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Research in Other Countries => South Africa => Topic started by: craigt on Monday 19 May 14 02:48 BST (UK)

Title: Transcribing a Durban marriage certificate
Post by: craigt on Monday 19 May 14 02:48 BST (UK)

Hi, on the Familysearch website I've come across a Durban marriage certificate which in parts is quite hard to read. I'm wondering if anyone can help me decipher the document. The link is as follows, and as you can see you are able to view the original document:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KDCP-157
Many thanks,
Craigt.

Title: Re: Transcribing a Durban marriage certificate
Post by: Ruskie on Monday 19 May 14 03:31 BST (UK)

Ink is very thick.  ::)

Rexa Durban 23rd May 1911
Gordon Brown and Christina Lawson Neill
Full age
Bachelor/Spinster
profession: Secretary of ?-? & H
Residence: ?la, Mozambique
56 (Mann)ing Road Bexa
married by Licence Bexa Presbyterian Church Rexa in the Coun(r)ty of Durban
aforesaid ?
signed Gordon Brown and Christina Lawson Brown Neill [initialled ASM as witnesses to the amending of the surname error]
Witnesses:
A.S. MacPhee  ? minister of Rexa ? Church
Dorothy Jean Neill
Southerton Rigg
James Neill
A.S.MacPhee

No idea of place names but I googled and think Rexa should be Reza.  ;)

Title: Re: Transcribing a Durban marriage certificate
Post by: craigt on Monday 19 May 14 04:46 BST (UK)

Hi Ruskie, thanks for your reply, I'm in New Zealand and happen to work with a South African and showed her the marriage certificate, she thought instead of Reza or Rexa, that the place name might be Berea which I see is an area in Durban, and there was a Berea Presbyterian Church in Durban, that  was opened in 1886 and only just closed in 2012. Cheers, Craigt.

Title: Re: Transcribing a Durban marriage certificate
Post by: craigt on Monday 19 May 14 04:49 BST (UK)

Another thing, I thought Gordan's address might as you say be in Mozambique, but I thought the first word might be "domicile" what do you think?

Title: Re: Transcribing a Durban marriage certificate
Post by: Ruskie on Monday 19 May 14 06:09 BST (UK)

Yes, I think 'domicile' could be correct.

Suppose it could well be Berea. I have absolutely no knowledge of SA but I can see Berea now that you mention it, but the letters r and e are very squashed together in all instances of the word, with big gaps between the e and r and also the e and a. The spacing seems a bit unusual.

I see that this is a "Duplicate Original Register" - is it possible to get a copy of the original?  :-\

Title: Re: Transcribing a Durban marriage certificate
Post by: baddy on Monday 19 May 14 08:05 BST (UK)

Craig,

It is not Bexa but Berea which is a suburb of Durban and I think it reads domicile Mozambique.

Dave

Title: Re: Transcribing a Durban marriage certificate
Post by: craigt on Monday 19 May 14 20:28 BST (UK)

Hi Ruskie and Dave,
Thanks for your help with this, Craigt.