South African Researcher

South African Researcher - Family History & Heritage Donald Mackay Park in Berea brings a little ‘joy’ to Joburg’s inner city: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-08-11-donald-mackay-park-in-berea-brings-joy-to-joburg-inner-city/ WHO WAS THIS....

‪
Donald Mackay Park in #Johannesburg brings a little joy to the inner city. WHO WAS THIS MACKAY?
The park was built in 1896. Linking the past to the present: www.facebook.com/SouthAfrican...

Britain's First Double-Decker Train, 1949 Something entirely new in railway rolling stock - Britain's first double-decker train.

1949: Britain's First Double-Decker Train. Newsreel takes a trip on Britain's first double-decker train: www.bbc.com/videos/c9wlw...

Penpals finally meet after 43 years of letter-writing | CBC News After 43 years of exchanging letters, two penpals from Newfoundland and Singapore met in person for the first time this week.

#Penpals finally meet after 43 years of letter-writing between Singapore and Newfoundland, Canada: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

A WWI-era message in a bottle is a letter 'from the grave' for family Family members of two World War I soldiers have been left stunned after a bottle containing hand-written letters was found on a WA beach.

Families of #WWI soldiers will be reunited with century-old letters discovered on #WesternAustralia beach: www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...

Printing photos: How to keep your memories safe Experts believe offline and online backups are needed if you want to keep your favourite photos safe.

As Stephen Buffardi was transferring photos to his new phone, the progress bar reached halfway - then it crashed. Thousands of pictures with friends & family, including early dates with his now wife, were lost forever: www.bbc.com/news/article...

How cigarettes, chickens and chocolates hleped to stopped a TB epidemic In 1957, Glasgow had the highest death rate from TB in Europe so health officials offered free prize draws for those who got X-rayed.

In 1957 #Glasgow had the highest death rate from TB in Europe. The NHS mounted a campaign to x-ray the population – in the space of 5 weeks more than 700,000 people were screened, almost three-quarters of the population: www.bbc.com/news/article...

'I took a DNA test to trace my family - it blew my life apart' One man says he wishes he had never traced his family tree after he made a shocking discovery.

All researchers should think carefully when recommending #DNA tests to clients - doesn't always end well
#Genealogy

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

In South Africa, it was estimated that there were 22,525 centenarians in 2023. In 2011, it was estimated there were 15,581 centenarians.

#Centenarians - people who have attained the age of at least 100 years. The UN's Population Division estimated there were 675,000 in 2019 & 935,000 in 2024. Document them for future generations. Here's some of #SouthAfrica's I've done, more to add: southafricanresearcher.com/category/cen...

Turns out that ai is really bad at making maps based on data... and at history... who would have thought!
Asked Gemini & chatgpt to make a map showing the mortality rate of cities during the 14th century Black Death pandemic... can you spot the errors?

The people you get to do the transcriptions on your website are not given the training necessary to do an appropriately effective job yet you to continue to charge your subscribers extortionate amounts for their annual subscriptions and then you have the cheek to expect them to correct your errors...

More often than not, I don't bother to correct the appalling transcription errors on Ancestry but when I do, I usually write something like this in the 'explanation' field...

Tombstone tourism: Why visiting graveyards is becoming so popular A growing number of tourists are “rebelling against tick-box travel” by ditching the popular sights for a trip to the graveyard.

Tombstone tourism: Meet the travelling taphophiles obsessed with graveyards - www.euronews.com/travel/2025/...

South African Researcher - Family History & Heritage Here you'll learn a lot of things about early Johannesburg: https://southafricanresearcher.com/discover-johannesburgs-early-days-people-and-buildings/ You might find a family connection, if you're...

If I had R10 or $1 for every person who read this article and learnt new things about #Johannesburg, I would be rich.
This took a lot of research, done over a few years in archives, books, and newspapers:

Couple celebrates lasting love after seven decades together Celebrate 70 years of love with Terry Brinded and Eileen, reflecting on their delightful journey together since 1953.

For retired Bay pastor, Terry Brinded, and his wife Eileen, who celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary last month, it was love at first sight. They met as teenagers in #Lincolnshire, England. The couple immigrated to South Africa more than 65 years ago: novanews.co.za/couple-celeb...

South African Researcher - Family History & Heritage St Peter’s Rainbow Village, newly inaugurated in South End, Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), overlooks the harbour on the site of St Peter's Anglican Church. The church history dates back to its...

St Peter’s Rainbow Village, newly inaugurated in South End, Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), overlooks the harbour on the site of St Peter's Anglican Church. The church history dates back to its founding in 1871: www.facebook.com/SouthAfrican...

Also down over here.

Historian uses AI to help identify Nazi in notorious Holocaust murder image Jürgen Matthäus has for years been investigating the killer – and is confident he has finally solved the mystery

Historian uses AI to help identify Nazi in notorious Holocaust murder image. The picture taken in today’s Ukraine was long known, mistakenly, as The Last Jew in Vinnitsa, and was for decades shrouded in mystery: www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

Glasgow university returns human remains to South Africa All of the remains had been unethically exhumed between 1868 and 1924 and left to Glasgow - as items to study - by university alumni and other donors.

Human remains taken from South Africa by explorers in the 19th century and left with the University of Glasgow are to be returned. The university's Hunterian museum held partial remains of 6 individuals: www.bbc.com/news/article...

South African Researcher - Family History & Heritage The colourful Muizenberg beach huts are a well-known Cape Town landmark. What is their story? In the 1800s, Muizenberg was already a popular holiday spot for the wealthy. By the early 1900s, surfing....

The colourful #Muizenberg beach huts are a well-known Cape Town landmark. What is their story? In the 1800s, Muizenberg was already a popular holiday spot for the wealthy. Victorian morality governed public swimming, which is where these huts have their roots.
www.facebook.com/SouthAfrican...

Hermanus’ Iconic Hotels and Landmarks The present-day Hermanus area was originally a summer grazing area for livestock in the early 19th century. It was frequented by shepherds, who could live off the fish caught at Walker Bay. By mid-cen...

#Hermanus’ Iconic Hotels and the #Luyt family’s history: southafricanresearcher.com/hermanus-ico...

Ruth Weiss remembered: journalist who fled Nazi Germany and fought apartheid in South Africa Weiss witnessed atrocities in Germany and South Africa and railed against them, becoming a towering figure as a writer and poet.

Ruth Weiss, Who Chronicled Apartheid After Fleeing the Nazis, Dies at 101: theconversation.com/ruth-weiss-r...

We have them at Muizenberg Beach in Cape Town

A grim chapter in Namibia's history This grimmest of periods is examined in the re-issue of the book, A History of Namibia by Marian Wallace (Hurst, 2025). First published in 2011, it remains an insightful survey of Namibia, providing t...

A grim chapter in Namibia's history: iol.co.za/sunday-tribu...

Joburg's historic Bezuidenhout Valley farmhouse falls into ruin | The Citizen The historic farmhouse, built in 1863, has become a symbol of Johannesburg’s failed heritage preservation efforts.

Johannesburg’s historic Bezuidenhout Valley farmhouse falls into ruin. The historic farmhouse, built in 1863, has become a symbol of Johannesburg’s failed heritage preservation efforts.
www.citizen.co.za/news/joburgs...

The Wedding of John Marriott and Cordelia Nevers in 1902 08 October 1902 - Captain John MARRIOTT, D.S.O., of the 2nd Norfolk Regiment, and Cordelia Caroline NEVERS were married at St Andrews Presbyterian Church in Pretoria. At the time, John was stationed i...

The bride was born in 1870 in Fredericton, #NewBrunswick. She graduated from #WellesleyCollege. In Pretoria, in 1902, she married a military man born in New Brighton, #Cheshire. southafricanresearcher.com/the-wedding-...

South African Researcher - Family History & Heritage 08 October 1902 - Louis Peter VAN BROEMBSEN of Ermelo and Grace ZEEDERBURG of Pretoria were married at St Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Pretoria. He was the manager of National Bank in Ermelo. The....

08 October 1902 - Louis Peter VAN BROEMBSEN of Ermelo and Grace ZEEDERBURG of Pretoria were married at St Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Pretoria. He was the manager of National Bank in Ermelo.

South African Researcher - Family History & Heritage 08 October 1902 - Norman Davies SPENCER married Mary Laura TURNER at St Mary's-the-Less Anglican Church in Jeppestown, Johannesburg. At the time, Norman worked at Beckett & Co. in Pretoria. Mary...

08 October 1902 - Norman Davies SPENCER married Mary Laura TURNER at St Mary's-the-Less Anglican Church in Jeppestown, Johannesburg.

South African Researcher - Family History & Heritage 07 October 1902 - Guy Dudley WHEELWRIGHT married Maude Lilian Whittaker CRANE at St Augustine's Anglican Church in Height Street, Doornfontein. He was in the civil service. She was known as Lilian...

The WHEELWRIGHT - CRANE wedding on 07 October 1902 in Doornfontein, Johannesburg. The bride was born in Ludlow, Shropshire, England.

Museum in a box: on the road with South Africa’s heritage Heritage is a public good and people should be able to engage with their past.

Museum in a box: on the road with #SouthAfrica’s #heritage - theconversation.com/museum-in-a-...

Historic Africana Research Library seeks help for garden restoration The Kimberley Africana Research Library, a historical gem, seeks to restore its once-lush garden to enhance visitor experience and preserve its rich heritage.

Historic Africana Research Library seeks help for garden restoration. The Kimberley Africana Research Library is a historical destination where researchers from all over the world, tourists, & local residents alike visit: novanews.co.za/historic-afr...