Alberta Cornelia Elizabeth (Dietrich) Diedericks (1901 - 1901)

Born Sep 1901 in Dwarsrivier, Waterberg dist., South Africa

Ancestors

Died 11 Nov 1901 at age 0 in Nylstroom concentration camp, Waterberg district, Transvaal, South Africa

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Alta Bekker [send private message] and Sanet Tose [send private message]

ADOPTED

Biography

Baptism

Birth Sept 1901, not born in the camp

Death

Miss Alberta Diedricks, was not born in the camp but died at Nylstroom RC at age 2 months on 11 Nov 1901 due to diarrhoea.

Unique ID: 6105 Camp History Name: Vryburg RC Sources Title: RS 25 Transvaal DL Type: Death lists National Archives, Pretoria Reference No.: 25 Notes: p.96 and TKP 102 Tvl Government Gazette National Archives, Pretoria Reference No.: TKP 102 Dates: Jul-Dec 1901 Notes: 6/12/1901, p.1724

Name: Miss Alberta Diedricks

Born in camp? No

Added by Alta Bekker Apr 16, 2015

The question

The question: My grandfather, Sigismund Alexander Albrecht Dietrich had a store at the Dwarsrivier in the Waterberg district. He and his wife Angelina had two daughters, Angela Franciska and Cornelia Elizabeth. In 1901 he was captured by the British and sent to Bermuda as a PoW. At the time his wife was expecting Cornelia. The rest of the story I have reconstructed from fragments of information. At the time Angelina might have been living on the farm Bellevue next to 24 Riviere, and she died two days after the birth of Cornelia, around 5 April 1901. Angela was 2 years and 5 months at the time. Angelina’s daughters died in Nylstroom concentration camp later in 1901, where they were registered as Engela F and Alberta Diedricks. I have reason to believe that the two girls were fostered by Magdalena Adriana Francina Carolina (Lenie) Dreyer (formally Nel) and/or her mother Magdalena Adriana Francina Carolina Nel (formally Bronkhorst), who would have been your great-great grandmother if I have my facts straight. At the time I believe she was living with her family on the farm 24 Riviere. The reason why I have made this link is that Thomas Frederick and Magdalena Dreyer had two children, namely Diederik Engela and Magdalena Dreyer. The similarities between their names suggest a link between Engela F Diedricks and Magdalena Dreyer’s daughter, Diedrick Engela Dreyer, and I think that Angelina Dietrich was acquainted with Magdalena Dreyer and her mother Magdalena A Nel, who in turn, could have fostered the Dietrich (Diedricks) children after Angelina's death. Magdalena A Nel (51 at the time), was captured with her daughter Anna C Nel and grandchildren Diederik, Magdalena and Willem Nel at the farm Goedgedacht (neighbouring on Zanddrift, Bellevue and 24 Riviere) and taken to Nylstroom where they died. The whereabouts of Magdalena Dreyer are unknown, and she might have also been sent to Nylstroom and survived. It has taken me two years to determine the fate of the Dietrich children (one never considers alternative surnames, like Diedricks) and I would like to find out where Angelina Dietrich died and where she might be buried. I have visited the above farms and the owners are very vague and unhelpful. I also would like to find out who took care of the Dietrich girls and accompanied them to Nylstroom. I am very curious as to how Diederik Engela Dreyer got her names. This could have been a mix-up at the Nylstroom camp, as might the names of Angela and Alberta Dietrich have been. Angela’s grandmother was Engela and I think Alberta comes from a feminised form of Albrecht, my grandfather’s name. I would especially like to know if Magdalena (Lenie) Dreyer was sent to Nylstroom and survived that awful holocaust. I have taken note that she died in 1963. The reason why I am writing to you is that, apart from having a great respect for people with genealogical interests regarding their families, I want to know if you might be able to throw any light on the above mysteries.

The reply: I am hoping that between the information I had and the answers I got from the family, we can get some of your questions answered.

So we know that Sigismund Alexander Francis Albrecht Dietrich got married in Wepener on 28 June 1898 to Angelina (Anglina) Cornelia Marian (Maryan) Meyer. Born Mafeteng, Lesotho 1879 . Sigismund had a store at the Dwarsrivier in the Waterberg district. He and his wife Angelina had two daughters, Angela Franciska and Cornelia Elizabeth. He was captured in 1901 by the British and sent to Bermuda as a PoW.

Angelina was pregnant with Cornelia when Sigismund was captured.

This is where it gets interesting – got the information from my aunt, who heard the stories as a child - Lenie had a friend Engela, who lived close to them. Engela was caught with them but died soon thereafter they arrived at the Nylstroom camp. The children were left in the care of Lenie. I could not find any record for her death or burial at the camp, so I can only go on the family story.

So although the children were originally called Angela and Cornelia, I think you are correct in your belief that the girls are the same children. Many of the people’s names and surnames were incorrectly spelled by the British. And this family also had the tendency to look after orphans.

For the children I found the following records: There are two records for Engela, but I believe it to be the same record due to the similarity in the data for age, date of death, place of death. This also clears up the confusion with regards to the name of the little girl. Miss Engela F Diedricks died in the Nylstroom RC at age 2 years 11 months on 21 Nov 1901 due to measles & diarrhoea. Unique ID: 6106. Camp History Name: Vryburg RC Sources Title: RS 25 Transvaal DL Type: Death lists National Archives, Pretoria Reference No.: 25 Notes: p.96 and TKP 102 Tvl Government Gazette, National Archives, Pretoria, Reference No.: TKP 102 Dates: Jul-Dec 1901 Notes: 6/12/1901, p.1724

Miss Diederik Engela Dreyer Died at Nylstroom RC at age 2 years Unique ID: 6138 Camp History Name: Nylstroom RC Age departure: 2 Date departure: 21/11/1901 Reason departure: death. Farm History Name: Goedgedaacht / Goedgedacht District: Waterberg Sources: Title: RS 25 Transvaal DL Death lists National Archives, Pretoria Reference No.: 25 Notes: p.99 These records also confirm that she was in the care of the Nel / Dreyer families, who lived on Goedgedacht. Lenie’s parents, Willem Adriaan Daniel Christoffel NEL and Magdalena Adriana Francina Carolina BRONKHORST lived on Goedgedacht, Waterberg but were buried on the farm Witfontein in the Waterberg district.

Then there is the record for Cornelia / Alberta: Miss Alberta Diedricks, was not born in the camp but died at Nylstroom RC at age 2 months on 11 Nov 1901 due to diarrhoea. Unique ID: 6105 Camp History Name: Vryburg RC Sources Title: RS 25 Transvaal DL Type: Death lists National Archives, Pretoria Reference No.: 25 Notes: p.96 and TKP 102 Tvl Government Gazette National Archives, Pretoria Reference No.: TKP 102 Dates: Jul-Dec 1901 Notes: 6/12/1901, p.1724 I can think of a few reasons why her name was not recorded as Cornelia: (1) the tendancy of parents to change childrens names when something traumatic happened like Angelina’s husband being caught and sent away as POW. It is possible that Angelina changed her name; (2) the British incorrectly noted her fathers name as hers in their records or (3) it’s possible that her father was known as Albert and after her mothers death, someone like Lenie started calling her Alberta, in honour of her father.

I also found the same data at a different source: http://vrouemonument.co.za/ancestry?wctstart=981

I hope this helps with your search. I am going to paste all the information we have on WikiTree, maybe someone out there will have some comments.

Sources