Natal Photographers: Caney's Building, Durban

The Caney's Building, West Street, Durban; the name can be seen 

over the store window. Next door was the Tattersall Bar.

 This was the first 3 storey structure in Durban. The family lived on the third floor, which was rickety and which swayed when the wind blew strong off the Bay. 

The third floor was demolished as a result. 

The shape of the lady's skirt outside the shop window indicates a date during the 1860s, when the fan-shaped hoop was fashionable.

Acknowlegement: Graham Leslie MacCallum

Deceased estate files and their hidden clues.

It is surprising what can emerge in a deceased estate file.
Here, an engraving showing the ancestor's place of business, Tattersall's in Durban, taken from his letterhead. It doesn't get much better than this in family history research. And it is another reason why one should never stop at the Death Notice but peruse every single piece of paper in the estate file for clues.