PHILLIPS family Cape Town

[MHS]

I am looking for info about my paternal grandfather Henry Rensburg PHILLIPS b 18 Dec 1899 Capetown, d 28 Jan 1988 Capetown. Little is known about Henry and his life and family in South Africa or why he came to UK in the early 1900s. Henry and was one of at least 8 children, his siblings being Norman, Eric, Irene, Ivy, Kathleen, Georgina and William. Henry's UK descendants believe that he arrived in UK just after WW1 and joined the Royal Flying Corps. He married in UK on 23 Dec 1928 and had two children with wife Esther SMITH, returning to South Africa after Esther died in 1975. Henry's last known address was Motopo Road, Thornton, Maitland, where he lived with his sister Irene LEGRANGE and Irene's daughter Ivy LEGRANGE both now deceased.

According to Henry's UK marriage certificate of 1928, his father was William James PHILLIPS, a carpenter, deceased. William James PHILLIPS' wife is thought to have been named Antoinette and of French ancestry. William is thought to have had at least one sibling, Frederick PHILLIPS who was an ostrich farmer. Henry's parents/grandparents are thought to have been emigrants from UK to South Africa.

I'd love to hear from anyone who who has come across the family.

[rutti tutti]

Hi there,
i have looked at the Rootsweb mailing list and seen that Heather Macallister was going to forward you info on the Phillips family in Dec 2004 - did you receive it at all?
I am looking at my resources at present.
ruth

[MHS]

Ruth

Thanks for your reply. Yes, at the time, Heather sent me a short synopsis which I need to follow up to see whether there is any connection. Unfortunately, my grandfather didn't talk about his life before he came to UK in early 1900s and even when I went to South Africa in 1982 family members didn't want to talk; goodness knows what they were hiding! It's still a mystery.

Maria