Brook and Peachy in South Africa before 1915

[Rob Poole]

My wife's grandmother Gertrude Emily (Emma) Poultney (b1893in dudley worc)went to Durban in 1915 and married Thomas Peachey Brook(b1889 in Durban) on 5/8/1915.i am led to believe that TPBrooks father married a Miss Peachey in South Africa, and that both families were from the uk originally possibly from the Dudley area.
I have a possible marriage record of William Brook(b1852) marrying Elizabeth Margaret Peachey (b1850) in 1884.
I am trying to find out if William and Elizabeth were born in SA or wether they were born in the uk and went to SA as children or adults.any help would be much appreiated

[Sue Mackay]

Hi Rob, and a warm welcome to BG. I have moved your thread from Navigating BG to the South Africa forum. Have a look at the 'sticky' post at the top of this forum and it may give you some useful sites to try.

[Sue Mackay]

Have a look at the 'sticky' post at the top of this forum and it may give you some useful sites to try.

For example, I went to https://www.national.archives.gov.za/ and clicked on Search NAAIRS on the left hand side. I then clicked RSA and entered Peachey in one line and Brook in the next, and got 5 hits. I also got a further hit by entering Peachy without the second e.

One that may interest you is what looks like an estate file for
BROOK, WILLIAM. (S/S ELIZABETH MARGARET, BORN PEACHEY) (REMARRIED GEORGE ROBERTSON)

S/S = surviving spouse

I have a copy of Aided Immigration from Britain to South Africa 1857-1867 and it lists several PEACHEYs, all seemingly single.
Mary Ann PEACHEY (24), house servant, is listed together with Emma (20), Reuben (22) and Job (16), presumably her siblings. They sailed on the Coldstream, arriving September 1861.
Charles PEACHEY and Charlotte PEACHEY, both 19 but listed separately, sailed on the Adelaide, arriving June 1862.
Richard PEACHEY (22) listed together with John (20) sailed on the Matilda Atheling, arriving October 1859.

[Sue Mackay]

Here is the marriage of Elizabeth Margaret Peachey and William Brook

and here is her second marriage to George Robertson

[Sue Mackay]

Just in case you haven't seen the original, here is the marriage of Gertrude Poultney to Thomas Peachey Brook

[Sue Mackay]

OK, the marriages have been indexed, so are easy. You might like to look through the original images of Durban baptisms to try and find Thomas Peachey Brook, since you have an approximate year of birth.

See here.

[Rob Poole]

I have records of TP sailing from SA to the uk prior to his marriage and after with Gertrude and their sons.on the ships manifest it lists their nationality address in uk and occupations.on the info that you have on the Peachey,s does ot give any more info on birthplace,I am trying to find Elizabeth Margaret in the uk and perhaps a link to the peacheys that you have records of,but it drew a blank.i was hoping to find her on the 1851 census but couldn't find her.i suppose its possible that she was born in SA.
My wife's uncle left me some info that suggest the following.
"Mrs Peachey and her sister mrs Poultney.mrs Peachey.thiis sister had 2 daughters who came to SA 1 married Thompson of Johannesburg the other married William brook of Phoenix Durban.the other sister mrs Poultney had Charles Poultney Gertrude Emma's father!"so it would seem that TP and Gertrude were cousins.
With the links and info that you have given me I feel certain that William and Elizabeth are my wife's great grandparents.i found the details of TP,s headstone do you know if you can access more info from burial records re place of birth etc.
You have been amazingly helpful in pointing me in the right direction,any other nudges would be well received,
Many thanks

[Sue Mackay]

In the 1911 census Charles Poultney appears as a widower with Gertrude, aged 18.

The 1901 census (RG13/2747 f 35 p 15) for Arden Lea, Dudley shows
Charles POULTNEY 45 Printer and Stationer born Dudley
Emma wife 46 born Bucks, Penn
Gertrude dau 8 born Dudley
Emmie LACEY 17 niece b Bucks, Penn

Emma POULTNEY died Dudley March qtr 1911, so just missed the census.

When I looked for a marriage for a Charles POULTNEY and an Emma, it came up with a marriage to Emma GOMM in Wycombe RD (right for Penn) Sep qtr 1879 vol 3a page 675

This seemed a tad early, as the 1911 said Gertrude was the only child (apart from one other who died before 1911) and she wasn't born till 1893.

However, I assumed from the birthplace that the mother of Emmie LACEY (see 1901 census above) was Emma's sister. I put in a search on FreeBMD for a marriage between a LACEY and a GOMM, and found George LACEY marrying Elizabeth GOMM June qtr 1882 in Wycombe RD Vol 3a p 819, which might fit your sisters theory.

Might be worth a punt on some certificates.

[Rob Poole]

The family names occur through Gertrude's children.
Thomas Charles brook
William Poultney
Gilbert Peachy
Leonard Lacey
Beresford Page
Dudley Edward Lindsay .
I am at a loss at the moment as all my info on ancestry uk has disappeared off my i pad.they are contacting the USA to see how they can retrieve it.but thanks for your great help.i will try and persevere in the mean time,fortunately I have a lot of info on hard copies but I don't relish trying to load it all back in.
Thanks once again
Rob

[Sue Mackay]

The family names occur through Gertrude's children.
Thomas Charles brook
William Poultney
Gilbert Peachy
Leonard Lacey
Beresford Page
Dudley Edward Lindsay .
I am at a loss at the moment as all my info on ancestry uk has disappeared off my i pad.they are contacting the USA to see how they can retrieve it.but thanks for your great help.i will try and persevere in the mean time,fortunately I have a lot of info on hard copies but I don't relish trying to load it all back in.
Thanks once again
Rob

Looks like the Gomm/Lacey connection is right then.

1871 census RG10; Piece: 1397; Folio: 17; Page: 5 Grocer's Shop, Penn, Buckingham
Sarah GOMM Head Widow 48 Grocer b Chesham, Bucks
Emma dau 16 b Penn
Lizzie dau 12 b Penn

In 1861 (RG 9; Piece: 849; Folio: 18; Page: 8) William GOMM is still alive and running the grocer's shop in Penn with Sarah. As well as Emma and Elizabeth there is a family next door called LACEY, with Emma LACEY (15) living with the GOMMs as a servant