Waterson Family in South Africa

[Johann Claassen]

Hi All,

I am new to this forum.

I do hope that there is someone out there who could help me with my problem.
My grandfather, Henry John WATERSON was born here in South Africa(most probably in Mossel Bay)on 23.3.1900 and died in Mossel Bay on 15.91959. He married Petronella Hendrina POZYN in Mossel Bay c. 1930.
They had the following children: (from the eldest to the youngest)
Isabella Jacomina
Joan Elizabeth
Edward John
Mona Marjorie(my deceased mother)
Maureen
Eileen
Jeanet
Henry John
Norma
Eric
Alen
Edward

I have been doing research on my family for the best part of eight years but had no success in finding the parents of my grandfather, Henry John WATERSON. Although some of my mother's sibblings are still alive, they also have no clue on this very important question.

I have checked all the Parish records and our National Archives here in South Africa - nothing!

If I look at the name- and surname combination of my grandfather and the names  of my uncles and aunts, it keeps pointing to the databases  of Isle of Man.

Any help will be appreciated.

Thank you
Johann

[Danchaslyn]

Hello Johann Claassen

Well, possible ancestors of your Grandfather certainly enjoyed a popular name, all over the UK, and on the Isle of Man!

If you do a free search on findmypast (UK) you will find many males with the surname 'Waterson' and first names similar to Henry John, or William Henry J etc etc.

On IGI, there are a couple of centuries of Henry Watersons.  Of course variants in spelling of the surname of Waterson, also is prevalent.

The Henry Waterson on the Isle of Man, who may possibly be your Grandfather's ancestors, hail from different villages and towns there, such as;

Henry Waterson, b. 1824, Peel, Isle of Man
Henry Waterson, b. 1840, St Anne, Isle of Man
Henry Waterson, b. 1845, Patrick, Isle of Man
Henry Waterson, b. 1866, Conchan, Isle of Man
Henry Waterson, b. 1876, Douglas, Isle of Man
Henry Waterson, b. 1879, Arbory, Isle of Man
There are many more going back a couple of centuries.

Any of which could be your Grandfather's relatives?

It may be worth contacting the Births, Deaths, Marriages for Isle of Man and seeing what help you can receive in a search for your Grandfather's, parents' possible marriage, based maybe on guessing his father is born about 23 years, before your own grandfather's birth, in 1900?  And, giving your Great Grandfather's names as the same as your grandfather's?

Maybe your Great Grandfather is  THE  Henry Waterson, b. 1876, Douglas, IOM?

Good luck!

Danchaslyn

 

[Danchaslyn]

Hello Johann Claassen

From findmypast.com, shipping lists:

(Without reading the full transcript)

  1896  -  Mr Waterson (no initial) departed from Southampton, England,
               for Cape, South Africa.
               He was born round about 1876.
       
   Could he be your Great Grandfather?

Cheers

Danchaslyn

[Danchaslyn]

Hello Johann Claassen

To confuse matters:

  From Manx.BMD.  -   Record of Marriages

                1898   -   Henry John Waterson married, at Braddon, Isle of Man

Your possible Great Grandfather?

[Johann Claassen]

Hello Danchaslyn,

Thank you very much for a very speedy reply. After hundreds of search results on the Net, I agree with you that the possibilities are countless. I was hoping to get in contact with somebody who already have a positive link on my grandfather or someone who is researching the same line.

Personally I think there must be another generation between my GD and a Waterson ancestor of IOM which might have been born here in South Africa, but until now I could not find a possible one. Because his eldest son is named Edward John, my guess is that his father's name is also Edward John.

Thank you once again for your help.

Best wishes

PS. I just received your third reply. I am already  aware of that information. The one from Southampton was Sidney Frank Waterson, a. 1897 in Cape Town. He is too young to be my GGD.
Many thanks!

[Danchaslyn]

Hello Johann Claassen

Whew!  What a puzzle you have on your hands then.

Suppose you've checked the route of the Family Bible?  What makes you think there's another generation just behind your GD, that may already have been in SA?

Have you any clue as to the reason your forbears would have emigrated to SA in the first place?

With regard to the Waterson ship's passenger arriving in CT...... the one I found was born about 1876.  What birth year roughly do you think your GGD might have been born?

Cheers

Danchaslyn

[Johann Claassen]

It is indeed a puzzle!

No Family bible with genealogy information.

I have no clue whatsoever why they emigrated to SA.

1876 sounds fine, but Sidney Frank Waterson - the only Waterson that arrived here in 1897 was born in 1896. He was the son of John waterson and Louisa Charlotte Hughes. No trace of them here in SA.

There is however another possibility and that is the following:

Thomas Waterson * Port St. Mary, Isle of Man c. 1842,
baker and dealer † Harrismith 28.3.1886 (44.-) (Mark-sn) x
Catherine HORNBY xx Elizabeth KERMODE [I found these ladies' ancestors on www.familysearch.org as well as Thomas' father, Mark Waterson x Anna Harley]
b1 John * c. 1874
Second marriage
b2 Richard Kermode * 1879
b3 Eleanor * c. 1882
b4 Harry * c. 1887

I have the death notice of Thomas and that is it. No trace of his children. I thought I would find something on John *c. 1874, but no luck.

I wrote to several Watersons on Facebook - no luck. I am waiting for a response from a lady to which sent a message earlier this evening. Her husband looks(don't laugh) like a Waterson!

As I have said in my initial post, some of my aunts and uncles are still alive, but they could not or WILL not help.

Until now I have positively identified nearly all of my Claassen, Cronje and Pozyn ancestors. My Claassen forebear was born  1695 in Delve, Germany.

Many thanks. Johann.   

[natceez]

From the Genealogical Socety Gravestone Database I found the Grave of Henry John Waterson 15.9.1959 Block 5 Row D NG Kerk Section Grave number two.
Seeing as you are battling with this try another avenue, you said some of the family is still alive - find out from them the address he and Petronella lived - did they own the house ?- if so try the Registrar of Deeds because if he purchased the house believe me the authorities would have wanted every little bit of info on him they could get. Another avenue is their marriage certificate  - f you do not have it you should get it because in the 1930's his birth may be indicated. Seeing as he was buried in the NG section and looking at the name of his wife - my suggestion is you find out about an NG Kerk in Mossel Bay and then take the birth of their eldest daughter Isabella Jacomina and work 9 months back from that as a starting point for their marriage. Looking at my Dads birth in 1930 my grandparents places of birth are mentioned .... so that is the third option - get Isabella's birth certificate.
best of luck
Nat

[Johann Claassen]

Thank you so much for your efforts, Natceez. Unfortunately the living family could not or would not help me. I obtained all the info there is in records in South Africa - no trace of his parents.  I have all the information of his house and in fact wrote  an article about the history of the house(now a national heritage asset).

Kind regards.
Johann