Thursday, December 14, 2017

Wishing you a Happy Christmas ...









4 comments:

SHANEB said...

Thank you for the Christmas Wishes Rosemary, I have throughly enjoyed reading your Blog, it has been very informative and helpful to me. All the Best Wishes for Christmas and the forthcoming 2018.
Regards, Shane Bignoux.

Mole said...

Thanks so much Shane! I am always pleased to receive positive feedback about Mole's Blog. Keep reading in the New Year. I wish you a very Happy Christmas and all the best for 2018.

Robyn said...

Hello Rosemary,

Thanks ever so much for all of the interesting and useful info that you post - thanks to several leads from your posts I have been able to track down several people in my extended family tree that had been in the "don't know what happened to them" category.

By the way, it turns out that I have distant cousins that were also involved with the Durban lighthouse in the early 1900's.
The Laland family came to Durban in the late 1800's (a widow, Barbara Laland, & four of her five children). Barbara ended up marrying the lighthouse-keeper Francis James Bentinck Shortt in 1901 & one of her sons (Francis Duncomb Laland) acted as assistant light-keeper for a few years as well. There's references to his appointment etc. in NAAIRS (NHD II/1/108 HDE1700/1906 & NHD II/1/119 HDE1168/1907).

Barbara died in 1908 & the family appeared to disperse & migrate away from Durban within a few years after her death. 2 of the children (Sarah & Thomas) returned to England & 2 (Francis & Christian) ended up living in various parts of Africa (Malawi, Rhodesia, Kenya). Francis & Christian both ended up settling in Rhodesia & died there in the early 1960's.
[My connection to the Laland's is via the one child who didn't come to South Africa with Barbara - Anders Laland - he married Adeline Turnbull, a 4th cousin of my grandfather].

FYI: When it comes to "interesting" nicknames arising from one's genealogical pursuits - my mother has started calling me "The Family Ferret" ;)

Cheers & Merry Christmas,
Robyn Laing

Mole said...

Thank you so much for your positive feedback, Robyn. I'm pleased you've found Mole's Blog helpful. FJB Shortt is listed in Harold Williams's book Southern Lights as keeper at the Bluff lighthouse from 27.7.1889 to 30.6.1898 - quite a long term. In 1898 he was Senior lightkeeper at the Bluff. I see no reference to Laland in this source.
Best Wishes for the New Year, and keep ferreting, Mole.