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  1. #1
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    Red face Tracing my English ancestry - Richardson

    Good day to all existing members

    I am Robert Brian Jacobs writing from Pretoria South Africa. I have started a family research project to find my english ancestors and to complete my family tree. I am a complete novice but am enjoying the experience very much. I pretty much have some of my ancestors back to the times that the British Settlers arrive in South Africa 1820. It would be great to firmly verify and establish the England line - they were a Family Roberts. It seems that the came to South Africa from Kent.

    My focus is on my great great grandfather Thomas Richardson born on 29/06/1870. I do not have much information on him except that he came from Durham or County Durham. Apparently he came to South Africa 1889. What brought him to South Africa is uncertain with some family myths saying that he came as part of the British Army - Wynberg Cape Town or theories are that he came as part of the contingent of people who came to look for gold in Johannesburg.

    He married a Cape lady by the name of Elizabeth Marthina Zuzanna Willemse - they married in Johannesburg and had a number of children of which one was my great grandfather Robert Richardson. He was born in Johannesburg. He successfully established a garage in 1921 and erected a building on the premises and called it Durham House - this confirms the ties back to Durham.

    Another theory is that they were part of T Richardson and Sons - a company involved in shipping & mechanics that went bankrupt and that was the reason Thomas remained in South Africa. There was also reference to EagleCliff/ Hartlepool.

    There is also a theory that Thomas Richardson arrived with his father or that his father joined him in South Africa. What I do know is that my great grandfather and mother often visited the Uk through the 1920 to the 1960's. I have a few very old family albums with pictures of them and their relatives.

    I will appreciate any help on how to go about tracing Thomas back to England, Durham County or Durham City.

    Best wishes to all

    Robert

  2. #2
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    First entry I fond on Ancestry is Thomas Richardson, born 1870, Stockton, Durham. Masters and Mates certificate issued 18/10/1893.

    The Certificate is issued because Thomas had qualified to fulfil the duties of Second Mde in the Merchant Service.

    On the 1/08/1985 another certificate has been issues as Thomas qualified as First Mate on a foreign going ship.

  3. #3
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    Hello Robert

    Welcome

    First you need to know that in England births are supposed to be registered within 3 months. All the registers of births are kept by something known as the GRO, and what can be viewedfor free online are indexes to births (and marriages and deaths), but what you really want are the certificates but they have to be paid for. They should be bought online from the GRO.

    There are 4 indexes per year so Thomas would appear in either the April index or the July index. However his name is very common and unless you know his mother's maiden name it is unlikely that you will find him in the index.

    But don't give up.

    You have to register with the GRO site, and it has lots of useful information, and then you can ask them to do a search using the exact birth date that you have. It is a little more expensive than if you had the references from the index, but it should get you the certificate. If you have a problem with the form let us know and we will help.

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    Of course that is not 1985 - it should read 1895!

  5. #5
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    Hi Sue - thank you so much.

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    Perhaps you could tell us a little more about Thomas & Elizabeth's children - names & order of birth might be helpful as it was fairly common for families in the North East to follow the traditional naming pattern.

    I may be wrong, but my instincts tell me he's not the man from Stockton (my home town), which is on the Durham/North Yorkshire border & was an iron & steel town.

    I see from Robert's baptism that Thomas was a miner, and if that had also been his job in England then he would more likely have come from one of the towns & villages further North.

    One to perhaps explore further is the Thomas Richardson aged 9 months, born & living in Thornley, Durham with his parent James (a miner) and Margaret Ann, nee Blenkinsop. They are still in Thornley in 1881 and by 1891 are in Cassop. Thomas is no longer with them by then, and on first look I can't trace him elsewhere.

  7. #7
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    I couldn't resist, so I looked up the baptism for the Thomas Richardson son of James & Margaret Ann... and it looks like its him

    St. Bartholomew, Thornley, County Durham
    Baptism 24 Dec 1871 Thomas Richardson (born 29 June 1870), son of James Richardson & Margaret Ann

    ADDED: This is his birth registration
    RICHARDSON, THOMAS mmn BLENKINSOP
    GRO Reference: 1870 S Quarter in EASINGTON Volume 10A Page 395
    Last edited by Jomot1; 03-02-2020 at 9:14 PM. Reason: added info

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    This is the link to the GRO site referred to by Megan in post #2.
    https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/
    For births pre-1919 and deaths pre-1957, you can order black-and-white PDF copies of the certificates which cost seven pounds as opposed to eleven pounds for the fancy full-coloured certified copies. Just click which option you want.

    Pam
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  9. #9
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    I think you may be spot on - and I am very exited. The Richardson family seemed to have continued the tradition in South Africa. Thomas Richardson married Elizabeth Marthina Zuzanna Willemse on 4 January 1893. They had 5 children:
    James Richardson born 14 October 1893 - known as Uncle Jimmy
    Catheribe McCloud Richardson baptised February 1885
    William Victor Richardson born 20 April 1897 known as Uncle Willy - he had a son Stuart Victor Richardson born in 1922 listed asd British Nationality - part of WW@ and he passed away in combat SAAF/RAF in March 1944 - close to Anzio Italy.
    Robert Richardson born 25 April 1899 known as Bobby ( I am his great grandson and was fortunate to have known him as quite well - I have his full family tree descendants. He served in both WW 1 & WW2 - still need to find out if under SA Armed Forces or the British and what his military career was exactly.
    Daughter - Margaret Ann Richardson born 18 November 1904. She married a British citizen Cyril Salter Bowden - born around 1900.

    I have many photographs of my great grandfather & Mother traveling the UK but cannot identify certain towns etc - perhaps a later project. Kent featured, Windemere Laeke etc etc.

    Thank you so much for your help - it in very valuable - what would my next steps be?

    Kind wishes Robert

  10. #10
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    'Next steps' are entirely up to you, but if you want to order his birth certificate then you need to use the GRO site already provided. You can order it in PDF form for £7.

    The family is easily found on the census. James was born c1835 in Hexham, Northumberland, and Margaret Ann c1840 in Wingate, Durham

    1861: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M78V-CT5
    1871: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VBZB-25G
    1881: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q271-Z343
    1891: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WFYQ-DMM

    If you wanted to order James & Margaret Ann's marriage certificate, these are sent by post for £11 (no PDFs) and will tell you the name of both of their fathers. The GRO references are: 1859, Apr-Jun, Durham, Volume 10a, Page 366.

    You may also find a site called Durham Records Online quite helpful, especially if you don't have a sub elsewhere. You need to buy credits (about £1 each) but they have transcribed lots of church records that are not yet online elsewhere.

    If you get stuck on anything, just shout up - there will be plenty of people willing to help.

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