Sunday, May 31, 2015

'Their Task to Keep the Light ...' : Lighthousekeeper ancestry in South Africa

This is the first in a series of articles on SA lighthousekeepers - ancestors as well as descendants - which will be appearing on this blog as the material is collected and collated. 

Thanks to all contributors for their input and especially to Suzanne-Jo Leff Patterson for her amazing research. If you have SA lightkeeper ancestry your stories and photographs are welcome. Contact Mole first via the comments section on this blog.




REMEMBERING LIGHT KEEPERS

by P J HANNABUS

I am a retired lighthouse keeper from a family of lighthouse keepers. My granddad, Bill Hannabus, was a keeper from the late 1800s till about 1930, and is buried in Port Nolloth.
My father, Babsie Hannabus, and his brother, Charlie, were keepers from after World War II
till the 1970s. They are buried at West Bank cemetery, next to Hood Point Lighthouse in East London. My late brother is buried at Danger Point Lighthouse. His little grave is a tourist attraction now.

My father was born at Robben Island Lighthouse in 1911; I was born at Cape Agulhas Lighthouse in 1954, and my eldest cousin Trevor, was born at Cape Columbine around 1945.

I was a light keeper in the 1970s, and did duties all around the coast as a relief keeper. I became a radio technician in the late '70s when lighthouses were being automated by South African Railways and Harbours, and keepers were being made redundant.

Bird Island, Dassen Island, Robben Island, and Diaz Point in Namibia were very remote stations. Three keepers were stationed at all the stations, on eight-hour shifts, 24/7. We all saw a fair amount of wrecks and helped in some rescues.

Some stations had foghorns and radio contact with ships.  We also did weather reports every three hours and phoned them to the nearest airport or  port control.

There are still about four lighthouses that are manned by 'original' keepers who are about to go on pension soon. That will signal the end of a great era.

Peter-John Hannabus




Cape Agulhas Lighthouse, where the author of this article was born.




Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Civil Servants: Natal Govt, Railways and Postal Dept.1902 Y-Z




YallupWS
YatesEF
YellowJ
YelvertonJ
YonJ
YonW
YoullW
YoungCG
YoungEC
YoungJ
YoungJC
YoungT
YoungW
YounghusbandJ
ZeemanDA
ZeemanMCC
ZunckelAO
ZunckelOM

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Civil Servants: Natal Govt, Railways and Postal Dept.1902 U, V and W


UptonED
UptonJH
UptonN
UptonWF
UrquhartW
UzzellFJ
ValentineJN
VallanceGC
Van RooyenCJ
Van RooyenGF
Van SantenAA
VanbellHO
VanderplankWA
VartyAE
VartyE
VealO
VearW
VeckrangesJ
VelkopW
VennerWHT
VentonT
VerdonHR
VerdonHR
Vere-HodgeHK
VerneyFA
VincentHP
VindenD
VisickCR
VisickRC
VoightWJ
VossSS
VouchJW
WadeJ
WadmanAJ
WadmoreW
WagnerJA
WaitFS
WalesCD
WalesJM
WalesMajor ATG
WalkerEF
WalkerHG
WalkerHS
WalkerJ
WalkerJ
WalkerJW
WalkerR
WalkerRALB
WalkerW
WalkerWJ
WallF
WallaceCB
WallaceHB
WallaceJGF
WallachSC
WallerCR
WallerJP
WallerJW
WalshG
WalshHJ
WalshJJ
WalshJJ
WalterA
WalterCaptain HE
WaltersFW
WaltersS
WaltonE
WaltonEM
WaltonHH
WandGW
WardAT
WardC
WardHC
WardJP
WardW
WareCH
WaringWP
WarmanWM
WarnerAE
WarnerEE
WarnerGB
WarrenCP
WarrenLM
WarrenRA
WarrenT
WarringtonM
WarterFJC
WatermanG
WatkinsJA
WatkinsJW
WatkinsKW
WatkinsV
WatsonD
WatsonD
WatsonEH
WatsonJL
WatsonRM
WattDC
WattJH
WattJS
WattsA
WattsA
WattsGM
WattsT
WaughVS
WayW
WeatherdonAT
WebbeG
WebberI
WeberA
WeberJH
WebsterCH
WebsterCW
WebsterEJP
WebsterJ
WebsterJ
WeeksMA
WeightmanRW
WeirGR
WeissenbergJV
WeldonJ
WelfareAG
WelfareAH
WellingtonTR
WelshGB
WemyssA
WentinkGJ
WesselsMT
WestHH
WestMS
WheelerGC
WheelwrightCA
WheelwrightWD
WheelwrightWG
WhinenayJ
WhippJ
WhitakerWH
WhiteA
WhiteA
WhiteAH
WhiteEJ
WhiteF
WhiteFBE
WhiteGS
WhiteH
WhiteHNH
WhiteHT
WhiteJ
WhiteJD
WhiteTG
WhiteW
WhiteWRA
WhiteheadG
WhiteheadJ
WhiteheadJD
WhitelawAJA
WhitelawCO
WhitelawFS
WhitelockAE
WhitesideW
WhitingA
WhitleyGH
WhittakerF
WhittakerFGW
WhittonWR
WhitwellFE
WhyteJG
WickendenWC
WickensWH
WigzellH
WilcoxAC
WildH
WildJWH
WilkieA
WilkieJD
WilkinsWE
WilkinsWH
WilkinsonHC
WilliamETT
WilliamsA
WilliamsACD
WilliamsC
WilliamsCT
WilliamsH
WilliamsLJ
WilliamsN
WilliamsPL
WilliamsonH
WilliamsonJ
WillsDW
WillsEL
WilsonAB
WilsonAG
WilsonAH
WilsonD
WilsonD
WilsonD
WilsonFC
WilsonFG
WilsonGW
WilsonH junior
WilsonHB
WilsonJ St L
WilsonJC
WilsonL
WilsonLM
WilsonNM
WilsonTD
WilsonW
WilsonWR
WilsonWR
WiltonJS
WiltshierFR
WiltshireFC
WinnW
WinserC
WinterHon HD
WireECD
WiseCBM
WisemanJ
WithellWJ
WithycombeWA
WolhuterCP
WolstenholmeJD
WolstenholmeL
WolstenholmeS
WoodAT
WoodCA
WoodEA
WoodFS
WoodG
WoodP
WoodRJ
WoodWH
Woodham
WoodhamsFC
WoodheadHC
WoodiwissAA
WoodsHS
WoodsT
WoollattSB
WorryAR
WotherspoonTA
WrayAW
WrayS
WrightD
WrightEC
WrightG
WrightH
WrightHE
WrightHH
WrightMJ
WrightOR
WrightP
WrightRS
WrightS
WrightW
WyldeA
WynnW
WynneC