Genealogy Chat

I am desperately trying to find any info about the Dewars who left Scotland and arrived in South Africa about 1895

Welcome to genesreunited, Lorna.

Could you give some names and approximate birth dates, please?

Is this relevant ??

Mrs Dewar
in the UK, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960
Name: Mrs Dewar
Gender: Female
Age: 30
Birth Date: abt 1865
Departure Date: 12 Oct 1895
Port of Departure: Southampton, England
Destination Port: Algoa Bay, South Africa
Ship Name: Scot
Master: G Larmer


Travelling with Master Dewar, age 6.
There's also a female "infant" listed, whom I think is a Dewar, aged 1.

There are a few other Dewars travelling to South Africa at that time:

C S Dewar
in the UK, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960
Name: C S Dewar
Gender: Male
Age: 23
Birth Date: abt 1872
Departure Date: 22 Feb 1895
Port of Departure: London, England
Destination Port: Cape Town, South Africa
Ship Name: Dunottar Castle
Shipping line: Castle Line
Official Number: 98152
Master: W Hay

He's a storeman, travelling out with a lot of miners.


T Dewar
in the UK, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960
Name: T Dewar
Gender: Male
Age: 21
Birth Date: abt 1874
Departure Date: 14 Jun 1895
Port of Departure: Southampton, England
Destination Port: Cape Town, South Africa
Ship Name: Norham Castle
Shipping line: Castle Line
Official Number: 87101
Master: R Duncan

He's a merchant.


W Dewar
in the UK, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960
Name: W Dewar
Gender: Male
Age: 42
Birth Date: abt 1853
Departure Date: 30 Sep 1895
Port of Departure: Falmouth, England
Destination Port: Natal
Ship Name: Harlech Castle
Shipping line: Castle Line
Official Number: 102867
Master: W Warden

That one's a miner.


Mr A K J Dewar
in the UK, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960
Name: Mr A K J Dewar
Gender: Male
Departure Date: 30 Mar 1895
Port of Departure: Southampton, England
Destination Port: Cape
Ship Name: Norman
Master: Bainbridge



Mr Dewar
in the UK, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960
Name: Mr Dewar (gentleman)
Gender: Male
Age: 44
Birth Date: abt 1852
Departure Date: 19 Jun 1896
Port of Departure: London, England
Destination Port: Natal
Ship Name: Dabulamanzi
Shipping line: Aberdeen Line
Master: W Findlay


And various others!

??? if this site will be of any use?? You have to browse all the images at the moment .... which you can easily do yourself :-)

https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/South_Africa,_Cape_Province,_Western_Cape_Archive_Records_(FamilySearch_Historical_Records)

Close up spaces

PM sent to Lorna to let her know there are replies and that we need more info.

The info I have and not sure if great grandfather and mother is the right people.
John Dewar born 1867 Scotland died South Africa: Janet Dewar born 1869 I think she died South Africa.: children were Jessia or Jeanie Dewar born Scotland born 1895 died 1952 Port Elizabeth SA: Andrew or Alexander Powe born Scotland 1896 died Port Elizabeth SA: James born Scotland 1898 no info re death: Janet born Scotland 1900 no info on death: Ms Dewar born 1952 but there seems to be some discrepancies regards if born Scotland as she died the same day she was born: James Harold Dewar born South Africa 7/12/1895 Port Elizabeth SA died SA age 33 27/9/1929, he married Mary Alisa Dewar nee Arthur 1/8/1899 and died 6/9/1969 Port Elizabeth SA. Their children Alexander, Tommy, Nancy, Janet and James Harold Reuben Dewar, and Ruenen dewar died 6 months old. James Harold Ruenen Dewar was my father he was born 7/12/1929 Port Elizabeth SA and died April 2004 Durban, Kwa Zulu Natal SA and married Peggy Maureen nee Hand 6/8/1928 and died March 1983 Durban Kwa Zulu Natal, they had me Lorna Mary Regina , Anthony Claude born 1/6/1950 died ?? Durban Kwa Zulu Natal, Victor Bernard born 1/10/1951 died ?? Kwa Zulu Natal and James Lesley still living.
This is all the info I have managed to collect but still need the correct info from. Great grandparents and maybe beyond and where in Scotland they came from when they left and if they arrived in South Africa 1892/1895. Many thanks for helping so far

Lorna, please remove your exact date of birth, and that of anyone else still living.

Too much risk of identity theft.

Some oddity about the info you give, Lorna -

All the children you say were born in Scotland, were born AFTER James Harold who was born SA. (Apart from Jeannie, who was born the same year as James Harold, but in Scotland - just possible, but unlikely.)

Did the parents come back for a while between 1895 and 1900 ??

And who is the Ms Dewar born 1952 (presumably you mean 1852?) - can't be a child of John & Janet, nor a parent.

The birth dates and names of everyone in this family match the info you've given:

John Dewar
in the 1901 Scotland Census
Name: John Dewar
Age: 34
Estimated birth year: abt 1867
Relationship: Head
Spouse's name : Janet Dewar
Gender: Male
Where born: Lanarkshire, strathbungo
Registration Number: 560B
Registration district: Cathcart Burgh
Civil Parish: Cathcart
County: Lanarkshire
Address: 16 Minard Rd
Occupation: Stone Mason
ED: 16
Household schedule number: 8
LINE: 1
Roll: CSSCT1901_189
Household Members:
Name Age
John Dewar 34
Janet Dewar 32 - born Springburn, Lanarkshire
Jeanie Dewar 6 - born Shawlands, Renfrewshire
Andrew Dewar 5 - ditto
James Dewar 3 - ditto
Janet Dewar 9mo - born Crossmyloof, Renfrewshire

It could be that the info I got was incorrect looking at it now the same could be for Ms Dewar as she looks as if she died at birth thus no proper name. Also the birth dates given could be incorrect. I am not sure if they ever went back to Scotland for a while and came back. Also they seemed to have cone from Ayrshire Scotland.

Gosh I think your info is so spot on all I now need to fined is when they left Scotland for Algoa Bay ( now known as Port Elizabeth ) by boat. I am so happy about getting this far, thank you so much <3

I was just wondering the passenger list showing Mrs Dewar travelling with two children in October 1895, even though the age difference of the mom could be the Janet Dewar?? Maybe I am over eager.

This is the only John Dewar / Janet marriage in Glasgow 1890-96 showing on ScotlandsPeople - could be them ?? (Just a possibility - I'm not sure. Janet may not have been her official name.))

For a few credits you can view and print the original document, which will give details of their parents' names, occupations, etc.

1894 DEWAR JOHN ROWAT JANET GORBALS GLASGOW CITY/LANARK 644/12 0212


????


Janet Rowat
in the 1881 Scotland Census
Name: Janet Rowat
Age: 11
Estimated birth year: abt 1870
Relationship: Daughter
Mother's name: Janet Rowat
Gender: Female
Where born: Springburn, Lanarkshire
Registration Number: 644/3
Registration district: Dennistoun
Civil Parish: Glasgow Springburn
County: Lanarkshire
Address: 374 Springburn Rd
Occupation: Scholar
ED: 94
Household schedule number: 58
LINE: 15
Roll: cssct1881_222
Household Members:
Name Age
Janet Rowat 48
James Rowat 19
Christina Rowat 19
John Rowat 17
Janet Rowat 11



Janet Rowat
in the 1891 Scotland Census
Name: Janet Rowat
Age: 21
Estimated birth year: abt 1870
Relationship: Daur (Daughter)
Mother's name: Jane S Rowat
Gender: Female
Where born: Glasgow, Lanarkshire
Registration Number: 644/3
Registration district: Dennistoun
Civil Parish: Glasgow Barony
County: Lanarkshire
Address: 374 Springburn Rd
Occupation: Relief Stamper
ED: 98
Household schedule number: 64
LINE: 15
Roll: CSSCT1891_253
Household Members:
Name Age
Jane S Rowat 63
Christina Rowat 28
John Rowat 27
Janet Rowat 21

Although the Mrs Dewar and children travelling in 1895 are tempting, all the ages are wrong.

And they would have had to come back again before 1901. (I'm sure that census record is the right family.)

But on the other hand, how many Dewars went to Algoa Bay ??

Yes I think you are right as I remember my Dad saying he saw some where in a book, not sure what the book was, maybe one of those where people who came into the country had to put their names in it, two parents and two or three children which matches to the info you gave me. How would I go about finding birth certificates?

You said for a few credits I could view and print the original documents giving parents names and occupations etc, how would I do this?

http://www.national.archsrch.gov.za/sm300cv/smws/sm300dl

(in case above holds anything!)


http://www.eggsa.org/

(another)

Chris :)

Thank you, will let you know how
I got on with this ;-)

To view the documents on ScotlandsPeople, you need to register with the site:
http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk, and buy credits.
30 credits cost £7.

Then go to "Statutory Registers" (that's for BMD's from 1855 onwards), and select Marriages (assuming it's the John Dewar / Janet Rowat marriage you want to see.)

Enter the search details as shown in my earlier post, and set the Search Options box at "Exact" names, and click "Do the search".
Normally it's best to set the Search Options to Surname Variants (or Foreneme Variants) as names are often not spelled as you would expect them to be, but in this case you have the exact spellings in my earlier post.

It will cost you one credit to "Do the Search".
When you then see the search result, you can click on "View", which will cost another 5 credits, and it will show you an image of the original document, which you can print if you wish..

If you decide not to print it, but then later want to see it again, DON'T do the search again, as it will cost you more credits..
Instead, click on "Previous Searches" at the top of the page, and you can view it again free of charge.