Hello Sharon, yes applying at an embassy would be alright, but what if it is out of your reach? I live in Oregon USA and the nearest embassy in 900 miles south to Los Angles California. I did call them and got a ho-hum, so I am still stuck with word of mouth about my grandfather. Grandfather Eatwell left Cape Town 1906, and we have no records. I am hoping to come in contact with a cousin down there as our last name is very common around that area. I did get in touch with a lady who was born there and now lives in UK, through her gracious help, I did get some information, but nothing yet on our direct lineage, good luck and maybe someday it too will be online, Mary Eatwell in Pacific NW > > From: "Sharon Warr" <snw@absamail.co.za> > Date: 2006/01/02 Mon AM 02:56:31 EST > To: SOUTH-AFRICA-CAPE-TOWN-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [South-Africa-Cape-Town] SLEIGH Family of Cape Town, South Africa > > Hello Gary and Listers > Civil Registration of Births and Deaths was not official in the Western > Cape until 1895 and then it took some time for the law to be enforced. > Marriage records were kept from 1700 but mostly by churches - there is an > index of special licence marriages in the Cape Town Archives which might > reveal something but otherwise unless you know their religious affiliation > it might be difficult to find out more. Likewise birth details prior to > civil registration are difficult to find unless you know which denomination > religion they were. > As far as getting records from the Government (The Department of Home > Affairs) here is concerned - it is not so much a question of the Government > having a 'tight hold on their records' - it is more a question of a serious > problem with service delivery!!!. Because of various factors such as staff > shortages or a complete lack of administrative co-ordination, requests for > certificates often fall through the cracks. It is a source of massive > frustration not only to researchers but to the ordinary person in the street > applying for identity documents etc. (you only have to look at a recent > incident where a 20 year old young man held a Home Affairs official hostage, > hoping to get some attention to his problem because he had waited for 2 > years for an Identity Document resulting in applications for jobs, drivers > licence etc.etc. being turned down. The frustration is shared by millions). > All I can suggest is that your request for certificates should be followed > up regularly and if you are lucky enough to make contact with someone in the > Department, get their names and a direct office number so that you can > follow up directly with them instead of a nameless, faceless entity. I > think your best chance would be to apply through a South African Embassy if > you are living outside of South Africa -you will probably get more attention > that way. Good luck! > Regards > Sharon Warr > > South African Genealogy - Lots of links, passenger lists, Immigrants and > more - www.sagenealogy.co.za > Scribes Publishing - South African historical resources on CD > www.sagenealogy.co.za/scribes.htm > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <maryeatwell@charter.net> > To: <SOUTH-AFRICA-CAPE-TOWN-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Sunday, January 01, 2006 6:27 PM > Subject: Re: [South-Africa-Cape-Town] SLEIGH Family of Cape Town, South > Africa > > > > Hello Gary, good morning and Happy New Year. > > To start with my experience with trying to do research in SA was a bumpy > > road to say none the least. My paternal grandfather, Theodore Henry > > Eatwell, came from Cape Town SA. Well I thought that like everywhere else > > it wouldn't be that hard, much to my surprise oh my! The government there > > has a tight hold on their records. I was told I would have to make > > application through the nearest SA Embassy here. So I put a request on a > > 'free geneaology board' here and a lady, who is a researcher and who was > > born there, anwered. She helped me a great deal, but if you want those > > certificates, that's different. You will have to hire a professional > > researcher at $20.00 US dollars an hour. But if you know the church that > > maybe your ancestor was baptized, you may apply direct for a copy. So do > > let me know how you do, and I will help on this end if I can. Happy > > Holiday Mary Eatwell in the Pacific NW USA > >> > >> From: valdennis@optusnet.com.au > >> Date: 2006/01/01 Sun AM 06:32:25 EST > >> To: SOUTH-AFRICA-CAPE-TOWN-L@rootsweb.com > >> Subject: [South-Africa-Cape-Town] SLEIGH Family of Cape Town, South > >> Africa > >> > >> Happy New Year to all subscribers. > >> I am researching the Sleigh Family who lived in South Africa in the > >> 1800's. > >> My Great Grandmother was Johanna Catherine Sleigh born 8 Nov 1883 in Cape > >> Town. She married William Dutfield in 1904 then later moved to Australia. > >> Johanna's parents were Francis Sleigh and Susan ? and her four siblings > >> were Daniel, Francis, Caroline and Susan(nah)? > >> Could some one please let me know how to locate official birth, death and > >> marriage records within South Africa. > >> Would love to hear from anyone researching this family. > >> Regards, Garry Dennis, Sydney, Australia. > >> > >> > >> ==== SOUTH-AFRICA-CAPE-TOWN Mailing List ==== > >> South African Passenger Lists, Genealogy links, CDs and books > >> www.sagenealogy.co.za > >> > >> ============================== > >> Search Family and Local Histories for stories about your family and the > >> areas they lived. Over 85 million names added in the last 12 months. > >> Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13966/rd.ashx > >> > > > > > > ==== SOUTH-AFRICA-CAPE-TOWN Mailing List ==== > > South African Passenger Lists, Genealogy links, CDs and books > > www.sagenealogy.co.za > > > > ============================== > > View and search Historical Newspapers. Read about your ancestors, find > > marriage announcements and more. Learn more: > > http://www.ancestry.com/s13969/rd.ashx > > > > > > > > > > ==== SOUTH-AFRICA-CAPE-TOWN Mailing List ==== > South African Passenger Lists, Genealogy links, CDs and books > www.sagenealogy.co.za > > ============================== > Find your ancestors in the Birth, Marriage and Death Records. > New content added every business day. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13964/rd.ashx >