James Way/White, Born ca 1835, Dorset

[straussj]

Hi,

Could you please assist in breaking down this long-standing brickwall.

My GG Grandfather was James Way or White:

According to a note in the family Bible:
1. He was known to his post-1900 family as Jim Jack White.
2. He came to South Africa when he was 15 years old

According to Marriage Record:
1. He was James Way
2. Married in 1857 in George, South Africa to Elizabeth van Schalkwyk (an Afrikaans lady)

According to Baptism records: ( 1859 to 1864)
His first three children were baptised using the surname "Way"
I have not yet found the baptism records for any of the remaining four children known to me.

The eldest daughter was named after Elizabeth's mother
The 2nd eldest son was named after Elizabeth father
It is therefore assumed that the eldest son, William James, was named after James' father and the second eldest daughter, Sarah Elizabeth, was named after James' mother. James' parents were then probably William & Sarah.

Now for the interesting part:

After 1880 the surname "Way" gradually changed to "Wayd" and after 1900 changed to "White"
As an example: James' son William was born "Way", got married as "Wayd" and died as "White".

The ABW database shows that James White (66) was captured in Jan 1902 and deported to India.
His wife, Elizabeth, died in the Concentration Camp. Her death notice states that she was Elizabeth White with surviving spouse, James White.

In a letter attached to James's Claim for compensation after the ABW, the following can be seen:

1. The letter was signed with an "X", which probably indicates that James was illiterate and that he dictated the letter/statement to possibly a magistrate.
2. His name was given as "Jims Wayd", which is probably the way he pronounced his name and it was written exactly the way it sounded.
3. He was 67 years old in Jan 1903.
4. He was born in Dorset, England
5. He came to South Africa as a child. (which gives credibility to the note that I found in the family Bible)

Is it possible that someone from Dorset with the name, James White, would pronounce it as "Jims Wayd" ?

Any opinions on firstly whether my GG Grandfather was born James Way or James White, would be greatly appreciated.
Secondly, any help in obtaining a shortlist of people who could possibly fit the description of James, would also help tremendously in breaking down this brickwall.

Thanks in advance.

Johann

[Megan Roberts]

If you look in the 1841 census there are 2 possibilities.

HO107 piece 286 book 10 folio 9 page 12 - Tolpuddle, Dorset. Father William Mother Ann
HO107 piece 286 book 12 folio 5 page 5 - Roller Porcorum Father Thomas Mother Susannah

[straussj]

Thanks Megan,

Did you search under both Way and White?

[elsinore]

Searching birth/baptisms for James WAY 1835 -/+ 5years, Dorset:

James WAY baptised 30th September 1832, Tolpuddle, William & Ann
James WAY baptised 18th June 1833 Tolpuddle, Joseph & Mary
James WAY baptised 11th October 1835, Toller Porcorum, Thomas & Susan

There is a death and monumental inscription, which could well be the third one:
James WAY died 7th October 1871, Toller Porcorum St Andrew, aged 40, son of Thomas & Susan

The top two both appear on the same 1841 Census page.

All from FMP.

Peter

[Megan Roberts]

Thanks Megan,

Did you search under both Way and White?

Just Way, as I think its most likely that would have been his original surname. I think that the Dorset accent might well have been quick a "drawn out" one that could well have led to the spelling Wayd.

[elsinore]

1851 Census at 65 St Mary's Street, Portsmouth
Elias WAY* Head Umn 37 Shoemaker, Tolpuddle, Dorset
James WAY Bro Unm 18 Shoemaker, Tolpuddle, Dorset
George WAY Neph Unm 14 Shoemaker, Tolpuddle, Dorset

1861 Census in Parish Road, Fugglestone St Peter, Wilton, Wilts
James WAY 29 Shoemaker, Tolpuddle, Dorset
Emma D WAY Wife 27 Portsea
Emma WAY Dau 6 Portsea
Mariah WAY Dau 2 Salisbury
Henry W WAY Son 0 Tolpuddle

*Elias WAY baptised 6th February 1815, Tolpuddle, Joseph & Mary

So it looks like the James WAY baptised 18th June 1833 to Joseph and Mary was still in England in 1861.

This would leave the James WAY baptised 30th September 1832 to William and Ann as a possible candidate for your James. His age does not quite match but your assumption regarding parents' names would be half right!

Peter

[straussj]

Thanks Megan and Peter,

I think we might have found James. I went back in my records and found a daughter of James, whom I assumed was named after James' spouse's mother. The daughter I am referring to was baptised with the names: Anna Catharina Way

Both "Anna" and "Catharina" are typical Dutch/Afrikaans names. However, in cases where a Dutch and English person got married, you often find that their children were given the Dutch/Afrikaans version of an English name. For instance, James' eldest son, William James, was later referred to as Willem Jacobus which is the Dutch/Afrikaans version of his names.

"Anna Catharina" is the Dutch/Afrikaans version of the English names "Ann Catherine" and I am convinced that James' parents were in fact William and Ann. This means that James Way, son of William and Ann Way, Is now a perfect fit as far as the names are concerned.

If we assume that James WAY, baptised 30 Sep 1832, is the right person, it would mean there is a three-year discrepancy with the age I've got for James. But in the 1841 Census, his age is given as 7 when it should have been 9. So if there was a 2-year discrepancy at age 9 then a 3-year discrepancy at age 70 sounds realistic.

I will now try to find some of his close relatives in South Africa between 1841 and 1857

Thanks again.

Johann

[Megan Roberts]

The 1841 census is notoriously inaccurate on ages. Children under the age of 16 were supposed to be recorded accurately, whilst adults were rounded up or down by 5 years. However, given that this was the first national census in the UK, I wouldn't be too worried by a couple of years here and there, particularly as I don't think that accurate ages were something that bothered people too much in those days.

Incidentally Johann I don't know how much you know about British history, but Tolpuddle is a famous place in the struggle for the rights of the people, which gave rise in 1834 to the "Tolpuddle Martyrs" who were a group of farm labourers transported to Australia for daring to form a trade union. There is web site all about it:
https://www.tolpuddlemartyrs.org.uk/

[straussj]

Thanks Megan, That is certainly a very interesting piece of information and I will certainly read up more on it.
I have just made a very good find, which pretty much concludes that James Way, son of William and Ann, is my GG Grandfather.

Because I know that James came to South Africa as a child, I assumed that he probably came with an adult family member(s).

I found an Eliza Bendle, who was a witness at the baptism of James Way's first child in South Africa in 1857.
James' eldest sister was Eliza, born in 1819 in Burleston. She married George Bendle in 1842 in Tolpuddle.

A quick search revealed that George and Eliza Bendle baptised their son, William, in George, South Africa, in 1852. This for me, pretty much concludes it and I am sure the Bendles will lead me to more discoveries.

I cannot thank you and Peter enough for pointing me in the right direction.

Thanks

Johann