The Cornish in South Africa

[Cornish Terrier]

Most people have joined this Forum because they have Cornish Ancestry.

And many, if not most, are stuck with a problem regarding where an ancestor died, worked, travelled etc.

As the Cornish miners were renowned as the best 'hard rock' miners in the World, and things were in decline in Cornwall, many of them sought opportunites elsewhere.

And that elsewhere, in the 1800's, meant the option of a number of foreign lands - America, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Brazil and South Africa. (And probably others.)

But there were many Cornish miners who went to South Africa.

Some stayed for a while and returned home.
Some stayed for a while and moved on to another Country.
And some spent the rest of their lives there.

South Africa has long been a difficult place from which to find information about some of our Cornish Ancestors but there is help available if you can find it.

And I have found some of that help.

[e-mail] <[e-mail]>

This list is well worth joining and is, just like us, free of charge.

There are people there who are willing to help and who visit the different Archives on a regular basis.

I have also just invited their members with Cornish interests to join our little group.

As I find these other 'communities' I will try to let you all know.

[Cornish Terrier]

Don't think the South African List address hyperlink worked so let's try again:-


[e-mail]

Hope it works this time.



I fixed it.... Z

[Cornish Terrier]

One more try:-

mailto:[e-mail]

[genie]

Maybe the link below will help anyone looking for information regarding South Africa.

I found information about my g.grandfather who died there in 1898. He went to work in South Africa although his wife and children stayed in Cornwall.

www.national.archsrch.gov.za/sm300cv/smws/sm300dl

[Cornish Terrier]

Thanks Genie.

It is not the link I was trying to display but I am sure it will be helpful to all and I really appreciate your help here.

Cannot, at the moment, work out why my 'hyperlink' transfer did not work but the link is there in my last few notes for people to manually 'type in'. (Sorry but will try and rectify 'my' problem with this)

[Zenobia]

Nope....it's not a link - it's a mailing list that you have to subscribe to...

Here is the actual link:

lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Immigration/SOUTH-AFRICA-IMMIGRANTS-BRITISH.html

[Cornish Terrier]

Thanks Zenobia - been reading their emails long enough that I should have realised that.

Anyway - the contact details are now available and it is a list well worth joining.

Most of their 'List Notes' to date have not contained much direct information to help my particular lines of enquiry but these people are extremely helpful.

Simply posting a query to this 'list' will prompt replies from quite a number of people with information, help and advice.

This often includes information about other Archives or useful sites to visit.

I joined this list early this year and was looking for information regarding Trewhella and Leggo families in South Africa.

Had an offer of help from one of the members actually living in South Africa so I passed on the basic details of what I was looking for.

My new helper is one of those who visits the Archives frequently and promised to find what she could for me.

In due course I began receiving emails from her providing the information I had requested.

She had Digitally photographed all the relevant entries and sent these images as 'attachments' to the emails so that I can now view (basically) the original documents.

That is an example of some of the help these people are prepared to offer.