Gadsden family: bakers of Edlesborough

Entrance to the Bay of Natal: early 20th century

Liner entering the channel of the Bay of Natal early 20th c
by C Shrubsole
Note the Bluff, with lighthouse and signal station; fishing dhows;
turbanned fishermen on the wharf.

Passenger Lists: finding your South African ancestor

A perennial query on this blog is, How do I find my ancestor's arrival by ship in South Africa? The answer: with great difficulty. Passenger lists are all over the place: there is no continuity of records, certain periods are not covered at all, certain types of passengers may have limited coverage etc. 

Here are some links to discussions and articles on the topic, of which the basic information has not changed since the original posting.

molegenealogy.blogspot.co.za/2013/03/passenger-lists-for-natal.html

molegenealogy.blogspot.co.za/2010/03/getting-low-down-on-sa-passenger-lists.html

molegenealogy.blogspot.co.za/2010/02/how-to-find-that-sa-passenger-list.html

molegenealogy.blogspot.co.za/2010/03/south-african-newspapers-for-passenger.html

RMS Nyanza: Passengers on Deck 1877

Passenger arrivals on the Natal, departures on the Carisbrook 1905

Natal Witness 18 Feb 1905

Passengers to Natal: Eveline, Prince Alfred, Trader, Shakspeare 1862

Arrivals and Departures at Natal July 1862

Passengers to Natal: Medusa, Silvery Wave, Tirsah 1863

October 1863, Medusa, Silvery Wave and Tirsah arrivals, 

also departure of the Norman.

Passengers per Priscilla to Natal 1860

Steerage passengers on the barque Priscilla 1860

Passengers from Australia to Natal 1872

St Kilda passenger list June 6 1872:
from Australia to Natal

Passengers from Natal to Australia 1853

The Wee Tottie was another ship which carried emigrants from Natal
to Australia in February 1853, when they found Natal did not come up to
their expectations. If you have a missing ancestor check if he
decided to try another colony.

Passengers on Golden Age, 1854

Natal Mercury 12 July 1854

Note that these are not arrivals but departures for Melbourne,
Australia. After the influx of settlers to Natal under the Byrne and other schemes,
not all emigrants were satisfied with the new Colony and sought greener
pastures. Many of them were equally dissatisfied with Australia and
duly returned to Natal in due course. If you've lost an ancestor in SA it is worth
checking departures for Down Under!

Passenger lists to Natal: 1851 Borneo, Bellona, Douglas

September 1851

Passenger list Danube to Natal 1880

From Natal Witness July 1880

Passenger lists to Natal 1889: Duart Castle, USS African

Passenger list L'Imperatrice Eugenie to Natal 1859

From Natal Mercury  April 14 1859
Note the Himalaya transport carrying unnamed rank and file.

Passenger List Estafette brings Dutch settlers to Natal 1858

Arrival of Estafette, from Amsterdam,
Natal Mercury 26 August 1858

Natal Mercury 2 Sept 1858

Passenger List Pembroke Castle UK-SA November 5 1889

This passenger list appeared
in the Natal Witness of  7 Nov 1889.

Gadsden Family Group

Early Durban: a home of the 1850 settler period

Settler home in early Durban ca 1850s,
showing wattle and daub construction with thatch roof. There would have been no glass for windows - just a canvas flap. Floors would be baked mud or cow dung, dried and polished to a glossy shine.

New Year Greetings

Mole thanks all blog visitors for their

participation, comments and other input

over the past year. See you in 2017!!