Follow
Early Women Immigrants to South Africa who came alone
It is emphasised that although most of the woman listed became SM/Matriarchs/Progenitors of families in South Africa they came alone and married in South Africa.
- Initially the main source used is incorporated in the German Personalia by Dr Hoge under the 4th heading Women Immigrants. Please use other available sources that you know of and list them in the Resources below.
This project is devoted to the women who settled in South Africa, arriving on their own as single women, widows or following there husbands. Please only add the profiles of these female immigrants - not their families or husbands.
It is also a place where you can share links to online resources, tell other users where records etc. can be found and make queries or ask for help through the discussion facility.
To participate in any project
- you do need to first be a collaborator - so join the project. See the discussion Project Help: How to add Text to a Project - Starter Kit to get you going!
How to Participate
- Please add the profiles of Woman Immigrants to South Africa - (not their entire families and descendants!). This is easily done from the profile page using the Add to project link.
- If you have any queries related to these woman please start a discussion linked to this project. (See the menu top right).
- Please add related projects to the menu on the right.
- If you have links to related web pages that would be of interest to others please add them in the relevant section at the bottom of the page. In order to do this use the drop down menu at the top left of the screen and Join the Project. If this option is not available to you then contact a collaborator and ask to be added to the project. As a collaborator you will be able to edit this page.
- Add any documents of interest using the menu at the top right of the page, and then add a link to the document in the text under the heading below. If you do not know how to do this please contact one of the other collaborators to assist you.
Background
In the early years of the Cape of Good Hope there were not enough woman to marry so many female orphans weesmeisies, were brought in.
... thereas in a Resolution of the Council of Seventeen dated 3rd October 1685 it is
already laid down that the Cape Station should be provided with persons who understand agriculture and the soil, both men and women, with a view to establishing in due course an important Colony and place of refreshment for the use of the Company and to the benefit of the inhabitants; we now therefore have favoured the eight young women with a passage to the Cape of Good Hope on the ship China (which is a large vessel), proceeding from this Chamber, and they arc to remain at the Cape for the above purpose under a five year contract, in accordance with the Resolution of the latest meeting of the Council, whereas prior to this date it was a contract for 5 years, and subject to the Regulations drawn up and laid down for Free Burghers. The names are:
- Ariaentgen Jansz van Son
- Willemtgen Arijens de Wit
- Arijaentgen Jacobs van den Berg
- Judith Jansz verbeccq
- PetroneIle Cornelis van Capelle
- Jongetgen Cornelis van den bout
- Catharina Jane van der Zee
- Eltrap van Klecf
departed in December 1687 on the ship 'China' for the Cape. By October 1688 six of them had already married and the last of the eight was married on 8 May 1689. The orphan girls were in fact so few that they resulted in no noticeable improvement in the shortage of marriageable women in the Cape settlement
The Single Irish Women - Kennaway Girls
A list of unmarried women (surname, first names, place of origin and age) who arrived in East London, South Africa on 20 November 1857 on-board the Lady Kennaway.
- Anderson, Sarah. Armagh. 20
- Armstrong, Eliza. Dublin. 30
- Barrett, Maura. Dublin. 19
- Barry, Bridget. Meath. 20
- Blakeney, Deborah. Dublin. 18
- Blakeney, Mary Ann. Dublin. 21
- Blykes, Mary. Armagh. 23
- Borbidge, Ann. Dublin. 18
- Boulger, Jane. Dublin. 28
- Bradley, Susan. Donegal. 24
- Bradner, Margaret. Dublin. 28
- Branagan, Eliza. Dublin. 22
- Breen, Margaret. Dublin. 18
- Bright, Margaret. Kildare. 24
- Brophy, Catherine. Tipperary. 20
- Bullin, Ellen. Cork. 18
- Burke, Bridget. Dublin. 25
- Byrne, Ann. Dublin. 23
- Byrne, Catherine. Kilkenny. 20
- Byrne, Johanna. Dublin. 19
- Campbell, Mary. Armagh. 19
- Caughlin, Margaret. Armagh. 19
- Chapman, Harriett. Cork. 20
- Clark, Jane. Dublin. 25
- Clarke, Anne. Donegal. 26
- Clarken, Ellen. Fermanagh. 18
- Collins, Mary. Dublin. 20
- Collis, Kate. Dublin. 32
- Connor, Catherine. Clonmel. 18
- Corcoran, Jane. Dublin. 18
- Corrin, Susan. Dublin. 21
- Cox, Catherine. Fermanagh. 21
- Caffrey, Eliza. Kildare. 19
- Cullen, Jane. Dublin. 23
- Cummins, Bridget. Kildare. 19
- Curry, Margaret. Dublin. 18
- Dalton, Mary. Dublin. 21
- Daniel, Margaret. Clonmel. 20
- Day, Mary. Dublin. 23
- Demsey, Sarah. Dublin. 17
- Donaldson, Jane. Monaghan. 20
- Donaldson, Prudence. Monaghan. 19
- Donohue, Margaret. Clonmel. 28
- Dool, Jemima. Derry. 19
- Doran, Bridget. Clonmel. 18
- Doyle, Margaret. Dublin. 24
- Doyle, Maria. Dublin. 26
- Doyle, Mary. Dublin. 21
- Dunn, Eleanor. Dublin. 24
- Finlay, Maria. Dublin. 18
- Fitzroy, Johanna. Dublin. 23
- Flanagan, Anne. Tipperary. 20
- Flanagan, Mary. Tipperary. 18
- Flora, Bridget. Dublin. 25
- Fulham, Harriet. Dublin. 19
- Gaffney, Jane. Meath. 20
- Gallagher, Catherine. Tyrone. 21
- Gallagher, Margaret. Dublin. 24
- Garry, Anne. Meath. 21
- Glascott, Judy. Clonmel. 18
- Cogen, Mary. Dublin. 30
- Goodwin, Ellen. Dublin. 20
- Grace, Kate. Dublin. 21
- Graham, Ellen. Dublin. 25
- Hall, Maria. Dublin. 20
- Hanrahan, Catherine. Kilkenny. 23
- HaNrahan, Johanna. Kilkenny. 21
- Hefferty, Mary. Donegal. 21
- Henderson, Jane. Derry. 27
- Henry, Selina. Dublin. 23
- Hinds, Sarah. Armagh. 23
- Hughes, Charlotte. Dublin. 19
- Hunter, Mary. Antrim. 23
- Hyland, Honor. Clonmel. 18
- Jones, Mary. Dublin. 30
- Kane, Matilda. Tyrone. 18
- Keane, Esther. Dublin. 25
- Keating, Mary. Kilkenny. 25
- Keegan, Susan. Dublin. 20
- Kehse, Mary. Dublin. 20
- Kelly, Charlotte. Dublin. 19
- Kerr, Rose. Armagh. 31
- Lacy, Elizabeth. Dublin. 18
- Lavenny, Judy. Galway. 19
- Lawrence, Jane. Cork. 20
- Lee, Catherine. Dublin. 20
- Lee, Nora. Dublin. 20
- Leekey, Elizabeth. Antrim. 21
- Lodge, Dora. Dublin. 27
- Maher, Anne. Kildare. 20
- Mann, Mary. Clare. 21
- Mannsell, Anna. Tipperary. 18
- Mannsett, Mary. Dublin. 21
- McAlendon, Anne. Dublin. 19
- McAlister, Margaret. Armagh. 20
- McBride, Jane. Fermanagh. 27
- McCafferty, Bridget. Donegal. 22
- McCafferty, Margaret. Donegal. 20
- McDonnell, Mary. Donegal. 27
- McEvitt, Isabella. Dublin. 19
- McGuigan, Jane. Tyrone. 18
- McGuire, Johanna. Dublin. 18
- McIleen, Margaret. Dublin. 17
- McItee, Ann. Dublin. 19
- McNamara, Fanny. Dublin. 18
- McNamara, Isabella. Armagh. 31
- Merrigan, Anne. Dublin. 22
- Merrigan, Eliza. Dublin. 20
- Milton, Anne. Wicklow. 24
- Moore, Mary. Dublin. 18
- Mullin, Olivia. Dublin. 26
- Murphy, Anne. Dublin. 23
- Murphy, Bridget. Limerick. 19
- Murphy, Mary. Limerick. 26
- Myles, Isabella. Donegal. 21
- Neale, Honor. Kilkenny. 27
- Neary, Mary. Kilkenny. 30
- Neill, Margaret. Tipperary. 19
- Norton, Anne. Dublin. 23
- Norton, Ellen. Dublin. 25
- O’Neal, Catherine. Kildare. 26
- O’Neill, Anne. Dublin. 26
- Phillips, Mary. Antrim. 26
- Power, Susan. Dublin. 27
- Purss, Harriet. Middlesex. 15
- Read, Jane. Dublin. 18
- Robinson, Sarah. Dublin. 19
- Ryan, Judith. Tipperary. 18
- Schulle, Fredericka. Middlesex. 29
- Shea, Mary. Clonmel. 18
- Sheeran, Mary. Fermanagh. 18
- Singleton, Eliza. Dublin. 21
- Slavin, Sarah. Fermanagh. 20
- Smith, Mary. Dublin. 18
- Sullivan, Margaret. Dublin. 26
- Tago (or Tays / Teys), Catherine. Donegal. 24
- Talbot, Anne. Dublin. 28
- Taylor, Elizabeth. Armagh. 21
- Tobin, Mary. Clonmel. 18
- Toole, Mary. Dublin. 28
- Walsh, Elizabeth. Kilkenny. 23
- Warren, Mary. Dublin. 18
- Waters, Maria. Dublin. 19
- Weir, Ellen. Antrim. 19
- Weir, Mary. Antrim. 24
- Welch, Sarah. Clonmel. 24
- Whelan, Anne. Dublin. 27
- White, Margaret. Clonmel. 18
- White, Mary. Kildare. 21
- White, Mary. Donegal. 20
- Winstan, Maria. Cork. 20
Various Sources
G
- J Graham
Sex: F
Age: Adult
Marital status: Single
Occupation: Widow and 2 Children
Surety details: J. Henderson, PMB
Nomination or Registered number: 285/82/A
Port of arrival: Durban
Arrived 10 Dec 1882 aboard the S.S. Grantully Castile
Source: NAB Pietermaritzburg Archives, Land and Immigration Board, Natal,
Register of Immigrants Arrived, Vol 66b, page pp. 376 - 378
H
- Hughes, Charlotte
Sex: F
Age: Shown as 19 on the 'Lady Kennaway' passenger list, but actually 16 (later UK census records show b.1841)
Place of birth: Dublin (possibly one of the Union Workhouses)
Marital status: Single
Occupation: Servant
Port of arrival: East London
Arrived: 20th November 1857 aboard 'Lady Kennaway'
Marriage: To Private Edward HOLLINS of the Cape Mounted Rifles at Holy Trinity Church, King William Town on 1st February 1860
Resided: 1860: King William Town, 1862: Grahamtown, 1864: returned to Great Britain
Died: 1914, Christchurch , England
Sources: Hollins family document, 'Lady Kennaway' passenger list, UK censuses
R
- Anna Rodolphus Arrived in male soldier attire, died a few days before marriage
T
- Anna Catharina Tube She followed her husband 3 years after he came to SA
U
- Cathairna Ustings Arrived as widow
V
W
- Maria Willems
- Anna Willemse
- Maria Winkelhausen also called Maria Hendriks Winkelhausen SM Sources Added
- Wolff Eva Rosina
Sources Added
Resources
Servants and gentlewomen to the golden land : the emigration of single women from Britain to Southern Africa, 1820-1939
Author: Cecillie Swaisland
Publisher: Pietermartizburg, South Africa : University of Natal Press, ©1993
Links to Web pages of Interest
- List of German Settlers 1858, 1877 and 1878
- http://www.eastlondon-labyrinth.com/germans/lady-kennaway-02.jsp
- http://www.openwriting.com/archives/2008/06/early_british_s_1.php
- http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?232867
Go to:
See Also Related Geni Project Pages:
- South African Progenitors - Matriarchs/Stammoeders
- South African Progenitors - Stamvaders
- South African Genealogical Reference Centre is there to help with SA genealogical nitty gritty; naming conventions and language usages.