General - Family History & Genealogy Message Board

Re: Addison and Boham Family trees

lys_add22 — 2013-05-28 15:11:50Z

Dats absolutely fine . I will email you now

Re: Addison and Boham Family trees

Ykeb1 — 2013-05-28 13:48:25Z

You are correct that I live in the Netherlands. I was also born here.

If you do not mind I would rather not give my aunt's name on a message board. However if you send an e-mail to me on the address here below I will provide you this information privately.

keblay@hotmail.com

Re: Addison and Boham Family trees

lys_add22 — 2013-05-28 12:59:32Z

Ykeb1,
Just wondering what the name of your addison aunt is. I am trying to put up a list of people I will ask about when I go back to Ghana . And if I understood correctly you reside in the Netherlands ?

Re: Addison and Boham Family trees

Ykeb1 — 2013-05-28 12:00:39Z

Unfortunately I do not know his exact location in Ghana though I know he is residing there at the moment. Once I establish contact with my aunt I will be able to inform you better.

Re: Addison and Boham Family trees

Ykeb1 — 2013-05-28 11:57:32Z

My condolences for the death of your father. I wish you all the strength for the coming period.

I am actually Dutch-born (living in the Netherlands) and have access to an extensive database of a Dutch professor who has been working on the Dutch-Ghana links for nearly 30 years. I can inform you that currently there is no definitive roots known for the Van Dijk family though there are several candidates.

The issue here is that we know of at least 2 separate Dutch men with the surname Van Dijk that were present in Elmina with the Dutch West India Company. The problem is that one was present in the first half of the 18th century and the other towards the end of that century. It is very possible that these two Dutch men were also related but that has as yet not been established. The information however can be retrieved as there is extensive material in the Dutch National Archives that have not yet been consulted.

Please do ask around the family members at the funeral as it is usually at such occasions that certain family members will be present who will have pieces of the puzzle from which a better picture can be built.

If you are aware of any roots to your family in Jumba, then my suggestion is to also ask about the surname Plange. Other interesting surnames to look out for is Blake-Addison, Hagan, Simons and Hammond.

Finally there is also a possible female ancestor named Abba Esson. She would also have been a Euro-African though as yet we do not know her European name.

Kind Regards

Re: Addison and Boham Family trees

lys_add22 — 2013-05-28 11:53:37Z

Ykeb1
Where is this Joseph addison at the moment please..

Re: Addison and Boham Family trees

lys_add22 — 2013-05-28 11:41:42Z

Gosh you are ... The village jubma is well known to me ... And it's soo unfortunate you only saw this now .. I am in my 20's and my dad hu died two weeks ago would have been able to help us.. He was 94 yrs .. You know what I will keep an eye on the people who come down to the funeral and see what I gather .. I know the van dyck roots is from Dutchland as well and according to my dad my grandma Elizabeth's mum must have been with a vandyck .. So it's either you are looking for my grandma's sister or maybe my grandmas auntie or something ...you so definitely have an addison link... I wish I could trace back to these Dutch ancestors cuz I have hit the dead end

Re: Addison and Boham Family trees

Ykeb1 — 2013-05-28 11:40:45Z

Dear lys_add22,

I forgot to add that my aunt's own uncle also carries the Joseph Addison name. He is elderly and may actually know the full family connection but I have not yet been able to get a hold of him.

Re: Addison and Boham Family trees

Ykeb1 — 2013-05-28 11:29:31Z

Dear lys_add22,

Thank you for your swift reply.

The ancestor I am referring to was a lady named Ekua Manan. I believe her to be a VanDycke though she was not from Komenda.

I know the root of the VanDycke name as I have been working on this type of genealogy for a few years now. It is originally from the Dutch name Van Dijk and found its roots in Ghana in Elmina during the late 18th century. It was during the 19th century while the British became more influential on the Coast that many of the original Dutch (and German) names were anglicised.

My particular branch of VanDycke has maternal roots in Apam (I believe originally from a village named Jumba near Apam). However this is not the VanDycke name itself. Nevertheless the nature of the families in question is such that they were very mobile. They also married into prominent families so it is not at all far-fetched that a marriage would take place into a prominent family in Komenda (especially considering we are dealing with the Central Region).

While I do not know your own age (so unable to establish an estimate as to when your grandfather was born), Ekua Manan is my great great great great grandmother who would have been born somewhere between 1815-1825. My suspicion is that if your Addison family is indeed the branch we relate to, your Elizabeth VanDycke would have been her niece.

I hope this information is of assistance.

Kind Regards

Re: Addison and Boham Family trees

lys_add22 — 2013-05-28 11:00:41Z

Dear ykeb1 ,
What is the Fante name of the ancestor u know .. Sadly the only person that could help with this passed 2 weeks ago . He was 94 ... But if know the name fanti name u can let me know will find out . And is this vandyck from komenda in the central region of Ghana.

Re: Addison and Boham Family trees

Ykeb1 — 2013-05-28 10:48:43Z

Dear lus_add22,

I visit the Ghana message boards frequently, but it was not until recently that I was made aware of an Addison link to my own family tree meaning I have only just now read your post.

You have inadvertently provided me with great information that could possibly confirm that the hypothesis I have been working on for over a year may be validated. I thank you for this.

The specific information that pertains to me is concerning your grandfather Joseph Addison and particularly his marriage to an Elizabeth Van Dyck. So far there does not seem to be anybody still alive who is able to confirm how my family relates to the Addison branch, while we all know there is a link. Elizabeth Van Dyck could very well be this link as the Van Dyck name is potentially the surname of a female ancestor I am researching whom we only know by her Fanti name. Furthermore, this ancestor is in exactly the same direction we know our link to the Addison family lies. I am therefore extremely grateful for your post.

While I am unable to provide you with any further information on the Addison family, I have an Addison aunt who may be able to fill in some gaps for you. What I will do is direct her to your post on this board so that she may interact with you directly. Hopefully some answers can be provided for you.

Kind Regards

Re: John Hope Smith

sallyjt — 2012-11-25 22:14:52Z

Having looked through my files I find that I did have a copy of the page of baptisms for 26 May 1867, which included the baptism of Ellen Catherine Waldron. As I had only been researching direct lines of descent, and not having looked at Mary Ann Waldron's siblings in detail, I had assumed that the John Waldron shown as Ellen Catherine Waldron's father must be John Waldron junior i.e. Mary Ann Waldron's brother. I see now that I am mistaken but cannot help identify a father. The Waldron sisters may have had rather irregular relationships. Mary Ann's and Ralph Milward Smith's first child, a son Ralph, was born out of wedlock. Mary Ann was pregnant with their second child when she and Ralph travelled to Paisley in Scotland for their wedding on 5th March 1861. The only witnesses were a local couple who appear to be connected to the church. I suspect that the quiet wedding was to gain respectability before the 1861 census. Their second son, Arthur Charles, was born on 27 July 1861.
The baptisms in 1867 must have been after the family was perhaps getting back on it's feet financially. Ralph had been declared bankrupt in April 1865 when he was at the Alma Public House, Alma St, New North Road, Islington. By the time the order was discharged in December 1865, he was recorded as having been at the Pickering Arms, Pickering St, Islington.
I have noticed that in 1841 to 1871 census returns there are entries for a William Waldron and his family. William was born in Bath but moved to London. I have wondered if there was any relationship with the John Waldron who married Mary Hummerston. Does he appear anywhere on your tree? - I would be interested in seeing details on the private Stocks Family tree if I may.

Re: John Hope Smith

chriswat61 — 2012-11-18 04:12:40Z

Thank you for your reply. I have Ellen's death certifcate, the quality is bad, but it should help in your research.
I have a private family tree on ancestry-Stocks Family Tree. I am happy to share what I have in the tree.

Re: John Hope Smith

sallyjt — 2012-11-17 14:45:49Z

I was very interested to see your query. I haven't done much family history research recently and so had to refresh my memory about this part of the family. We have never been able to find much information about the Waldron side of the tree, the only definite facts are that he was a Master Baker, and in census returns claimed to be born in Bath. I haven't been able to establish any definite link to any other Waldron family so far. Mary Hummerston's name appears on several family tree entries in ancestry - frequently her parents are shown as unknown, but there is at least one entry claiming to show name her parents, but I have not come across any specific factual evidence proving the link (but have not really followed this up). Mary Ann Waldron was Ralph Milward Smith's 3rd wife, and by that time his career was indeed a publican (earlier in life he had clerical positions). I hadn't seen your additional information about Ellen Catherine Waldon before and will certainly follow it up when time permits and see if I can find any further links.
Sorry that I cannot be more helpful at present.

Re: John Hope Smith

chriswat61 — 2012-11-14 07:50:57Z

My enquiry is about the wife of Ralph Milward Smith, Mary Ann Waldron. She was born in 1836 to John Waldron a baker and Mary Hummerston(could have different spelling).In 1867 some of her children were baptised, along with her sister Ellen's daughter Ellen Catherine Waldron.Ralph's occupation was given as a publican. Ralph's family as well,as Ellen and her daughter, was given as 10 Landseer Road.
No one has been able to establish, who the father of Ellen Catherine was, the information on the baptism is that of her mother's father John Waldron. Ellen Waldron had a second daughter, Alice Annie Waldron(though was known by the surname Stanyer). Ellen Waldron married Thomas Stanyer(a soldier) in 1873.There maybe a Louise somewhere,too. The family story is that Ellen used the money from her first husband's Estate to "buy out" Thomas from the First Battilion Scots Fusilers Regiment of Foot guards(the price was 20 pounds). Ellen and her family left England in 1873 for New Zealand and later Australia. Have you any information on the Waldron side?

Re: John Hope Smith

tomaschristie — 2012-09-03 12:32:16Z

The late 18th and early 19th Century period in Cape Coast is a fascinating one. I am sorry if you have lost contact with the PhD postgraduate student as I would have liked to add some of my research on the subject of these 'high class women'. It is a most interesting subject and the story of Fanny Smith is not an isolated one.

The sources of information are widespread and in some cases hard to gain access to, but it is a subject that deserves to be studied and the results recorded.

Re: John Hope Smith

sallyjt — 2012-09-03 10:48:11Z

Thanks for the interesting information. My knowledge of Fanny Smith's background comes from a contact with a PhD postgraduate student who was researching high class women, such as Fanny Smith, in Cape Coast. Unfortunately this researcher has now left the UK and I am not sure whether I can contact her. However, I will let you know if I can find out any more details.

Re: John Hope Smith

Ykeb1 — 2012-08-25 16:11:10Z

There is no surety on the information I provided. There was indeed another Smith family in the region, but these were progeny from a German man named Frederick Schmidt. They stem from Mount Pleasant in Elmina. There were however a lot of marriages between mulattos from Elmina and Cape Coast.

I am however intrigued how you found the names Kofi Nyame and Nana Araba Betsi. While these are not names I am familiar with, Nana Araba Betsi has a similar name to a Welzing/Welsing from Elmina who would have been around at the same period.

Re: John Hope Smith

sallyjt — 2012-08-25 15:14:47Z

Apologies for not replying earlier but I have been away. Since posting my original query, I have found out a lot more information about Fanny. She was a mulatto, from the Fanti tribe. My information is that her mother was Ekua Tsenase (whose parents were Kofi Nyame and Nana Araba Betsi), and her father a Scandinavian man named "Johan". From this union there were 2 daughters, a girl who died as an infant and Fanny. I have not come across any mention of a Van Dijk or Stoove family. Was this from an earlier relationship of either Fanny or her mother? Or could we be referring to another Smith family in Cape Coast as I know that there was at least one other Smith (unrelated to John Hope Smith as far as I know), who was based at Cape Coast Castle?

Re: John Hope Smith

Ykeb1 — 2012-08-02 10:27:42Z

I have been researching the Smith family of Cape Coast for a little while now. I do believe that he had a Fanti wife. She would have come from Apam. I however do not know her name though I believe that she was a mulatto of either the Van Dijk family or the Stoove family (acute accent on the 'e').

Re: John Hope Smith

kpangbourne — 2012-04-15 18:30:27Z

I have just surfed into this thread while trying to find out something about my ancestor Anna Maria Hope Smith, who I think may be from Bristol. She married James Thomson, who died in 1805 in a shipwreck on the Goodwin Sands. They had a son John Robert Thomson, born in Bristol, who went to South Africa as a wine grower. I have access to JStor if that encourages anyone to reply!

Addison and Boham Family trees

lys_add22 — 2012-04-14 16:10:46Z

I am trying to build a family tree. My paternal side of the family is addison .My Grandfather is Joseph Addison and His father was called Kwesi essuman apparently he was a chief in komenda .Joseph married one Elizabeth Van Dyck whose dad we don't know his first name but the mother was called Efua Panyin Josephs' wife was Adowa Boa and thats all i have gathered so far .
For the Bohams, My grandfather was called Agustine Boham , we do not know his fathers christian name but the strange Boham had a kid with one lady Sophia
Any info abt this wud really be appreciated ..All of these people hail from the fante tribe.

Re: How to find 1963 death records in Ghana

Champlain9 — 2012-02-13 16:17:21Z

GHANA
Registrar General's Department
Ministry of Justice
P.O.Box 118
Accra
Ghana

Tel: 233 - 21-664691 - 3
Fax: 233 - 21 - 666081

Re: Arthur Charles Dyson: Auctioneer

Champlain9 — 2012-02-13 16:15:34Z

Found this if you want me to email it to you, you will need to contact me through the Ancestry site.

UK Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960 about Arthur Edward Charles Dyson
Name: Arthur Edward Charles Dyson
Birth Date: abt 1868
Age: 51
Port of Departure: Africa
Arrival Date: 11 Jun 1919
Port of Arrival: Liverpool, England
Ports of Voyage: Calabar
[Port Harcourt]
[Freetown]
Ship Name: Egba
Search Ship Database: View the 'Egba' in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database
Shipping Line: African Steamship Company Ltd
Official Number: 136655

Re: Neizer /Netzer from Ghana, West Africa

Ykeb1 — 2011-12-29 11:02:35Z

This will indeed be the same person Niezer/Nieser. Please note that there is a German site that describes the original Niezer as a German dentist posted in West Africa. He is the original Niezer of the Gold Coast. The original Niezer would have been in the Gold Coast during the 18th century.

Re: Neizer /Netzer from Ghana, West Africa

ocaviatrix — 2011-12-29 04:33:28Z

http://books.google.com/books?id=otIiAAAAMAAJ&printsec=f...

Lee, Mrs. R. (Mrs. T. Edward Bowdich), Stories of Strange Lands, London, 1835
has a reference to an Elmina chief by the name of Neazer

Arthur Charles Dyson: Auctioneer

francesmatthews96 — 2011-08-24 11:01:45Z

My great-grand father is Arthur Charles Dyson. He was born and bred in Britain, however moved to Ghana and became an auctioneer. He then had a son, also called Arthur Charles Dyson (my grandfather). My family have been looking for other family members for a while now, as we are aware that he had other children, please reply to this if you have ANY information at all.

Re: Neizer /Netzer from Ghana, West Africa

Ykeb1 — 2011-06-26 16:59:53Z

http://gcdb.doortmontweb.org Gold Coast Database

Re: How to access Ghana records

g11446 — 2011-06-26 08:32:10Z

contact offline

Re: How to access Ghana records

tomaschristie — 2011-06-25 18:52:41Z

I have tried in the past to find someone who might help me find my Hutton cousins in Ghana, I have offered to pay but noone seems interested. I thought it might be the sort of thing that a student might like too do to earn some money but no interest.

I discovered a British student there, but only when she was about to return so if anyone has any ideas? I will keep trying though.

Re: How to access Ghana records

g11446 — 2011-06-25 09:43:55Z

There are records in Ghana.

Think of the British system of 1956 then look at Ghana. Everything is done in large rooms with real records. Older records are not really in the correct order anymore. Time would be the order of the day.

I found some records welded shut into a steel locked room in factory in the Harbour area of Tema - Gold Coast Security Bonds and Bank Records.

Anyway - yes the central records office is very busy and hot. Best suggestion - get a flight, stay at a nice hotel and visit the Records office which is about 1 mile from Jamestown.

Please note Jamestown is very busy off the High Street. by the coast. Some old buildings are still there, but you only really see tourists at the Art Marktet and Kwarme Nkuma park, or on the small cafes down the cliffs.

Ghana is a lovely place to visit.

Suggest Church records might still be available if you know the churchs. The Parish Church of Accra - Jamestown is on the High Street.

Also a nice Victorian Prison on the Coast Road, plus lots of church depositories etc.

Re: Bentil

jilltlg — 2011-05-26 17:09:31Z

Hi he was a student of law first names John Kodwo

Thank you

How to access Ghana records

dominiquebird — 2011-05-09 20:35:24Z

Can anyone advise me on how to research Ghanaian Family history records, what records do they hold? Do they have archives? Help! The area of interest to me are the Allotey family from Jamestown, Accra

Green

ANN5641 — 2011-05-04 22:07:36Z

Hi,
I’m trying to find information on my partners dads family which is proving difficult as no one seems to know much.

Here is what I know.

His father was Johnny Green, a commando in the Ghana Military. We believe he died in 2001 (approx 50 years old).
Johnny’s father was British born, his name was / is John Benjamin Green. He at some point worked for the United African Motors.
Johnny’s mothers name was Joyce Agbotui.

Anyone may be able to help / have advice it would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Re: Bentil

kwameba1 — 2011-04-23 20:12:43Z

What was his first name? And occupation?

Re: Neizer /Netzer from Ghana, West Africa

rmneizer — 2011-04-13 19:07:40Z

Hi James,
It has been 9 years since I last responded to your email.
I know by now that you are finished studying in the U.S. and may have gone back to Ghana or may have decided to stay here.
It has taken me 9 years of searching for John Neizer of Ghana and last month(March)I finally found some answers. John applied to become a citizen of the U.S. in 1876 and in his application for naturalization, a copy of which I now have, John said that he was born in Elmina, Africa (Elmina, Ghana) and immigrated to the U.S.in 1858 and was 34 years of age when in applied in 1876. Having been born about September 1842/43 in Elmina, he was only 15 years old when he left Elmina alone???
The person who has tried to help us find John's roots is himself a Neizer. Egya(Eugene H.)Amonoo-Neizer, past Vice-Chancellor of the University of Science and Technology in Kumasi & past Ambassador to Zimbabwe is married and his wife's name is Bertha. Perhaps this is the family who is a friend of your mother and if this is so, perhaps now with this new information your mother may be able to help me find out more about John Neizer and especially who were his parents.
I would appreciate any assistance that you may be able to offer. Please reply directly to me via Rneizer@aol.com.
Thanking you in advance for your reply.
Roberta (Faulcon) Neizer

Looking for Kadre, Christina, Allen, Frederick & Marcus

Arhyman03 — 2011-02-28 19:37:22Z

Born in Nigeria may be living in Ghana now

How to find 1963 death records in Ghana

Arhyman03 — 2011-02-22 20:52:21Z

Looking to find a 1963 death certificate in Ghana

Looking for Nigerian born Father may be living in Ghana

Arhyman03 — 2011-02-22 20:49:56Z

Im looking to locate my Nigerian born Father. The only name I know for him is "Alex". I know that he was born in Nigeria in 1940 and came to the U.S. in 1972 w/ his eldest son Allen. His kids names are Kadre, Christina, Allen, Frederick and Marcus. His Mother was hit by a van in Ghana in April of 1962 and died. He went back to Nigeria in 1983 and came back to NJ 1 year later. He was a practicing psychiatrist in the Mercer County, NJ area between 1972-1983 and is possibly affiliated w/ Columbia and Princeton University. Any help would be appreciated.

looking for my ancestors

hertygreen — 2011-02-05 21:48:46Z

i am looking for any relation with the last name okine,pomeyie and amengor

Re: searching for a death

Kay_Calderwood — 2010-09-23 17:26:55Z

Hi,

I'm also looking for a death from 1904 at Bippo Tarkwa. I have no idea how to get this record. Please can someone help us?

searching for a death

@@FIRMFRIENDS@aol.com — 2010-09-15 22:09:49Z

Hi.

Could somebody help me please?
I'm trying to find a death of an ancestor of mine who died whilst working in Gahana, although I believe it was called the Gold coast at the time of his death. Does Ghana have a registration of birth death and marriages as we do here in the uk?
If they do would anybody know or whom to contact by e-mail?
My ancestor was a british subject and died somewhere between the uk census of 1901-1911

Re: Dove Family

ndylandavies — 2010-07-30 04:21:08Z

The Dove family is a Sierra Leone family of Nigerian origin. They were Liberated African descendants from Waterloo. They belonged to the Creole ethnic group; this group has been characterized as descending from freed slaves alone when in reality they were also descendants of African elites from Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, the Congo, Guinea etc who intermarried with Creoles. Dove was one of those Sierra Leoneans who travelled to Ghana and practiced as a lawyer. He was one of the eminent Sierra Leonean lawyers of the time and figures quite a lot in Sierra Leonean history. I will try and do some research for you regarding the Doves. I can tell you now that at least one Dove is connected to the Easmons, another Sierra Leon Krio family with branches in Ghana as well. A Dove married Dr. CO Easmon and had a son called Charlie Easmon who is top doctor in England.

Re: Dove Family

jamoy53 — 2010-03-10 16:12:10Z

Hi

Thanks for your reply regarding the Dove family. Do you know anything else about the family with regards to where they come from and also i would love to know who were Francis Dove's parents and grandparents and other ancestors, i am trying to put together a family tree so that my children and their families know where they come from,as my grandfather was mixed race i think it is important for them to know where part of our family come from.
Many thanks

Re: John Hope Smith

sallyjt — 2010-03-01 18:45:22Z

To Tomas Christie
Thanks for your posting. I would like to obtain more information from the records you mention. Are any of the records on line and publically accessible either in the National Archives or some other source? Any information as to how to search for these details would be helpful. I will be away for a couple of weeks so I'm afraid I cannot respond to future postings for a while. Kind regards. Sallyjt

Re: John Hope Smith

sallyjt — 2010-03-01 18:36:45Z

To coolwind956
Many thanks for your last posting with the facinating links. I hadn't got any of this information so they were extremely useful. Re trying to find out more about the Bowdich/Smith connection, I have found a note I made of an internet search in the Dictionary of National Biography. It states that TEB's father was Thomas Bowdich, a hat manufacturer and merchant of Bristol, and that his mother was one of the "Vaughans of Payne's Castle, Wales" presumably Painscastle, Builth Wells. Searching the ancestry site, I have found a link to a public member tree for the "Edwards" family, which includes the marriage of a Thomas Bowdich on 13 Aug. 1790 to Elizabeth Bush Milward Vaughan. Unfortunately I do not have the membership status to access these details. I don't know whether you have the necessary subscription? It would be interesting to see whether this fills in the gaps of knowledge. I'm away now until mid March so unfortunately will be unable to reply to postings during this time, but will certainly continue my research. I'm afraid I don't have any university connections so like you cannot access docs under jstor. Thanks for your valuable help with the google links. Kind regards. Sallyjt

Re: John Hope Smith

tomaschristie — 2010-02-28 23:06:54Z

I have family who were on the Coast at this time. The best sources are the records of The Royal African Company / Company of African Merchants. JHS is naturally largely featured there and it gives a much more satisfactory picture of him as a person and should give some early history for him.

There was not so much of a bar on children of mixed race in those days and such children were sent back to school in Britain, but usually seem to have returned to Cape Coast later.

Tomas Christie

Re: John Hope Smith

coolwind956 — 2010-02-28 19:00:27Z

To Sallyjt Thanks for response. The majority of the material in JHS' Obituary is also on website: books.google.co.uk/books?id=Q3NIAA etc. This doesn't deliver. Try searching against - "John Hope Smith" bound to the bottom of the canoe - . This should take you straight to it. I note what you say about JHS and the improbability of a Fante wife, and fully realise that this is most likely not to be the full picture. However, please see: - books.google.co.uk/books?isbn=0521379946 - or type into your web browser: "John Hope Smith" under the influence of his Fante wife, Fanny Smith - or a part of this. There is also another reference to Fannie" the Fante wife of Governor JHS under www.jstor.org
However, I am unable to access docs under jstor, which could be very revealing, as I do not have an affiliation to a University Department. Hopefully, you may be able to. Best regards, coolwind956

Re: John Hope Smith

sallyjt — 2010-02-24 21:41:42Z

Thank you for your informative reply. I will try to chase up the obituary with the references you have given me. It is difficult to identify Fanny Milward from the vague bits of information available, but I have felt that she was of European origin rather than a mulatta. One of their sons, John, settled in South Africa. I came across a transcription of a Domestic Announcements column that appeared in South Africa magazine, dated 30 May 1891. It announced the death on 26 April 1891, at Cypherfontein, Addo, of John Smith, third son of John Hope Smith, late Governor of Cape Coast Castle, leaving a widow and three sons, aged 76 years and 8 days. I am not sure that this family would have become part of the colonial "establishment" of South Africa in the late 19th century if he was of mixed race. I believe that there was also a mention in The Gentleman's Magazine that Henry, JHS's eldest son, had died in the Gold Coast (possibly aged 50), but I'm afraid that I haven't any note of publication date or further details. I have seen internet excerpts of the book, "Those Wild Scenes: Africa in the travel writings of Sarah Lee" (Sarah was TEB's widow who published under the surname of her second marriage)and she mentions that when she and her husband embarked on the voyage home to England from Cape Coast in February 1818, they took with them their "little cousin, the son of John Hope Smith". Unfortunately there does not appear to be any mention of a name to identify which son this was.
www.familysearch.org has some family details in the International Genealogical Index, but a lot of the entries are vague and inaccurate with wrong dates, and assume that events such as the marriage of John & Fanny, and the birth of some children, took place in Dunster, Somerset, which I know to be inaccurate. However they do have two possibly very relevant entries of baptisms at St Stephen's Church, Bristol, both on the same day of 1 January 1823. One baptism is of Henry Smith, son of John Smith and Fanny, and the other is of Hope Smith, father named as John Hope Smith and mother as Fanny. Bristol was definitely the home of the Bowditch family, and perhaps JHS visited relatives and his children born in Cape Coast were then baptised on his return to England? Hope in the IGI is marked as female. However, I have failed to find any record of a girl of this name, but there are records of a man, Hope Smith who became a master mariner, and later a merchant. He married Rachel Ivens on 16 November 1847 at St Mark, Myddelton Sq, Islington. The parish record shows that his father was John Hope Smith, deceased. So this could be a son of our JHS.
It was interesting to hear or our family connections. Arthur Charles Smith, my great grandfather, married Fanny Rose Tollett. They had a son (who I believe to be an only child), Arthur Edwin Henry Smith, who was my grandfather. Arthur E H married Rose Parker, and they had two daughters, Stella (my mother) and Betty. Betty married a Swede and moved to Sweden where she brought up a family and there are now 2 generations of Swedish relations. Interestingly, Cape Coast Castle was originally a Swedish outpost, before being taken over by Denmark, and finally England. One of my cousin's sons married last year and his father at the wedding in Sweden made a speech mentioning John Hope Smith and the family's English/Swedish connections. Sadly Betty died several years ago.
My mother, Stella, is still alive but in her mid 90s and cannot help very much with family details as her memory is now very poor. Stella did work for the Bank of England before her marriage. I am sorry your cousin did not get a response when she tried to make contact. My mother has moved around the UK quite a lot, so perhaps the communication never reached her. Unfortunately it is unlikely that I can find out what she knows about this now.
I believe that John Hope Smith's parents may have been Thomas Smith and Joan Crockford. The IGI names them as the parents in their baptism record dated 1786. Dunster Parish register entries are accessible on line and there is indeed a record of a baptism on 1 January 1786 of a boy, John, parents Thomas and Joan Smith. The Cutcombe parish register shows the marriage of Thomas Smith of Luxborough parish to Joan Crockford of Cutcombe parish on 13 April 1780. I haven't looked at these parish records on the internet for some time, and so may see if there is anything further I can find about the family. There appear to be an awful lot of Smiths in this area of Somerset so it is a little difficult to sort them all out! The website is www.wsomerset.org.uk if you would like to look at it.
I will certainly keep you up to date with any further leads.
Kind regards

Re: John Hope Smith

coolwind956 — 2010-02-24 18:58:43Z

To sallyjt I now have in my possession a copy of John Hope Smith's Obituary sent to me by my Cousin. Its taken from "The New Monthly Magazine and Literary Journal 1831", (Part III Historical Register), published in London by Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, New Burlington Street and printed by Samuel Bentley of Dorset Street. Its some time since this was obtained by my Cousin and I hope this will be enough information for you to find it. If not, I could let you have a copy. There does not seem to be any copyright involved. If you do not wish to reveal your address, which might be picked up by an internet search engine, you might like me to send it to you via your Solicitor, or some other recipient? Let me know. Its quite informative.
Re your ? on evidence of marriage between JHS and Fanny Milward. We have none either. It appears from my internet searching in the last week or two that Fanti Customary Law "was recognised by British Authorities if it was not repealed by or repugnant to any ordnance passed by the Legislature of the Colony". Also, "the early European merchants and soldiers who came generally remained for a long time without home leave and it was common practice to form a stable marriage with an African woman." This would be by the practice of Fanti or local Law. i.e. the giving suitable gifts etc. This seems likely to apply to JHS' marriage to "Fanny" a member of the Fante/Fanti tribe (a mulatto or mulatta). I have concluded that this type of marriage would not have been documented and this aspect has previously been thoroughly investigated. There appears to be no references to say that JHS wife left the Gold Coast with JHS when he relinquished the Governorship and she is not mentioned in his Obituary. Also no information, so far, on what happened to Henry. As for TEBowditch or Bowdich, we have no documentary or family proof that he was related to JHS. However from the numerous references to "nephew" & "relative" it seems most likely that there was some kind of link. I have pencilled in a family tree and taken it backwards in time by supposition. (TEB and JHS are contemporaries, though clearly a generation apart by consistent use of "nephew" in writings and reports.) I'm looking for evidence to prove my hypothesis of how the families link up. Clearly this is not a straightforward "nephew" situation. I have nine children of Ralph Milward Smith and Mary Ann Waldron one of whom was Frederick William b.1872 d.1951 (one died in infancy). My Mother was one FW's nine children, as indeed is the cousin I previously referred to. Nearly all the cousins from this section have kept in touch. My cousin believes that the children of Arthur Charles (your Great Grandfather?) were "Stella"? and "Betty"? My sister contacted one of them because she thought there was a Bank of England connection. It seems there was no response. Also my said Cousin contacted one of them when my eldest Aunt died. To close, I have drawn a blank so far on the predecessors of JHS but my investigations, which your posting prompted, are ongoing. I'm new to this. Can you say which sources you have tried? I trust this will be of some help. I think we are cousins of some kind. Best regards coolwind956