these had then to be patched together afterwards from a number of A4 parts. Thank heavens too for sophisticated software that literally did this seamlessly -- pun intended. Software also took care of a few printing errors, such as an upside-down page, and deleting a couple of duplications spotted after the scanning was complete. The set is called The Celia Bayliss Publications and each disc is simply numbered 1 through 5 and contains logical groupings of Celia’s works primarily by family.

In the final analysis, Celia had achieved her dream of having an electronic version of her works, I had been privileged to help her realize this dream and be party to the final “product”. The branch has seen yet another contribution to the collection of personal works initiated by Japie Bosch and augmented by Lucas.

I believe I have scored the most out of the deal, as I learnt to operate two new computer programmes in the process, have my own copies of these marvelous works, and last but by no means least, I have gained a new friend. What a bonus from a self-imposed challenge.

I urge you to take a look at the set, borrow a disc or all five, and just browse through them. They will give you many ideas as to how you could present your own collection of history and fact, and perhaps inspire you to finish off some project you may have started years ago and just never finished. Don't be daunted by the size of Celia’s project. It is not how much you can present or complete, but how much you save from being lost to future generations by adding what you have as part of a greater collection.

Monday 8 September 2008

SAG-CD's IN 2009 BESKIKBAAR

  • Suid-Afrikaans Geslagregisters (SAG) se volume 17 (die laaste vanne tot Z) behoort teen November 2008 te verskyn;
  • Die vrystelling van SAG-CD's sal hopelik in die eerste helfte van 2009 realiseer.
Hierdie goeie nuus het prof Christo Viljoen, onder-voorsitter van beheerraad van die Genealogies Instituut van Suid-Afrika (GISA), gisteraand aan die Wes-Gautengtak bekendgemaak.

Hy was genader na aanleiding van 'n berig wat hy op 28 Augustus 2008 op SAGEN geplaas oor die omvattende werk aan SAG waarmee GISA tans besig is. Daarin het hy 'n perspektief oor SAG uiteengesit.

Prof Viljoen het hy soos volg geskryf:

"Wanneer die laaste volume van SAG is, is die reeks vanaf A tot Z voltooi. Dit is 'n mylpaal wat geen ander land nog op die gebied van die genealogie bereik het nie.

"Die eerste vier volumes van SAG (dws vanaf vanne A tot K) is nie deur GISA uitgegee nie, maar deur die Raad op Geestelikwetenskaplike Navorsing (RGN) in Pretoria voltooi, met wyle dr JA Heese as redakteur.

"Nadat die RGN sy Afdeling Genealogie gesluit het, is GISA tien jaar gelede gestig en het dit vanaf volume 5 (L - M) aan die SAG reeks voortgewerk.

"Dr Heese se oorspronklike doelwit was bloot om die bloedsamestelling (afkoms) van die Afrikaners vas te stel. Vir daardie doel het hy net belang gehad by die eerste tweehonderd jaar ná die volksplanting. Dit is waarom hy van die kerkrekords gebruik gemaak het en die reeks in 1850 afgesluit is. Die uiteindelike uitgee van die SAG reeks was 'n uitvloeisel van sy oorspronklike oogmerk
.
Vóór die rekenaar

"In die dae voor die rekenaar was alles eers noukeurig op indekskaartjies aangeteken en vandaar per hand in geslagregisters gegiet -- voorwaar 'n monumentale taak wat jare in beslag geneem het. Ek het oneindig baie waardering vir wat wyle dr Heese vermag het met dit tot sy beskikking.

"Dit moet onthou word dat die eerste vier volumes van SAG byna uitsluitlik uit die handgeskrewe Heese-manuskripte saamgestel is -- natuurlik ook met uitsonderings. Wyle dr Heese het buiten De Villiers & Pama se drie dele hoofsaaklik gebruik gemaak van die Kaapse NG Kerk rekords, dws dope en huwelike tot om-en-by 1850 (wat saamval met die Groot Trek). Dit verklaar ook waarom daar so min sterfdatums in die eerste vier dele voorkom.
Hersiening
"GISA se beheerkomitee het besluit dat, sodra die SAG reeks voltooi is, daar met die hersiening van die reeks begin sal word, ook met die oog op die eventuele beskikbaarstelling daarvan via elektroniese middele. Die afsnydatum sal ook later wees as die aanvanklike 1850, dws tot vroeg in die 20st eeu -- ongeveer 1930. Die aanvoorwerk met die hersiening is reeds aan die gang met SAG-1, dws vanne wat met "A", "B" en "C" begin.


891 bladsye se B-vanne

"Die werk is nog lank nie klaar nie. Een voorbeeld illustreer die aansienlike uitgebreidheid van die hersiene reeks: einde Julie vanjaar (toe die De Beer inligting nog nie afgehandel was nie) het die "B"-vanne tot by Bosman 'n allemintige 891 bladsye beslaan. Vergelyk hierdie omvang met die oorspronklike totaal van 428 bladsye met "B"-vanne in SAG vol. 1.

A-vanne
"Die bygewerkte "A"-vanne op GISA se databasis staan nou reeds by nagenoeg 250 bladsye (en word nog daagliks bygewerk tot 1930 en aangevul met bydraes uit die publiek en ander ongepubliseerde bronne).

C-vanne
"Die "C"-vanne het in SAG volume 1 uit 168 bladsye bestaan. Die bygewerkte databasis van "C"-vanne staan reeds op 795 bladsye en nog is dit die einde nie.

Geen Winsoogmerk
"GISA is 'n nie-winsgedrewe organisasie en ontvang geen subsidies of staatsteun nie. Ek hoop dat hierdie inligting 'n beter perspektief sal gee op die goeie werk wat met min personeel en fondse vermag word."

Sunday 7 September 2008

KONSENTRASIEKAMPE: 1900-1902:

Johan Pottas van die Vrystaattak het verlede maand op Rootsweb South Africa en Buitenposten soos volg berig:

Ons het by ons maandbyeenkoms (in Augustus 2008) vir Elria Wessels van die ABO-projek by ons gehad en het sy amptelik aan ons tak die volgende webwerf bekend gestel:


Die inleiding tot die webtuiste lees soos volg:

The 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. This database was designed to investigate mortality and morbidity in the camps during the war.

Although it includes everyone listed in the registers during the war, it usually excludes returning prisoners-of-war and men who came back from commando at the end of the war, as well as the considerable movement of people which took place after 31 May 1902, when families were repatriated to their homes.


Johan skryf voorts: "Dit is 'n databasis met al die kampe nie net die Vrystaatse kampe nie. Daar is selfs ook inligting oor die Kroonstad kamp se inwoners, wat hulle uit ander bronne kon opspoor, aangesien die "oorspronklike" kampregister nie by die VAB ooit uitgekom het nie. Niemand weet wat daarvan geword het nie".

Die projek het onder leiding gestaan van Elizabeth van Heyningen. Haar besonderhede is:

epos: evh1@iafrica.com

Posadres:

Boer Concentration Camp Project, University of Cape Town, Private Bag, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7700 South Africa.

Sunday 31 August 2008

INTERESSANTHEDE UIT DIE e-SAGI (14)

“Lady of Mystery”

Deur Lucas Rinken

Met die skoonmaak van vanne in ons databasis kom ek af op “GURNEY (Born GORDON). Ek vervies my dadelik. Ons werk tog nie met vroue se getroude vanne nie. As sy vroeër met ‘n GORDON getroud was, toon hom dan as ‘n aparte persoon en gee haar geboortevan aan. En ek roep die persoon op om dit reg te stel.

Daar vind ek toe die interessante storie. Sy was aangeneem. Maar hoekom? Lees ‘n mens verder, wonder jy of “Bloubloed” sonder ‘n trouformulier hier betrokke was.

Blykbaar het ene Jan van der Merwe oor haar geskryf. In opvolging het die volgende artikel in Familia XX/1983 Nr. 3 verskyn. (Woordeliks aangehaal uit die notas.)

In a former number of this journal (XVI/2) Mr Jan van der Merwe gave some account of a lady named Beatrice Gurney, apparently from information obtained from a descendant. His intention seems to have been to entertain our readers with a light-hearted piece which it certainly did and evidently did not involve any research in depth. As the subject is of some interest it seems worthwhile to explore it more fully and to correct a few seemingly wrong suppositions in the former article. As far as possible I reproduce verbatim parts of it which are relevant to the present study.

Mr Van der Merwe writes of Sir Walter Gurney's 'alleged adoption of a five-year old girl named Beatrice shortly before his emigration to the Cape'. This girl, according to a descendant, was the illegitimate child of Queen Victoria's daughter Beatrice and of General Charles Gordon of Khartoum fame. He says that the couple had taken a liking to each other in the late eighteen-seventies shortly before the general's departure on his last expedition. The child was 'dumped' with full grand-parental authority (that is, the authority of Queen Victoria) on Walter Gurney shortly before he left for the Cape.

The author goes on to say that Walter was a kinsman of the Gurneys of Earlham whose estate neighboured closely upon the Prince of Wales' home at Sandringham. In the region of 1875 Prince Louis of Battenberg embarked upon an affair with Mrs Lillie Langtry who in due course had a child. The infant is said to have been born at Sandringham (though whether born to the Princess or to Mrs Langtry is not clear from the article) and baptised there in about April I87i as the child of Battenberg and Langtry. She was named Beatrice after her godmother and Gordon was the godfather. Mr van der Merwe adds that Mrs Langtry was latcr taken over by the Prince of Wales and is said to have had a child by him also.

The whole story seemed so extraordinary that I wrote to its author and later to Miss Rosemary Wilhelmi (who was thought by hcr mother to have provided the information) to ask if there was any supporting evidence. Such might include a Sandringham baptismal certificate, documents or letters from any of the four possible parents, photographs of Beatrice which showed any likeness to them, gifts from them, and so on. I did not receive any reply from Mr van der Merwe but I did have kindly replies from Mrs Wilhelmi, in which she made no claims to her mother's romantic birth and could give only one reference to General Gordon (which I will discuss later), and from Miss Wilhelmi. The latter planned to consult cousins in England but I heard no more: either they did not reply or they could give no further information. In default, therefore, of any corroborating evidence I must confess that the legend does seem to have a good many weak points.

The Princess and the General Princess Beatrice would have been 18 years old in 1875 and Gordon no less than 52. rather a wide age gap for lovers. And Queen Victoria kept a very strict watch on all her daughters (none of whom is known to have had extramarital affairs) and most of all on Beatrice whom she hardly let out of her sight. The Queen disapproved of the loose morals of the Prince of Wales and would seldom have al10wed the Princess to stay at Sandringham. If Beatrice did manage to have an affair with Gordon there were plenty of people at court who would soon have informed the Queen. I have consulted a number of biographies of Gordon and these do not show that the couple ever met. Nor do they show that the earnest and religious Gordon was a friend of the Prince of Wales or that he ever visited the raffish menage at Sandringham. And he left England for the last time, not in the late 1870s as has been suggested above but in 1884. It is even more unlikely that Beatrice was having a liaison with him then as she was by that date engaged to Prince Louis of Battenberg's brother Prince Henry, whom she married in the following year.

The Gurneys -Mr van der Merwe writes that Walter Gurney 'was a kinsman of the Gurneys of Earlham whose property neighboured closely' on Sandringham. In her book Friends and Relations (London, 1980) Verily Anderson gives a family tree with a great many Gurneys on it but none of Walter's family, so these can have been only very distant relatives of the Gurneys of Earlham. (They may be listed in David Gurney's Record of the House ofGournay (sic) (London, 18481858) but I have been unable to trace a copy of this work.) The Earlham family were of the wealthy landed class and unlikely to have had any contacts with Walter's family who were middle-class professional people in London. Moreover, the Earlham Gurneys were an extremely religious set who would have had nothing to do with the riotous folk at Sandringham. And, finally, so far from Earlham Hall 'closely neighbouring' Sandringham, it was some 45 miles away, a considerable distance in days when roads were rough and there were no cars. So the selection of Walter to adopt the child baptised at Sandringham can have been in no way through the Gurneys of Earlham.

Prince Louis and Lillie Langtry Before discussing the affair of Prince Louis and Lillie Langtry a further combination of parents can be disposed of, namely Louis and Beatrice, who were in fact in love early in 1878 and hoped to marry. But the Queen forbade the marriage and her vigilance would certainly have prevented any affair.

Could Beatrice Gurney have been the issue of Mrs Langtry and either Prince Louis or the Prince of Wales, for whom Louis could have been covering up? In her autobiography Lillie Langtry mentioned no children at all. The authors of several books on her say that she never had more than one child and this has been confirmed to me by the editors of both Burke and Debrett. Prince Louis began an affair with her in about January 1879 when he found he had no chance of marrying Princess Beatrice and Mrs Langtry gave birth to a daugh ter on 8 March 1881. The place of birth is not known but Paris or Biarritz (a favourite resort of the Prince of Wales and his set, which included Prince Louis) or Jersey (Lillie's home island) have been suggested. Normally British subjects whose children are born abroad register them at Somerset House but this birth was never recorded there. Itis said that Lillie and Prince Louis wanted to marry but the Prince of Wales would not release her. Mr Van der Merwe says that she was taken over by Wales'. But in fact she had been his mistress for several years and when her affair with Prince Louis was over she simply returned to Wales. And she was apparently still associating with him during her liaison with Louis. This is borne out by the story she used to tell of an intimate dinner party the three of them had at Newmarket. They discussed in light-hearted vein which of the men was the father of her daughter and tossed a coin. Louis won the toss and was declared the father.

The only known child of Lillie Langtry was given the names of Jeanne Marie but was later always known as Jean. She lived with Lillie and her husband Colonel Langtry and was considered to be her daughter. Her story is very well documented and she cannot in any way be confused with Beatrice Gurney. And neither she nor Beatrice can have been baptised at Sandringham in 1877 as the present vicar informs me that there is not a single entry for that year in his register of baptisms.

The adoption of Beatrice Gurney -Beatrice was described as of full age when she married in 1900, which means that she was born not later than 1879. And the gentleman who administered her estate told me that she was 85 when she died in February 1963, which would put her birth in 1877 or early 1878. Mr van der Merwe says that she was adopted by Walter Gurney at the age of five. He was 'shortly to depart for the Cape' and would presumably have taken her with him. Butin fact Walter came out in 1880 when Beatrice would have been only about two. He was himself only 27 years old and apparently unmarried. It is unlikely that the child's mother would have handed her over at such a tender age to a young bachelor who had no means of looking after her and was about to leave for a distant country where he had not yet secured any employment. Adoption, moreover, is a legal process and the British authorities would surely never have sanctioned such an adoption.

Walter Gurney married a lady named Sarah Elizabeth Grunow at St Andrew's Church in London. I could not trace the date of the marriage but would suggest -and this is no more than a guess that it was in about 1882, which would be two years or so after he had obtained secure employment in Cape Town. Mrs Wilhelmi told me that Beatrice was sent out alone on a ship to Cape Town for adoption when she was five and this again suggests a date around 1882. Mrs Wilhelmi never heard her mother refer to her parentage. She did, however, add one fact which might connect Beatrice with General Gordon though not with Princess Beatrice. The girl travelled to England at the age of 14 and a fellow passenger gave her an embroidered purse with Gordon on it and was told that was her father's name. But, even if correct, this statement takes us no further than the possibility that her father was a man with the surname or possibly only the first name of Gordon.

Beatrice grown up--The facts of Beatrice's adult life, at any rate, are well established. She was, for instance, an accomplished musician who served as organist in the Anglican churches of Wynberg and Bout Bay and played the piano at concerts. lIer adoptive father had bought a cottage at Hout Bay and, as this village was in the parish of Constantia, she was married in Christ Church, Constantia, on 18 October 1900. The rector Frederick Bullen Moore conducted the ceremony and entered it as No 219 in his register. The witnesses who signed the register were Walter Gurney and his wife, a Mr Sidney Stephen and the rector's wife Evelyn Moore.

The bridegroom was Anthony Francis Gurney who seems likely to have been a distant cousin. Details of his family and himself are given in Burke's Landed Gentry. He was the second son of Sir Somerville Arthur Gurney of North Runcton Hall. This estate lay only a few miles west of Sandringham and its owners may well have been in the royal set there but there is nothing to show that they had anything more to do with organising the adoption of Beatrice than the Earlham Gurneys did. Anthony was born on 5 August 1864 and at the time of his marriage was in command of H.M.S. Widgeon at Simon's Town. He died at Lyndhurst in Hampshire on 30 August 1909, leaving a son and two daughters. The son spent most of his life in England while the daughters lived with their mother in this country where they both married.

Beatrice in later life -Beatrice evidently thought the name Gordon was in some way relevant to her for she published a book under the pen name of Beatrice Gordon. This was a collection of poems which A. II. Stockwell brought out in London in 1919. The volume was priced at 2J6d and contained 34 poems, one addressed to each of her three children but none with any South African relevance. A copy entered the South African Library on 18 August 1919. It is unlikely that the library ordered a copy of this unknown author's work as soon as it came out. This copy was probably presented by Walter Gurney and it was probably he who wrote the explanatory word Gurney in pencil under the name Gordon on the title page. There is also a copy in the British Library, indexed under Gordon.

Beatrice remarried on 7June 1932, her second husband being Leonard Clarence Brandreth Hughes of The Landing, Belvidere, Knysna. Hughes was later a tobacco farmer in Rhodesia and died in 1951. Beatrice's final union was with George Arthur Ward of the British South Africa Police in Umtali. Ward died in 1960 and Beatrice herself in Stutterheim on 25 February 1963.

Walter Gurney retired as Controller and Auditor-General of the Union of South Africa and was knighted on 18 February in the next year. He died on 7 January 1924, leaving his papers to a brother whose son William Brodie Gurney died in 1981, after which the papers were presented to the Hout Bay Museum. Although they are quite extensive they shed no light at all on the origins of Beatrice Gurney.

R.R. Langham-Carter

Nou wonder ‘n mens: wat is die werklike feite. Sy bly ‘n “Lady of Mystery”

Thursday 28 August 2008

How To Clean Inside Your Computer

Question: I was wondering if you can use a vacuum to clean the inside of your computer tower. If not, what should you use to clean the inside of the computer tower?

Answer
: It is not a good idea to use a vacuum cleaner on the inside of your computer, the static electricity generated by the vacuum can cause damage to the delicate components inside your computer.

Instead, get a can of compressed air and blow the dust off the computer components.

If your computer is really dusty, take it out on the porch to blow the dust out. Have the vacuum cleaner ready to clean up the dust once it is outside your computer case.

Monday 25 August 2008

DIE REGTE WYSE VAN DATUMS SKRYF

Op SAGEN het die volgende onlangs verskyn:

Petrus Schoeman: Ek het deesdae 'n probleem met die skryfwyse van die datum. Vergelyk die Amerikaanse wyse met ander skryfwyses van datums. Waar 'n klompie datums op dieselfde bladsy gelys word, is dit nie moeilik om dit te ontsyfer nie, maar wel as ‘n enkele datum verskyn? (Is “08.11.2008” 8 November of is dit 11 Augustus?)

Paul Bosman: Dis presies om hierdie rede dat ek oral in my skrywes, databasis, webwerf ens. die datums soos volg aandui: 8 Jan 2008, 13 Feb 1899, ens. Ek gebruik die Afrikaanse weergawe van Legacy en die maande is afgekort na Mar, Apr, Mei Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Okt, Nov en Des. Op 3 na geld almal ook in Engels. Dis my persoonlike voorkeur.

Johan Ahlers: Vanweë die (moontlike) verwarring met datums het die Internasionale Standaarde Organisasie reeds 'n geruime tyd gelede ISO8601 gepubliseer om datums te "standaardiseer".


In hierdie internasionale standaardvorm sal
17 Augustus 2008,
soos volg geskryf word:

2008-08-17.

Die jammerte is dat min mense hulle inderdaad aan hierdie internasionale standaard steur en elkeen gebruik maar sy eie voorkeur. Maar daar IS 'n standaard en dit maak SIN.

Johan verskaf ook die die onderstaande webtuistes vir meer besonderhede. Klik daarop.

Wikipedia: International standard for date and time en

A summary of the international standard date and time notation.

Sunday 24 August 2008

AN (AUSSIE) TECHNOLOGICAL MASTERPIECE FOR HISTORIANS

Bobby Nilsson, an Australian living in Cape Town,
posted the following on Rootsweb South Africa:

"Aussie newspapers are being put online. Although its at an early stage, there are already stacks of references to South Africa. "

Click HERE, register (free) and experience an outstanding example of technological aid for the historian and genealogist.

Bobby subsequently forwarded the following to us:

As of 31 July 2008 1.4 million pages for the Australian Newspapers Digitisation program had been scanned, covering the following:

Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser 1843 - 1893
Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser 1803 - 1842
The Sydney Morning Herald 1846 - 1954
The Argus 1848 - 1945
The Melbourne Argus 1846 - 1848
The Courier-Mail 1933 - 1934
The Brisbane Courier 1864 - 1899
The Courier (Brisbane, Qld.) 1861 - 1864
The Moreton Bay Courier 1846 - 1861
The Canberra Times 1926 - 1954
The Perth Gazette and West Australian Journal 1833 - 1847
The Perth Gazette and Independent Journal of Politics and News 1848 - 1864
West Australian Times 1863 - 1864
The Perth Gazette and West Australian Times 1864 - 1874
Western Australian Times 1874 - 1879
West Australian 1879 - 1900
The South Australian Advertiser 1858 - 1861
The Advertiser 1901 - 1919
Colonial Times 1828 - 1857
Colonial Times and Tasmanian Advertiser 1825 - 1827
Hobart Town Gazette 1825 - 1827
Hobart Town Gazette and Van Diemen's Land Advertiser 1821 - 1825
The Hobart Town Gazette and Southern Reporter 1816 - 1821
The Hobarton Mercury 1854 - 1857
The Hobart Town Mercury 1857 - 1857
Hobart Town Daily Mercury 1858 - 1859
The Mercury 1860 - 1920
The Courier (Hobart, Tas.) 1840 - 1859
The Hobart Town Courier and Van Diemen's Land Gazette 1839 - 1840
The Hobart Town Courier 1827 - 1839
Northern Territory Times and Gazette 1873 - 1927
Northern Territory Times 1927 - 1932.

Wednesday 20 August 2008

DAAI GOUE, GOUE REËL

  • Johan Pottas van die Rekenaarsentrum, Universiteit van die Vrystaat het onlangs op 'n paar poslyste geskryf:
Net om julle almal weer te daaraan te herinner dat 'n mens amper nooit genoeg rugsteun kopieë kan hê nie. Ek het gisteraand my eksterne hardeskyf verloor. Dit het uitgebrand.

Ek was besig om 'n rugsteun van sowat 4 000 foto's wat ek die dag op hom afgelaai het, te maak toe dit besluit genoeg is genoeg.


Die enigste probleem is dat die foto's net op dié skyf was toe ek besig was om dit te rugsteun toe dit oppak. Ek hoop nou dat die tegniese ouens die data kan herwin anders is ek sowat 'n week se harde werk van foto's neem verlore. Dan sal ek alles weer moet oordoen.


Dus, probeer om altyd 'n rugsteun kopie so gou moontlik te doen van enige belangrike of tydsame werk wat jy berg.

It took one sentence to send a shiver down my spine: "The book she was writing was lost in the fire."

The lady, who had lost everything when a forest fire consumed her home, would have to start writing the first draft again. Then I asked myself, was I prepared if my home was destroyed by fire, flood or other disaster?

Unfortunately, the answer was no. The important information on my computer was backed-up on CD's, but those were stored by my desk. If the house goes, so do they. All the genealogy information gathered in the past 25 years would be gone. Family members have pieces of my family tree, but the most complete up-to-date copy can only be found at one location: my home.

No one can predict when disaster strikes, but we can prepare ourselves just in case. I thought I was prepared, but in reality, I am only prepared if the computer crashes. When I realized this, ideas of how I could become 'loss of home' prepared, began rolling through my mind.

  • I thought about storing the information in a 'storage bank' on the Internet. I could post the information on a public website or I could create a personal website where access was limited with passwords. This might work for some individuals, but I didn't want personal information on those still living posted to the Internet. Also, it would take time to create the pages. This was not something that everyone wanted to do nor could do. My second idea was better.
  • The first step was to create an up-to-date copy of my family tree on CD. I would only need two, one for data files and another for digital images of old photographs and documents. Another option was to store the information on a memory stick.Once the files were backed up, I needed a place outside the home to store them.
  • My first thought was with a family member. Then I re-evaluate this idea. Everyone does not value genealogy information as much as I do, so I wondered about the CD's getting misplaced or thrown out (by mistake, of course).The other downside was if I updated the files every six months, I would need to retrieve the original CD and store the new one. Again, this might be fine for some, but if that family member lived a great distance, it might be a hassle. The more convenient, the more likely I would take the time to update the original material.
  • Then I thought about a safety deposit box. Even the smallest ones are large enough for CD's and memory sticks. There were several advantages to this plan. Not only would the material be in a safe place and never get lost, it would be in a nearby location I frequently visited anyway. Furthermore, if something happened to me, the contents of the safety deposit box would be given to my heir.

No one wants to imagine the loss of their home, but being prepared makes such a loss more bearable.

Where is your genealogy?

In the basement in card board boxes? In the garage in card board boxes? Or loose papers on shelves or stuffed into the drawers of discarded bureaus and chests? Or lying in old trunks stacked in the corner of the utility shed?

On your computer hard drive? Or stored on discontinued and obsolete floppies?

Organized and tidy on the shelves and in file cabinets in your genealogy room or corner?

This is a wake-up call for us all.

If your genealogy is digital, purchase a handful of memory sticks. Transfer multiple copies of your files to them. Send them to your family members. Different towns, different venues in those towns. And if you are a woman, whose surname changes each time you marry, be sure at least one copy goes to a male of your ancestral surname – who can be tracked.

If your genealogy is online. Circulate pin and password to family members, so your hard work can be retrieved. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get access to password-protected data? Takes weeks of documentation that you have a right to access the stuff. If you are gone, your work may be locked up tight!

If your genealogy is still in paper files, copy them. And send a copy somewhere else where it will not be subject to the same risks your originals are.

Sunday 17 August 2008

Google Earth: An Excellent Tool in Genealogy Research

Google Earth can be an amazing online tool to assist in our genealogy research.

Today, with high gas prices and rising air fares, it is difficult for many genealogy enthusiasts to make trips to the homes of their ancestors.

But now, we can take a virtual trip, and gain a new perspective into the location and landscape of far away places, which may hold keys to our history.


My first experience using Google Earth to assist in family history research involved searching for my grandfather's farm in Michigan. I live in Arizona, and have never been to Michigan. But, I did have an aerial photo of the farm, along with an address. My paternal grandfather had passed away some forty years ago, and I had never met the man or had the opportunity to visit his farm.

After downloading the free version of Google Earth on my computer, I typed in the address to the farm in the upper left hand corner search box. Suddenly the earth pictured on the site began to whirl, and I found myself being whisked to Michigan. It didn't take long to identify the farm, even though it had been over four decades since the picture was taken. Many of the buildings remained, and matched the photo I had of the farm. Amazingly, the online image was very clear.

It was pretty fascinating, and soon I began zooming to Norway, Sweden, and even my old neighborhood in Covina California. I noticed some images were remarkably clear, showing cars and in some instances, people. Some searches did not bring terrific visual results, and were only clear from a distance.

Using Google Earth brings into perspective the geography of our family history. Even though the satellite images are fairly recent, they allow us to get the general lay of the land, along with giving us a better idea where the area is located. Some searches even provide snapshots of the area, so we can see more elevation visuals, rather than just the roof tops. -- Bobby Holmes, Associated Content.
  • The picture on top shows the Krugersdorp-Roodepoort area. The next picture is a zoom into supposedly a smallholding in the same area.

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