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Research in Other Countries => South Africa => Topic started by: Lorand on Monday 18 March 19 05:49 GMT (UK)
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It seems my grandmother, SUSARA MARIA ALETTA GOUWS may have been illegitimate.
She was born on 22 April 1886/7 in Britstown, Northern Cape Province.
Her mother may have been Helen (Ellie) Gouws (nee Murray), sister to Andrew Murray, the preacher, but on Helen's death cert. there is no mention of a marriage or of having a child, though it seems she did have a daughter born out of wedlock according to (Cape Province Probate 1834-1989 in Familysearch.org.
On my grandmother's marriage cert. on 30 January 1906 it mentions her foster-father as David Johannes Erasmus, but not her mother's name.
I am not sure if Gouws is her real father's name or an adoptive parent's name or whether Helen Murray did indeed marry a Gouws.
Is there anyone researching the Gouws family who can shed some light for me and be able to produce a birth certificate.
Many thanks
Lorand
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I saw that her death notice had 1881 as her birth year (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DB57-3JT?i=1&cc=1407787 ), so I threw the net a bit wider and came up with a possible 22 April 1882 birth:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-61TS-HPK?i=87&cc=1392488&cat=2357448
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PS In 1906 David Johannes Erasmus was her "stiefvader", so he was her step father and not her foster-father ...(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C953-SS46-3?i=325&cc=1910846)
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Thanks for the help. I am aware that there is a discrepancy in the birth records of Susara Gouws, so will carry on searching for the birth certificate, which might prove difficult.
Lorand.
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On Geni it has this info about her...
Susara Maria Aletta Susanna Botes (Gouws)
Birth: April 22, 1887
Britstown, Bo-Karoo, Northern Cape, South Africa
Death: July 21, 1964 (77)
Nasionale Hospitaal, Bloemfontein, Motheo, Free State, South Africa
Biological daughter of Helen "Ellie" Murray
Foster daughter of David Johannes Erasmus
Wife of Gysbert Johannes Botes
Children...
Susara Maria Aletta Geldenhuys. Birth: September 19, 1907
Jacomina Maria Nienaber Birth: May 30, 1909
Gertruida Pieter Steenhuizen (Botes) Birth: January 05, 1912
Elizabeth Wilhelmina Botes Birth: February 10, 1913
Bertus Johanna van Vuuren Birth: April 25, 1916
Gysbert Johannes Botes Birth: August 15, 1917
Jacob Pieter Daničl (Jaap) Botes Birth: May 14, 1920
Jacobus Christoffel Botes Birth: November 22, 1921
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Thanks for the help. I am aware that there is a discrepancy in the birth records of Susara Gouws, so will carry on searching for the birth certificate, which might prove difficult.
Lorand.
What makes it even more difficult is that Civil registration of births didn't start in the Cape until 1895! There is some stuff before 1895, but I don't think that it is Cape wide.
I'd be fairly amazed if the 1882 baptism would turn out to be for someone else. There are too many coincidences.