Joseph Waldron - anyone heard of him?

1870 census USA , North Carolina.
Mulatto
Hus name , wife and all the children.

Sorry Mingo , South Carolina 1870 census

All born South Carolina not the Cape.
Cross referenced with gravestones of him and children to confirm.

1860 census he says place of birth Cape of Good Hope

The best place to look for South African records is Family Search. I had a quick look and did not come across a Joseph Wallace Waldron, but a lot of the Waldron's I found Death records for were born in England. There were also a few who were military, also from England. It is well worth browsing there.

I have a Joseph Waldon marrying Rachel Grieve in 1878 in Bloemfontein.
The surname changed to Walden after that.
I have yet to discover where he was born but it is thought it was Ireland.

Joseph Waldron wife surname on US cesus 1900 Waldren

--- and Waldern

I forwarded your information to Shuan Waldron, here in South Africa. He says the Waldron family is of Irish origin. So try Ireland for birth records. And maybe the 1820 Brittish Settlers to South Africa. Maybe he was one of them, or a child of one of them? Ship passenger records should shed some light. Especially if he was born before arrival in the Cape.

Many thanks! I will start with Family Search and see what I can find. This family is very interconnected in Horry County, South Carolina, USA lines. Just now getting around to document them. It is a coastal county, so possible that he came in New Bern or Wilmington, NC; Savannah, GA; Charleston or Georgetown, SC. All were major entrance points and not far.

Yes, I think that the Joseph who married Rachel is also much later than this Joseph, though somewhere to perhaps start.

I didn't find a "perfect" match in the 1820 Settlers listing; however, on page 152, I did find Edward "Whalton" age 30 and wife Jane age 35 along with a son Joseph who was 15 - the age of this Joseph. Whether Joseph is a son, brother or what or even a Whalton is speculation for me given the ages of the parents, but It is interesting.

Not sure that match is viable, but I have seen real ones that were more far-fetched. No parents for now, but still searching. I appreciate Sharon Doubell's help putting this out here and for all of you for responding. Keep Joseph Wallace Waldron in the back of your mind in case you come across something. Much appreciated from your South Carolina friends/cousins.

I found a DN of Frank William Waldron. 1853 - 1923. He was born in Harrow England and a Civil Servant. His father was J Waldron and his mother, Isabel. F W Waldron married Annie Hawkins. See: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9BY-YQ1Y-Q?i=152&...

Thanks so much, Maryna Naudé, b1c8d3e7f5g5h1i2 I will check it out. Perhaps he is a relative. It is a start at least. I am not sure the dates match up, but will have to make a chart. Sometimes it is the only way I can "see" things. Again, many thanks for being so kind to help with this. I don't know that I have run across anyone in South Carolina from South Africa from the 19th century. That I have met a number in the 20th century and 21st century personally here. This is one of those unique things like my maternal grandparents who landed here from Finland just over 100 years ago!

Please refer to LXWZ-SKJ on Family Search. It is stated he was born 1805 in Cape of Good Hope. By 1860 he was residing in Williamsburg, South Carolina. Died 1876 South Carolina. Married to Maria Jane Morton. Several children.

Also if born in 1805 in the Cape he would obviously not be part of the 1820 British Settlers. Interestingly his parents could have been part of the 1795 British Occupation in the Cape when the Dutch relinquished control.

Thanks so much Dawid Marais. That is all so true and why the profile that Maryna found might only be a relative. Yes, it looks like he would have been earlier than an 1820 settler unless he just considered South Africa as his "home" when he answered questions on the 1850 US census.

I am still perplexed but for it to say specifically "Cape of Good Hope, South Africa" and be written as such, it couldn't be a computer error like we have when "SC" is typed in the wrong field on Geni and comes up Seychelles instead of South Carolina. :-)

If you look at the handwritten notes on the image of the 1860 cencus it states "Cape of Good Hope" as his place of birth while his wife and children were born in S Carolina. In the 1870 cencus he and his whole family is listed as mixed race "mulatto" and it would appear that they were absorbed in the black community. Therefore, it appears very likely that Joseph's father was a British soldier serving at the Cape after the 1795 occupation and that his mother was a lady of mixed race or possibly a slave or indigenous. During the 1600's and early 1700's it was common for white males to have relations with slave women and even marrying them after being freed. By 1800 racism and prejudice against mixed relations became pronounced which may account for the fact that there is no record in SA of a marriage, birth or baptism.

Dawid -- look at bottom left of 1870 census page -- 4 white males that would be him and 3 sons

Incorrectly listed as M for Mulatto should be W for White .
Also look at white females on 1870 census list

Same mistake Joseph M Waldron instead of Joseph W Waldron

Think you are right. The cencus officer's M and W are almost identical.

---and by bad writing all lost !

Waldron

The Cape Town archives in Roeland Street holds a will for:

Jane Waldron, wife of Thomas Lowther, dated 1802, filed in 1803.

This file may provide further clues. Ref. MOOC 7/1/48 Item no. 9. See further NAAIRS catalogue

Also, Peter Philip ”British Residents at the Cape 1795 – 1819” has an entry for:

Francis Waldron, Ensign with the 24th Foot who served at the Cape of Good Hope 1806-07

(Source: British Army Lists)

Good luck with your further searches!

Dave Mitchell
Cape Town

Grt find David ,!

Wow! So the earlier lists show Waldrons in Cape of Good Hope before the 1820s. I did a search of Francis on Google and in Family Search. Amazingly, there is a copy of "British Residents at the Cape" at the University of South Carolina Library not so far from me and I should be able to gain access as an alum. I have some work to do in Columbia this month and will see where that leads.

Family Search doesn't seem to find him from my searches there - not a Francis who is that far back, but I may not be digging deep enough.

I can only express my family's gratefulness to you all for your help. This has been a long-time mystery for the family and we pray for connections that make sense for Joseph Wallace Waldron. It is a unique sort of connection, for in all my wanderings over South Carolina, USA during his genealogical time period - both before and after, I have not found another South African immigrant - though there may be more that are not noted or misrepresented by census takers.

I suspect there is a story here about why he left South Africa for America, one that we may never know, but the search for Joseph's roots is a wonderful journey in its own right. And look at the new Geni-friends I have made!