Looking back on School Rules!

The other day I was driving Emily to School, we drive the same way all the time, we see a few particular boys on our route.   These boys must be approaching their final year at Roan Boys school, which is a very good school in our area.

The taller of the 2 boys, have beautiful curly hair that is now almost down to his waist and the other boy has straight hair that is past his shoulders, it is always clean and blowing in the wind.  Now they do wear school uniforms, grey flannels, white shirt and tie, just like the boys at Hill High, however there are no rules about "HAIR".

So I started telling Emily about when I was in high school and the Rules we had, maybe you can add to them but this is what I remember.

1.  Boys hair MUST be 2 fingers about the collar, neat and short

2.  Boys who were at shaving age, must be clean shaved.

3. Boys were not allowed to shave their heads

I remember that a group of boys in my class Colin, Warren, Alex and a few other, got caned because their hair was not at the stipulated 2 fingers above the collar, so the next day they went out and shaved their heads, came to school and were caned for shaving their heads!  You couldn't win. 

Girls Rule:

1. Your dress could not be higher than 3 fingers off the knee

2. You had to wear regulation panties (Green granny pants or the summer ones which were the same pattern and material as the uniform uggh)

3. No Mascara, eyeliner or any make up whatsoever. 

4. Hair below the collar had to be tied back 

5.  Regulation tights in winter and white socks in summer

6.  Only Brown School shoes

7.  No Nail varnish

If you broke any of these rules you would get a 2 hour detention and write out lines or an essay!  So you couldn't even do your homework.  The prefects were mean they would give you essays with the title "The inside of a ping pong ball" and you had to write a 1000 words (non repetitive). 

In primary school I just remember being hit on the hands with a ruler or a wooden spoon if you spoke in class or did something else wrong!  There was no detention. 

In Ireland:

The girls have uniforms however they can wear as much make up as they like, false eyelashes to boot! Any shoes they like and as long as they are not too high!  No one cares how short or long your school dress / skirt is.  You can wear false nails or varnish.  No one really cares about your socks either. 

And of course there is no corporal punishment and you only get detention if you are continually late.   How time have changed. 

I found these that I think are also quite ridiculous:

https://www.buzzfeed.com/sophiegadd/the-most-ridiculous-rules-peoples-schools-had 

My Fathers Stories ... revisited

 Another Blog post I wrote back in 2006 was about some of the things I remember asking my dad when I as a kid which you can read about here 

If I look back on the conversation I had when I asked him about his family, he said he had 1 brother Peter and 2 sisters Irene and Elizabeth. 

From what I have researched he had 1 brother called Pieter (possibly Petrus)

His Mother's name was Elizabeth

Not sure who Irene was

Australia?  Yes he did live in Australia, according to my half-sister Billie (RIP) Billie was born 1920 - 1913, she said that they all moved to Australia in the late 1920's, I found a savings book from Sydney, NSW that belonged to my dad, however my sister took this when she visited at some stage. 

They must have moved back to South Africa during the 1930's at some point, still haven't found any documents in this regard. 

During the 2nd world war my father built military bases and hospitals in SA.

Who Am I? Part 2

 Back in 2006 I started this blog and my first blog post was about Me, "who am I"?  After many many years of doing research and Genealogy, I think I may have found out!  

It's all so very interesting and a very long story.

I decided to give up on trying to trace my fathers Heritage and concentrated on my mothers which all proved very interesting, the Marais and de Villiers families who arrived in South Africa in the late 1600's with the French Huguenot's via Holland - Over 300 years of history in South Africa where they encountered many challenges and my grandparents were even prisoners in concentration camps during the Anglo Boer War in 1901.   My great-grandfather on my mothers side (Marais) was sent to India to a concentration camp along with many other South African men.  My grandfather on my mothers side was in a concentration camp in Pietersburg with his half-sisters and pregnant mother, who died the day after giving birth to another son, sadly the son passed away 2 days later.   They were then sent to another camp in Howick until the camps were disbanded.

My grandmother (de Villiers) was in a concentration camp with her family in Krugersdorp.  

As for my father this is all the information I had: - 

My Father Harold Kemp was born 6.9.1896, the only clues I have from his past are what I have found on the South African Archives his 2 other divorces, a marriage certificate to his first wife in 1919, a copy of a  photo of his mother with the name Elizabeth Mary Kemp, his WW1 Medals, so I got his military records of which there were a few with name changes, and a Medal from Argentina.   Also in his Military records it said he had been to Buenos Aires. 

I then spoke to my half sister's daughter (my father's daughter from his first-marriage) and asked her if she would please do her DNA with Myheritage, that way I could distinguish the matches between her and I that would help me research my fathers heritage. 

Unfortunately there were a few matches but nothing that shouted at me as I did not really know what I was looking for. 

Then I received a message on the 5th of February from a Diego Dickason on My Heritage saying that I was a match with him, I automatically thought it must be a match with my daughter and probably on her father's side.  But on investigation I found that I was the match, he was my 1st cousin twice removed - 2nd cousin once removed, he doesn't speak English as he lives in Argentina, however get this he speaks "old" Afrikaans and Spanish, his daughter Becky kindly send the email on his and her behalf.

They thought I must be a relative on the "Dickason" side of the family, however, again after lots of searching and investigation and finding out about the "Boers at the end of the World" (Afrikaner's who left South Africa at the end of the Boer War" for a better life in Argentina (Patagonia).   However, i could not find one other Dickason that I was related to via Myheritage and a lot of them had done their DNA, so I thought okay so if I am not related via the "Dickason" branch I must be related via the female side. 

It turned out that his mother (Johanna Gertruida Margaretha Dickason (born Verwey)) her mother was (Johanna Gertruida Margaretha Verwey (born Grobler)) and working back from there, her father was Nicholaas Jacobus Grobler. 
 Now trying to fit in the pieces, his father was (Hendrik Christoffel Ignatius Grobler) and mother Maggel Anna Susanna Grobler (born Els)) and Grandfather and grandmother were (Petrus Hendrikus Hendricus Grobler, b5c4d1) and (Johanna Gertruida Margaretha Grobler (born Kemp)) aaah Kemp, my maiden name but could not  find a connection there. 

If Diego was my 1st Cousin twice removed then Nicholaas Jacobus Grobler would be a close relation to my father. 

So I went back on the records I had found, in order to get it all straight in my head and then put it down in myheritage I wrote down everything I found, matched up partners dates etc.  This took me a few evenings of working many late hours, some of the information I found was here: 

Hendrik Christoffel Ignatius Grobler (2.7.1829 - 9.5.1908) and his wife Maggel Anna Susanna Grobler (born Els) (x.4.1832 - 20.01.1910)  Diego's Great-great Grandfather and great-great Grandmother! And my Great Grandfather and Great Grandmother. 

One thing we must remember is that most of the time Names were passed down the family line and normally the oldest son would be named after the father either on the Mother or the father's side of the family. 

Hendrik and Maggel had 6 children

Maria Magdalena Grobler              -     23.05.1851
Johanna Gertruid Margaretha         -              1856
Nicholaas Jacobus Grobler          -      21.5.1859 (Diego's Great Grandfather) 
Magdeld Anna Susanna Grobler     -              1864
Elizabeth Maria Grobler              -    30.05.1868 (My Grandmother)
Engela Gertruida Grobler                -    30.07.1870

According to the death certificate of their mother Maggel Anna Susanna Grobler (born Els), died 20th January 1910.  Elizabeth Maria Grobler was a widower her married name was Kemp and her late husband was Petrus Hendrik Kemp.  Another Kemp perhaps this is it?

I still wasn't sure of the connection until I did some more searching, In Familysearch.org I found a death certificate for a Elizabeth Maria du Plooy, formerly Kemp (nee Grobler).   On the Death Certificate (she died 18th September 1913) in Marquard, Senekal - it states that she has 2 children:

1. Pieter Kemp Born 6th July 1899
2. Hendrik Kemp Born 6th of September 1896 (The same date as my father) 

Alarm bells started ringing, could this be my dad?

The Death certificate was signed by the surviving Spouse Roelof du Plooy who would more than likely not have known the full names of the children as it seems they only married  March 27th, 1910

But my father was Harold Kemp, in the Military records I have the first one has him listed as Herald Christoffel Ignatius Kemp, the 2nd one is just Harold Kemp but both say he has a brother Pieter Kemp who lives in Thaba'Nchu.  These documents are dated 1914 and 1917. 

However if it wasn't for the Match with Diego I would have thought otherwise.

This would make sense if Nicholaas and Elizabeth were brother and sister, and Elizabeth is my Grandmother then Nicholaas would be my Great Uncle, his daugher (Johanna Gertruida Margaretha Verwey (born Grobler) would be my fathers Cousin, and therefore my cousin once removed (Johanna Gertruida Margaretha Dickason (born Verwey) would be my 2nd Cousin and Diego is therfore my 2nd Cousin, once removed (or 1st cousin twice removed).

Is this the end of the Road?

Unfortunately I cannot find anymore documentation and I have a lot of questions to which I have my own theories - Why did my dad change his name to Harold. 

His father Petrus Hendrik Kemp died in 1900 (during the Anglo Boer War), his mother had 2 small children aged 1 and 4. 

I still have so many questions?  

• Did she pretend to be English to avoid being captured and put into a concentration camp? 
• Did she perhaps call him Harold as a child and Pieter Peter?
• How did her husband die? 
• I cannot find any record was he captured by the British and killed? 
• How did she die at such a young age of 45?  I just discovered she died of Pneumonia, however interestingly she died  3 and a half years after her marriage to her 2nd husband Roelof Michel du Plooy (he was captured in 1901 during the Anglo Boer War and sent to Ceylon), his 1st wife died in the ABW Concentration camp in1901 he married 4 times 3 of his wives having died before him, just unfortunate or not? Amazing what you uncover searching through old records from 100+ years ago.
• The Certificate of death I found also shows a 3rd son who died at 2 months of age, when was this child born?
• Who was the father?
• Why are there not baptism certificates for Hendrik or Pieter?
• Why is there no Marriage certificate for Elizabeth & Petrus?
• Harold would have been only 17 when his mother died, his brother Pieter only 14.  Did this make Harold go off and join the war, an orphan at 17?
• On his Marriage certificate for his 1st Marriage, why does is say he was born in Buenos Ayres?
• Who does the medal belong to that I have from Argentina? (I know Jorge is looking into that for me) 
• Whatever happened to Pieter Kemp from Thaba'Nchu?

That is where I leave my investigation for now, hopefully I will find the answers to these questions soon. 

Apartheid .... Music

 I was brought up in Apartheid South Africa, however my mother and father never brought us up to believe that anyone was beneath that, and we never distinguished people by colour.  We learnt that from people in school or in the streets.  

Our "maid" who was more like a mother to me because my mom worked was just the lady who lived in the back room and cleaned our house, she watched TV with us and even went on holidays with us when we were much younger.    She was really well educated and knew about 9 different languages including English and Afrikaans.  She would help us with our homework and even helped the neighbors kids with Afrikaans especially as their parents did not speak it.

My mother always spoke to our Nanny in Afrikaans thinking that my father did not understand it little did she know. 

At school there may not have been so called "black" people but there were people of every race, colour and creed.  Unlike in other countries like Ireland where my friend said that 99% of pupils were white, catholic or white protestant.  We had refugees from Mozambique, in my class alone, there were Lebanese, Portuguese, Greek, Irish, English, all kinds of mixes i.e. Mother was French father was British etc.  It was a bit like the United Nations is now. 

I never knew about race classification until I started working, as I was in HR / Payroll when someone joined the Bank they had to be classified.  ABCD (That was maybe a PC way of doing it) A-Asian B-Black, C-Coloured and D-White.   I worked for a British bank and they employed people of every Race equally. 

I remember back in the 80's when we had a referendum to allow the A's and C's to vote and of course the younger generation voted YES why should anyone not be allowed to Vote, so luckily 10 years later the B's were allowed to vote and it was the end of apartheid! It took our generation to realize what kind of government we had! Even when my father said to me - always vote for the National Party or don't bother coming home ... lol well he is probably turning in his grave now! 

So why I started this post was because my first multi-culture band I saw in Concert was Mango Groove in Sun City, when my friends overseas were listening to Soft Cell, Prince etc, we had some brilliant South African Music. 

Jaluka, e-void, Mango Groove, MarcAlex, Bright Blue, Margaret Singana, Ladysmith Black Mambazo  - unfortunately not many of them got overseas hits, I mention their names in Ireland and the only name that anyone recognizes is Ladysmith Black Mambazo. 

It was like when the movie came out "Searching for Sugarman", about a musician called "Rodriguez", during the 70's we grew up on his music, especially as most radio stations banned the song "I wonder" the song and Album became more popular, then back in 2012 when the movie came out, because I was the only South African in my company, everyone was asking me if I knew of Rodriguez, I felt a bit like a Rock Star because I could tell them about him.  No-one in Ireland, the UK or America had ever heard of him.  

So I just realized how fortunate I was growing up in South Africa in the 70's, 80's & 90's the 3 decades that made me who I am today.  

Turffontein Racecourse - Did you know?

 Do you remember "Chappies Bubblegum"?  Well before I started to write this post, I thought about the wrappers from Chappies, we always used to read out the print on it "Did you Know?"  Which gave me the title for this post!

Coming from the South of Johannesburg, Turffontein Race Course was one of the grand racing tracks of South Africa.   Every Saturday we would go down to the tattersalls so that my mother and father could place their bets on the races.  We never ever got to go into the Racecourse and I only did when I was in my 20's and it was a great day out to dress up and go to the Races. 

So while I have been discovering my Heritage, I found out that both my Grandparents on my mothers side were in concentration camps in the Anglo Boer War in 1901.   My Grandfather "Johanne Francois Marais" was 4 years old when he was taken prisoner along with his family and sent to a Concentration camp in Pietersburg, Transvaal.    His Mother died in this same camp just after she gave birth to another son, who died the day after her.   Luckily he was with his half-sisters who took care of him.   They were later transferred from Pietersburg to Howick in Natal, I am not sure why this was, but I am sure that winter in a Bell tent in Pietersburg could be very cold.  His Father was shipped to a concentration camp in India along with a lot of the other Boer Men who did not join the war. 

My Grandmother "Annie or Anna Johanna De Villiers" was 3 year old when her family were put into a concentration camp in Potchefstroom. 

Most of the Camps were disbanded in 1902.  

So where am I going with this, well while researching all this history about the ABW I looked to see if their were any camps in Johannesburg, and loan behold there it was "The Turffontein Racecourse" was the Main concentration camp in Johannesburg. 

This is an extract from website for "The British Concentration Camps of the South African War 1900-1902"

Johannesburg was an unusual camp in that it was the only urban camp in the entire system. Like Pretoria, from the start of the war Johannesburg had large numbers of refugees who needed help, and these increased when the British arrived. 

While many people were housed in the homes of the Uitlanders who had left for the coast, some kind of camp probably came into being fairly early, certainly by December 1900. 

At the end of December 1900, writing to Lady Hobhouse, Emily Hobhouse noted that there were rumor's of ‘some sort of prison camps’ in Johannesburg with 4,000 women and children. With its mines and compounds, the town appeared to have plenty of accommodation, and, in the early days, some women were housed in the men’s quarters at Robinson’s Deep and Village Deep.1 In the end, however, the camp was located at Turffontein – the Johannesburg racecourse – where the people lived in the grandstands. 

While they may have been relatively waterproof, the stands were not ideal, being dark and stuffy, and it was not long before the superintendent was recommending bell tents for the inmates. In the meantime, some sheds were built while other people were housed in nearby suburbs, making administration very difficult. Nevertheless, the Ladies Committee was pleasantly impressed by Johannesburg camp when they visited it in September 1901, describing it as being in a ‘charming situation’. 

They were particularly struck by the quality of the accommodation which they considered better than in any other camp they had visited, and they regarded the superintendent as thoughtful and efficient. Dr Franks, visiting earlier in July 1901, commented that ‘If every burgher camp be as well managed as this one there is very small ground for complaint’.

There is also mention of a Grave site where Boers who died in the "Johannesburg" concentration camp were buried. 

There were 115 white concentration camps around the country, most of which were in the Transvaal. The biggest in Johannesburg was at the Turffontein Race Course, which originally started as a camp at the Mayfair School, but it soon ran out of space. It housed around 5 000 people, of whom 700 died and were buried in Maluti Street, Winchester Hills, on a farm called Kliprivier Berg, belonging to Piet Meyer.

 This cemetery was vandalized by an anti-Ossewa Brandwag group during the second world war and was overhauled and re-opened in 1961 by then Minister of Justice BJ Vorster. It now consists of a number of coffin-shaped terraces, with a memorial structure listing the names of the dead. At the entrance there are a number of the old grave headstones cemented into the wall, indicating amongst others, the death of a baby of eight months.

Now how many of us who lived and grew up in the South of Johannesburg or who even lived in Turffontein knew of this? 

Some more information on this can be found on the website for Joburg.org

There is also a fascinating article on Facebook 

One thing that is on my bucket list for my next Trip to South Africa whenever that might be is to visit these sites where the concentration camps were, specifically in the South of Johannesburg and in Krugersdorp..