Hello all! Here is a nice letter which I just received from our cousin, Frans Aldrich in South Africa. He is willing to exchange e-mail messages. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------- Date: Mon, 08 Jun 1998 15:48:36 -0400 To: "fransa@global.co.za" <fransa@global.co.za> From: john aldrich <jaldrich@wsii.com> Subject: Re: Website Response I am very happy to be able to communicate with you people which I regard as my near family after all we share the great surname. As far as I can gather we descend from George William Aldrich who immigrated to South Africa from round about a smallish village Beccles on the banks of the Waveney river in East Anglia. He moved much later than your ancestor George to South Africa former Cape Colony as occupied by the Brittish. There are quite a number of Aldrich's in South Africa. Rather conservative Arian Christians with a proud history of honesty and respect to our fellow people in South Africa. In South Africa we endeavor to keep the family ties close. I descend directly from George William Aldrich the first South African Aldrich and descend form his son Francis Patinger Aldrich. I am the 7th FP Aldrich and my son working/holiday in England is the 8th. I am Afrikaans speaking but also conversant in English and Xhosa and if the native languages. We hope to entertain you and/or any Aldrich from the USA in Bloemfontein (very cold during winter -8 degrees C at the moment otherwise very pleasant to stay in. We have a low crime rate in Bloemfontein and you do not have to worry about that aspect. We are very civilized and do not hunt wild animals in the streets ( just a joke) If you find the time please keep up the E-mail conversations. What a magnificent way of meeting one's family and friend. I will share more news next time God bless you all Frans Aldrich John Aldrich W1WLG, Portsmouth RI e-mail: jaldrich@wsii.com Home page: http://www.wsii.com/users/jaldrich/ and http://www.qsl.net/w1wlg/