Help us find and improve next week's Connection Finder links: South African Notables [closed]

+13 votes
495 views

Our most recent WikiTree 7x7 Challenge is in association with the Genealogical Society of South Africa, so we're looking at South Africans notables in the Connection Finder next week, alongside those profiles the Challenge is working on.

Here's their starting lineup:

1. Johannes August Heese (1907-1990)
J.A. Heese is the primary author of the first few volumes of South African Genealogies" aka Heese & Lombard.
2. Roelof Theunis Johannes Lombard (1931-2011)
R.T.J. Lombard is the lead editor of the first few volumes of South African Genealogies" aka Heese & Lombard.
3. Edward John Morse Jones (1889-1969)
E. Morse Jones published Roll of the British Settlers in South Africa in 1969 and numerous extracts from contemporary accounts as the Albany Chronicles.
4. Colin Graham Botha (1883-1973)
C. Graham Botha was head of the Cape Archives for 32 years, and published The French Refugees on the Huguenot families in 1919.
5. Margaret Constance (Twentyman-Jones) Cairns (1912- 2009)
Margaret Cairns published widely on the social history of the Cape community
6. Floris Albertus van Jaarsveld (1922-1995)
F.A. van Jaarsveld was an influential historian, educator and genealogist, and published numerous books and school texts.
7. Marjorie Diane "Dee" (Murray) Nash (1928-2010)
M.D. Nash published the authoritative The Settler Handbook: A New List of the 1820 Settlers in 1987.

Who else should we feature? We have room for eleven notables. We can't feature everyone who is nominated, but if we don't feature a profile you work on, we may use it sometime in the future. And, of course, all contributions help improve our shared tree.

Our choice of features will depend partly on the notable person's CC7, i.e. their connection count within seven degrees. The more connections they have, the more likely it is for all WikiTree members to find a close and interesting connection to them. So, if you nominate someone, please help grow their CC7.

We'll make a final decision on which ones to feature early next week.

Please reply here with what you're working on so that we don't duplicate our efforts. Thank you!

Take note that this is not the place to discuss why you think we shouldn't feature someone if those reasons are due to politics, actions, or opinions of those being suggested.  Mentioning things like their not being connected, their biography still needing work, erroneous information, etc. are all suitable for discussion here and an opportunity to correct those situations.

Help us plan Connection Finder themes for 2023 here.

closed with the note: Feature: https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/1595449/which-notable-south-african-are-you-most-closely-connected
in The Tree House by Abby Glann G2G6 Pilot (832k points)
closed by Abby Glann
I like it that these are not 'real notables', but genealogical authors, researchers and scientists.

However.. there is a great lack of people who worked on Khoi/San, slave, bantu, asian, and all mixed race ancestors, who were often not treated well by history, as their birth, marriage, death was not noted down.

Who would be the notable early/recent collectors of genealogical information about all the 'non-white' peoples?

4 Answers

+15 votes

My first thought was the Great Rolihlahla Nelson Mandela, the only problem being he is currently unconnected from the main tree. I believe this could be advantageous in the sense that it could draw more attention and maybe help get him attached. At the very least, more folks would be exposed to his well written profile and associated references.

by Brian Quesnell G2G6 Pilot (114k points)
Thanks, Brian.
+10 votes

Jacobus Pierneef - Landscape artist who was one of the best of the old South African master painters (CC7 = 6571)

Seymour Papert - Pioneer South African computer scientist who also developed programmable Legos

by Russell Butler G2G6 Pilot (203k points)
edited by Russell Butler
Thanks, Russell.
+12 votes
  • Miriam Makeba (1932-2008) singer: CC7 103
  • Desmond Tutu (1931-2021) bishop and anti-apartheid activist: CC7 21
  • Steve Biko (1946-1977) anti-apartheid activist: needs connecting.
by Jim Richardson G2G Astronaut (1.2m points)
Thanks, Jim.
+11 votes
Hugh Masekela - [[Masekela-1|Hugh Ramopolo Masekela (1939-2018)]]

Alan Paton - [[Paton-1334|Alan Stewart Paton (1903-1988)]]

JRR Tolkien - [[Tolkien-1|John Ronald Reuel Tolkien CBE FRSL (1892-1973)]]

My personal favorite (cause I was a theater geek in my youth, heck, I still am) the lovely dancer/actress:

 Juliet Prowse - [[Prowse-733|Juliet Anne Prowse (1936-1996)]].

 She needs to be connected. I’ll try to find some relatives if I can. She was born in India but raised in South Africa and was always described as South African.
by Donna Lancaster G2G6 Pilot (121k points)
Thanks, Donna.

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