Please help me trace my paternal family beyond my father

[jaywit]

This is interesting, it says many came from Lithuania, the origins of the Myersons.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_South_Africa

[jellybean2894]

Hi,
@Wexflyer - thank you! That's a novel idea & I will enquire re the denominational birth records on both sides (Catholic mother and Jewish father)
I understand that children born of a mixed religion union (Judaism / Christian) take the faith of the mother.

I was also wondering whether checking ship records for Union-Castle Line travel from UK to ZA in 1898-1900 would be worthwhile - can someone advise if that may be an option and where this info might be housed.

Thanks again.

[PatLac]

This is interesting...

"...A word about his marriage and descendants may be
quoted here. Barnato met his future wife at Kimberley
in 1874, and in 1875 they were secretly married by the
civil law. Mrs. Barnato was not a Jewess, and the
marriage was certain to be bitterly opposed by the
family. She was a most able, accomplished woman,
and adopted the Hebrew faith, in which the children of
course are brought up. The eldest, Leah Primrose,
born in 1893, was named after his mother, and his first
mining venture ; Isaac Henry, and Woolf Joel Barnato
are the younger children."

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/121635356

[jaywit]

This is interesting...

"...A word about his marriage and descendants may be
quoted here. Barnato met his future wife at Kimberley
in 1874, and in 1875 they were secretly married by the
civil law. Mrs. Barnato was not a Jewess, and the
marriage was certain to be bitterly opposed by the
family. She was a most able, accomplished woman,
and adopted the Hebrew faith, in which the children of
course are brought up. The eldest, Leah Primrose,
born in 1893, was named after his mother, and his first
mining venture ; Isaac Henry, and Woolf Joel Barnato
are the younger children."

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/121635356

So that is saying they married in 1875 and didn't have their first child until 1893. Not very likely.

[LizzieL]

Fanny Bees was the mother of the children mentioned, she married Barney in London in 1892

[PatLac]

That's precisely why I think it's interesting. It's well known that this biographer was overly positive about Mr Barnato, so why would he make it up? Young lads tend to fall in love.

[LizzieL]

But it implies that the three children that we know were Fanny's, were the those of the woman Barney married in 1875. Around 1891 he was with a woman in  Bournemouth who had a baby who died aged about 2 or 3 weeks.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/271403152/isabel-louisa-barnato

[jaywit]

History of Kimberley.

https://www.britannica.com/place/Kimberley-South-Africa

So not started under that name until 1878.

I wonder what civil law there was before that date?

[PatLac]

But it implies that the three children that we know were Fanny's, were the those of the woman Barney married in 1875. Around 1891 he was with a woman in  Bournemouth who had a baby who died aged about 2 or 3 weeks.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/271403152/isabel-louisa-barnato

Maybe the biographer didn't know the whole story, anyway it's odd that there is no addendum or erratum. I'm going to read the available biographies, the subject is very interesting!