William & Polly Spence

[JohnJackson]

My grandmother's sister Polly (Mary-Ann) nee Brooke (b1864) married William Spence in 1887 - nan spent time with her sister in the 1900s but Polly & William emigrated to South Africa some time later. Nothing more is known - any advice?
John Jackson

[Sue Mackay]

Mary Ann died in 1904 by the looks of it. If you go to https://www.national.archsrch.gov.za/...v/smws/sm300dl and click on VAB, then enter Spence in the first search box and Brooke in the second, you come up with the death notice for Mary Ann Jane SPENCE, maiden surname BROOKE, spouse William SPENCE. The good news is that you can order a digital copy of this very reasonably on line via eggsa.org (put www in front). South African death notices are usually pretty informative.

[JohnJackson]

You're WONDERFUL - I thought she was irretrievable. I can't believe that Nan never knew but her own father died in 1902 (2 years earlier) however there were 4 siblings about still. Finding difficulties getting through to eggsa.org (put www in front) presently but will investigate. We're presently on our regular 3 month winter holiday in Cape Town so it may be here she died - wonder if there were children.

Thanks again, John

[Sue Mackay]

The death notice should list any children. Just type eggsa into Google and it comes up as the first hit. It's the "e" branch of the Genealogical Society of South Africa.

[JohnJackson]

Got the eGGSA site but the form isn't that obvious to fill in so I've written to the archivist in the Free State to perhaps stop there on our drive up to Jo'burg next month. I've found another record of William originally applying for indulgence passage to bring him and his family to South Africa in 1902 - he is recorded as previously being from Lindley which is just off the N1 and between Bethlehem and Kroonstat. I reckon William was there in the Boer War but haven't yet worked out how to confirm it. Any thoughts?
It's supposed to be 37C here in Cape Town so I'm out of the sun watching Arsenal v Sunderland live from home. Many thanks & good wishes to all our readers,
John

[Sue Mackay]

Got the eGGSA site but the form isn't that obvious to fill in so I've written to the archivist in the Free State to perhaps stop there on our drive up to Jo'burg next month.

Click on FAQ on the home page and it gives you a step by step guide, but if you can get to the archives anyway, well and good.

I reckon William was there in the Boar War but haven't yet worked out how to confirm it. Any thoughts?

I'm no expert on the Boer War, I'm afraid. My ancestors went to the Cape in 1820. However, we do have some Boer War experts on the forum, so I suggest you put a query on here.

[JohnJackson]

Cannot believe the efficiency and kindness of the Free State Archivist, query e-mailed Friday night and response received Monday morning! See below, not only does one discover that since the 1891 census they're in Lindley but there's 6 more children. Obviously gt grandfather's letter to Nan about "poor Polly" was not about disaster but more about a succession of children. Where do they come from? The 1891 census tells us that William was born in Scotland but what of the other SIX. May I take this opportunity, in thanking all my helpers thus far, to apologise for adding THREADS all over B-G as ideas popped into my head (I've been correctly chastised and I realise how confusing it would be to answer on one thread what has already been answered elsewhere).
[I]1. Surname of deceased Brooke
2. Full first names Mary Ann Jane
3. Occupation Merchant’s Wife
4. Ordinary place(s) of residence during the 12 months prior to death and the Province(s) Lindley
5. Date of birth/Age 36 years 6. Place of birth South Shields, England
7. Date of death 16 February 1904 8. Place of death Lindley
9a. Has the deceased left a will? Yes
9b. Has the deceased left any movable and/or immovable property? Yes, both movable and immovable property
10. Marital status at time of death Married
11. If married, place where married -
12. Full names of surviving spouse and his/her occupation William Spence
14. Full names of children of deceased (state whether major or minor or predeceased and in the latter event, whether they left issue and, if that be the case, the full names of such issue)
1. Alice
2. William
3. John
4. Mabel
5. Florence
6. Evyline
7. Iris
8. Ernest Brooke

[Sue Mackay]

Don't you just love South African death notices!

[Sue Mackay]

Adele found you the family in 1891 on this thread living with Polly's father in London. The eldest two children, Alice and William, are with her. It will be interesting to see if you can find the births of the other children in the UK, as that would narrow down the time frame for them coming to SA.

William was born in Scotland, so you should be able to download his birth certificate from Scotlandspeople.

Ernest Brooke Spence shows up in a passenger list on Ancestry travelling from Durban to New York in 1930, aged 26. This would put his birth as 1904 - perhaps Polly died in childbirth? Ernest is described on the passenger list as a Vulcaniser, born in Lindley OFS.

[Sue Mackay]

OK, have now found what I think is the passenger list from UK to SA.

Braemar Castle
Dep. Southampton 27 September 1902

Mr. W SPENCE Storekeeper 38
Mrs SPENCE 35
Miss A SPENCE 13
Master W SPENCE 12
Master J SPENCE 10
Miss M SPENCE 9
Miss F SPENCE 7
Miss E SPENCE 4
Miss I SPENCE 2

So Ernest was the only one born in South Africa.