Mathias family

[gilian rowland]

My post 5 crossed with Christina's 3 and 4.

I have tried to find the census returns for 1891 and 1901 ie after Henry and Mary's Marriage 1890 but can't.

Re Wimsey's' post 18 Passenger list: Mary 28y, Martha 5y and Daniel 8. Is this correct:

MATHIAS, MARTHA MARY REES GRO Reference: 1897 J Quarter in PONTYPRIDD Volume 11A Page 470

MATHIAS, DANIEL REES GRO Reference: 1892 D Quarter in MERTHYR TYDFIL Volume 11A Page 677
Christina found Daniel in post 4

Not much help I'm sorry to say.Jill

[LaurenO]

Yes, these are all correct. I have been searching some of the free sites, but cannot find any info on our grandfather Edward Mathias - no birth or adoption certificates.

[Jomot1]

arrival Durban 20 May 1901 on ship Braemar Castle

Mary Mathias aged 28
Daniel Mathias aged 8
Martha Mathias aged 5

https://www.eggsa.org/cgi-bin/dosearchArrivals.pl

The outward passenger list is on Ancestry but doesn’t give their full forenames, only initials, and Daniel is listed as Miss D Matthias aged 8. The only other information is that they departed from Southampton 13 Apr 1901 and were contracted to land at Natal.

There is a possible outward journey for Henry as "Mr Mathias", a 31-year-old miner, departing from Southampton on 17 March 1900 aboard the Dunottar Castle, contracted to land at Cape Town.

[gilian rowland]

The outward passenger list is on Ancestry but doesn’t give their full forenames, only initials, and Daniel is listed as Miss D Matthias aged 8. The only other information is that they departed from Southampton 13 Apr 1901 and were contracted to land at Natal.

There is a possible outward journey for Henry as "Mr Mathias", a 31-year-old miner, departing from Southampton on 17 March 1900 aboard the Dunottar Castle, contracted to land at Cape Town.

I think it says his birth was 1869 so, although like looking for a needle in a haystack, there is this one
MATTHIAS, HENRY mmn JONES
GRO Reference: 1868 S Quarter in WREXHAM Volume 11B Page 297

[Jomot1]

It looks like the children were born in Aberdare, which is within the Merthyr registration district. They are with Mary & the Rees family in 1901 at 69, Bwllfa Road, Aberdare.

The Rees family were from what looks like Lampeter, Cardiganshire

EDIT: In 1891 the Rees family give the PoB as Llanfair Clydogau, which is a few miles from Lampeter

[Pam Downes]

Hi All. We are trying to get some more information on our great grandfather. Unfortunately we have very little information to go on. We think he was born in Wales and known as Harry Mathias. He came to South Africa to fight in the Boer war and was followed by his wife Mary and 3 children, but one died on route to South Africa. He was a miner and travelled around a lot. Apparently he arrived home one day with a little boy of about 3 called Eddie (my grandfather) and said he was going to adopt him. He is believed to have died in South Africa in about 1933.
Where do we begin looking??? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Edward must be my Grandfather! We have no idea where he came from - apparently my great grandfather just arrived home with him when he was about 3 years old and this was in South Africa, but no one knows where he was born or who his mother was.

I will do that. The information we are most interested in trying to find some kind of record of our grandfather - Edward Mathias - whether it be a birth certificate or adoption papers. It has long been a mystery in our family.

I don't know what information is given on South African marriage and death certificates, but I would have thought your best chance of obtaining any relevant information regarding Eddie's birth parents might be either of those documents. That information depends on whether Henry told Eddie anything about his parentage or birth date.
Otherwise, I think the only option is DNA testing.

From reading this
https://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/han...pdf?sequence=1
it seems that adoption became legal in South Africa on 1 January 1924.

Pam

[gilian rowland]

JOMOT1 Yours No. 25
I'm very pleased your research skills exceed mine as I have now found the census for 1901 thanks to you.With the children being born in Aberdare that presumable explains ref Christina's post 3) "Birthplace for Henry James Mathias deceased is America, "?!

There are three children with Mary's parents ie listed as grandchildren: Daniel; Martha Mary and Margaret Ann. I think it's the first two that go to Africa in 1901.So perhaps Margaret Ann is the child that was ill and left behind and died but in fact she is with her grandparents in 1911 at the same address.

[christanel]

From reading this
https://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/han...pdf?sequence=1
it seems that adoption became legal in South Africa on 1 January 1924.

So just 3 years before it became legal in the UK.

In a previous post are you saying your grandfather Eddie/ Edward died about 1933? Who did he marry? When? Where? Who was his eldest child, If still alive you cannot name them but could tell us the year of birth.

As Pam has said DNA testing may be the route to go along to try and take this further. Have you considered that Eddie is actually Henry's child by another woman conceived before Mary and the children arrived in South Africa. This has happened in my family.

The only record I can find on familysearch.org for an Edward Mathias is the death of an Edward John Mathias in 1923 age 25 and single. Cause of death -tuberculosis. But the death record says he was born in England.
Christina

[LaurenO]

It looks like the children were born in Aberdare, which is within the Merthyr registration district. They are with Mary & the Rees family in 1901 at 69, Bwllfa Road, Aberdare.

The Rees family were from what looks like Lampeter, Cardiganshire

EDIT: In 1891 the Rees family give the PoB as Llanfair Clydogau, which is a few miles from Lampeter

Thank you for this info!

[LaurenO]

I don't know what information is given on South African marriage and death certificates, but I would have thought your best chance of obtaining any relevant information regarding Eddie's birth parents might be either of those documents. That information depends on whether Henry told Eddie anything about his parentage or birth date.
Otherwise, I think the only option is DNA testing.


From reading this
https://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/han...pdf?sequence=1
it seems that adoption became legal in South Africa on 1 January 1924.

Pam

Ok, that is useful to know, as I believe my sister found a site showing Edward Mathias being born in March 1909 - this would then reinforce the fact that he could not have been Mary’s child as her son born in South Africa at Elandslaagte was born on the 13th of April 1909. If adoption only became legal in 1924, then I am assuming that my grandfather was never “legally” adopted.