SOUTH AFRICAN ROOTS project - need volunteers

+27 votes
1.5k views

As we all know South Africa is very rich in history. For this reason we thought of starting  a SOUTH AFRICAN ROOTS project. This will help to keep all the South African history together under one name.

Under this umbrella we can add different projects and categories.

South African Timeline: Larger and smaller evens that influenced our history

1815: Slachter's Nek Rebellion

1834: Emancipation of slaves in Cape Colony 

1834: Great Trek

11845 Annexation of Natal

1852 Sand River Convention 

1854 Bloemfontein Convention 

1867 Discovery of Diamonds

1878 Zulu War 

1880 First Boer War

1886 Discovery of Gold

1895: Jameson Raid 

1899: Anglo Boer war

1910: Union of South Africa

To keep track of our history we could launch different projects

Projects like the Second Boer war with all its categories will be part of this project and many more:

[[Category: Camps]]

[[Category: Politicians]]

[[Category: Second_Boer_War]]

[[Category: Groot_Trek]]

[[Category: Voortrekker]]

We can also create sub categories for Battles fought, wars and historical events in South Africa.

This will happen as we go along.

We value your input in this regards.

Your contribution today will have an enormous impact on the generations to come.

Make your voice and vote count on Wiki Tree. Together we can build a global tree.

Looking forward to hear from you. Any ideas for categories under this project are welcome and open for discussion.

in Requests for Project Volunteers by Susanna Hendrina Elisa de Bruyn G2G6 Mach 5 (57.8k points)
retagged by Abby Glann
This is really soo awesome 'guys' :)  

And for all of you with South African Roots, you all can add your own ideas/thoughts about how you feel/think a project like this should look like !

This really is going to be a huge project and it will mean you all finally will have a place of your own here at Wiki Tree, a place where you can talk in your own language if you like and a place where you can feel 'right at home' surrounded by fellow South African Roots members, and  a place where you can go for help if you need some and so on.

So now is the time to tell us all what and how you feel this place should be or look like and we all can make sure it will be a wonderful place for all members with South African Roots ! We of course really need your input and help so if you were waiting for a project like this please let us know and pitch in here now :D
Hi Bea, Susan, Ronel.

Baie dankie vir hierdie initiatief. Ek sal help waar ek kan
To Volunteer Click on comment

Add your name and tell us what you think

Thanks
Susan. I'' in. Sounds like a fantastic idea. I love history and we have some great family memories and stories from the second Anglo-Boer War.
Susan,

Ek hoop ek sal kan bydra, al was my flippen oupa aan die Ingelse se kant, na oorlewering as 'n wag in 'n konsentrasiekamp aan die einde van die oorlog.
Hi Susan

This is exciting, i volunteer!

Should be open to link to ANY South African relevant projects (such as the existing COGH project) or categories on this page. Some more tags could be - [[South African Indigenous Progenitors]] (Khoe / KhoiKhoi / San), [[South African Slave Progenitors]], [[1820 Settlers]], [[Founders Effect Diseases - South Africa]] (Huntington's chorea, Porphyria variegate, etc.) and maybe later some subtleties from our history which had a tangible social impact such as [[Frontier Wars]] and [[Bywoners]].

There could even be links created to South African ancestry puzzles or to discrepancies with current South African Genealogies, of which there are quite a few well founded ones already on WikiTree.

Groete
Hi Lou

Daar moes wagte ook gewees het anders het die tannies mekaar dalk met hul handsakke geslaan :-)))
Thank you all and if you have (more) ideas or suggestions for the project please feel free to add it all here, and of course if you know some South African (Roots) members who might be interested please invite them all to this G2G , the more the merrier eeh :)

Thank You Dirk we would be honored to have you on our team

Yes indeed Dirk 

This could become the umbrella project to so many other sub projects, as Bea had put it : "all finally will have a place of your own here at Wiki Tree"

Thank you for the wide range of interest that we can add. 

Most of them will be added to my personal list as well. 

The scope is huge.  To quote Chris Whitten Onward and upward

Klink baie interessant, maar laat ons nie die kar voor die perde span nie en eers die projek aan die loop kry.  As ons dalk te groot afbyt, kom ons nie weg nie.  :)
Hi Dirk, baie dankie vir jou insette, voorwaar sal ons aan al die genoemde goed werk en die projek so volledig as moontlik maak.
Ja nee Lou, almal het maar 'n besonderse deel gedoen. Dalk nie wat ons vandag sou wou hoor nie. Maar geskiedenis is reeds gemaak, ons kan dit nie verander nie. Ons kan dit net wardeer.

Sien uit om jou op die projek te he.
Hi Catherine

Ek stem saam jou, maar na oorweging help dit nie om die globale projek agterwee te laat nie. Die South African Roots sal die primere projek wees, en al die ander sub kategoriee. Dit gaan nie werklik 'n groot inpak he op wat ons reeds doen nie.

Baie dankie vir jou insette.

Sien uit om jou betrokke by die projek en of 'n projek kategorie te sien :)
Thank you Bea

You just have a way with words.

Thank you for the encouragement

Does this project include the  British 1820 settlers ? They are not in your timeline but would have thought that they had an influence on SA History,  I  would be in  two minds as to whether my husband who is a descendant should say he has South African Roots, for the150 years they were there or British ones for his older ancestry.

Okay, I am in. Would be great to sort many of the profiles into categories and build on our history.
Hi Helen

Most certainly in will be incorporated in the project.

Please confirm if you interested in joining this project. :)
Hi Alta

I agree with you, it will be nice to categorize the profiles.  Thank you very much for joining this project.
Dit gaan soveel meer betekenis aan die genealogie gee !
Voeg my by.

Groete

Schalk Pienaar
Dankie Schalk

Ons sal julle op hoogte hou
Susan,

Ek sal graag 'n bydrae wil lewer, dankie vir die inisiatief,

Jo
Hi Jo

Baie dankie vir die belangstelling in ons projek, ek sal vir jou die nodige epos.
Susanna, I would love to be involved in an 1820 settler, sub project when you get to that part. I've got a fair amount of experience researching those from my husband's family (who naturally mostly married others from the same community)

At the moment , I think that you have other things in mind and since I can't follow most of the posts on the thread, I'll wait until you want to start that project.

Hi Helena

The 1820 settlers will  definitely be part of this project, just give us a bit of time to arrange everything.

I will surely inform you as soon as we ready.

Thanks for your interest :)

Hi everyone

We need your input - color scheme !!!

Louis is working on the project pages and will appreciate to hear what you will prefer.

Please have a look at his page and let us know what you like.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Project:South_African_Roots/Sources

Looking forward to hear from you all

Please comment with the number you will prefer
Number 7
Number Nine
Number 9
combined with the flag ... 9

See also this G2G question added by Dirk, we need some input from you all to decide on this, so if you have some time and want to help make decisions about our guidelines, all help is appreciated ! 

What Profiles should be marked with a (SA) Roots Tag ?

Number 9, not too bright on the eyes.
Hi Bea,

I'd like to participate
That's wonderful thanks Brenda and welcome to the South African Roots Project ! :)
Hi Brenda, thanks for joining our wonderful team.

Hope you enjoy it with us :)
aaah thanks Brenda It would be such a privilege to have you on our team
Would love to participate.  Thank you!

Hi Merryl

Welcome and thanks for joining our wonderful team

Have a nice day

 

Welcome to the South African Roots project Merryl very happy to have you as a member of our team !
Anyone looking to spread the word to others doing South African family research there's two Facebook Groups. Both are 'closed' groups, so you have to ask and be accepted to join.
Here's one - for anyone with South African roots   https://www.facebook.com/groups/7627302901/

and here's the other - specifically for those with ancestors who came to SA from Scotland   https://www.facebook.com/groups/1795909430623782/

Thanks Moira for the valuable information

Also thanks Moira for using the G2G forum to add this valuable information.... Now it is available for everyone. You are a star !!!

Have a awesome day. 

 

Hi Ronel

Please add me as a volunteer. I don't get to spend nearly as much time as I would like on this, but will contribute as much as possible.

Rudi

Hi Rudy

Welcome  and thank you very much for joining this project.

Very welcome Merryl. Hope you will enjoy it with us :) Thx for joining our project!
Hi, I have just joined Wikitree and saw your comments on starting a South African roots project. I am keen to be involved because all the family history I know of, is in SA. Can I hook up?
H Denis

Thank you for your interest in joining the SA Roots project.

I posted instructions to your profile on the few steps needed to have you s full member.

Looking forward to have you as a member :)

Regards

Ronel
Can a section on the Anglo German Legion to Kaffraria be added? My great grandfather immigrated with them and it is quite difficult to find detailed information on these settlers.
Hi Paul,

I suppose you will be looking at mostly the areas King Williams Town and East London and records from 1835-1866. Not that there is a lot to go around. To create a category for it is not the problem. Lets hear what others have to say.
German settlers have a considerable presence in the Eastern Cape and the Transkei beyond 1866 as well. I'm currently checking the Family Search unindexed images for civil deaths in 1912 and every now and then I see a death where the former filler specifically writes that someone is German.

I also have photos of the Red Book Eastern Cape directories for 1907 and 1913 for the farmers in the 7 wards around East London. Lots of German names there too - let me know if this is of interest to you
Hi Louis and Paul

Im sure we can do that, will be great to have a place where people can find this profiles easily.

:)
Thanks Moira,

British Kaffraria ceased to exist beyond 1866 as it was incorporated into the Cape Colony and of course settlers did not only settle in that period. So how do you suggest the category should be named and what period should it cover in light of your comment?
Yes, that's true. I guess it has more to do with the German settlers, and in the case of my great grandfather, he was not German but had enlisted with the legion and came over in 1857.

There were German agricultural settlers as well as the military ones. Plus German settlers who ran trading station in the Eastern Cape and the Transkei.
I can see that people with German ancestors might find a specific sub-section useful, but I'm thinking it could be unhelpful to limit it by start-end dates.
In case anyone hasn't found this useful source of German Settler info - here is a link http://www.eastlondon-labyrinth.com/germans/

So we can have two categories The Anglo German Legion and German Settlers. It does not really matter as long as it is helpful and you are willing to work on it. What I need from you is a proper description and definition - Period covered - Area if needed. I'm just the coordinator.  

Thanks for your reply Louis but I didn't start this thread of conversation. Credit needs toi go to Paul Davis if I recall???
I have no German ancestors, bu my family had friends who were German settlers and I too have a friend in East London who has German ancestors.
If a sub-project was started I could use it to suggest to her that she too becomes a WikiTeer. That's the extent of my interest really
Well Moira, we would be glad to accommodate your friend, but I suggest they join WikiTree first and get to know the ropes a little and I will gladly revisit a German category. Please keep in mind that there are not a limit to the sub-categories that we can create, but it makes no sense to have a lot of empty subcategories and nobody willing to work on them.
Dont forget Berlin and Stutterhiem in the German Settlers research. Must be a lot of German Settler families still in the area.

7 Answers

+12 votes

South Africa Here we go !!!

Thanks Susan for the information. I am in !! I love history and this is an outstanding way to preserve our heritage !!!

Dankie Susan vir die inligting.  Hier gaan groot dinge gebeur.!!!

by Ronel Olivier G2G6 Pilot (122k points)
edited by Ronel Olivier
HAHAHA Dirk, dit klink vreeslik.

Wel soos ons teen die tyd weet het wiki ook maar reels en regulasies. Ek dink jy sal voorgaan net soos nou en ja, die plakker sal jy moet opsit. Soos met al die projekte gaan ons mikpunt wees om profiele te beskerm en daarvoor moet die profiel 'n primere bron bevat wat die persoon se geboorte "van" (LNAB) bevestig.
More Dirk

In die algemeen vir die wat meer betrokke wil wees:

Die vrywilligers gaan saamwerk om seker te maak, elke profiel (vanuit 'n subprojek) is korrek gesiteer is. (met ander woorde 'n betroubare primêre bron bevat, vir die data wat in biografie gelaai is.)

Dit sal meebring dat die persoon noodwendig bietjie navorsing moet doen. Hier is tyd 'n faktor, maar elkeen werk teen sy eie pas en soos dit vir hulle gemaklik is. Ons weet almal dat die soek van dope en of sterfte kennisse, tyd neem. :-)

As die data dan gelaai is en die bronverwysings voldoen aan die Wiki vereistes, sal ons vra dat die persone as hulle daarvoor kans sien, die profiel toelig met persoonlike informasie, weer tydrowend, want dan sal daar baie gelees moet word. Bietjie vleis aan die bene sit om die kilheid van die Doop Huwelik en Sterfte te versag. Hier sal uit die aard van die saak gebruik gemaak word van sekondêre bronne.

Foto's is ook 'n handige toevoeging tot profiele, mits ons seker is daar is nie kopie reg op die foto's nie. Behoorlike bronne is ook hier belangrik,

Tensy jy natuurlik baie kunstig is en 'n skets van die oom of tannie kan maak:-)))   

Alhoewel dit nie altyd moontlik is nie sal dit wonderlik wees, maar sommige mense het onder die radar geleef, en dit is dan onafwendbaar dat die profiel slegs basiese data sal bevat.

Basies wat  jy sou doen om jou eie familie se lewe te herdenk, net bietjie moeiliker want jy sal die persone nie self ken nie en jy kan ook nie familie uitvra nie.

Daar sal ook vrywilligers wees wat net hul eie familie lyn sal wil doen en daar is ook ruimte daarvoor, ons sal dit ten volle respekteer.

Seker maak daar is nie duplikate nie of as jy nie daarvoor kans sien nie net die ander in kennis te stel dat jy nie daarvoor uitgekyk het nie.

Samewerking sal ook baie waardeer word. As ek byvoorbeeld 'n Olivier soek en afkom op 'n ander van dan doen ek bietjie moeite en verwys die profiel bestuurder na die inligting. Hetsy 'n skakel of 'n bron waaroor ek geval het. Veral as dit data is wat nie maklik bekombaar is nie.

Indien dit 'n profiel is waarvan die bestuurder meer as ses maande terug gewerk het en die profiel is oop, mag ons natuurlik die data toevoeg sonder toestemming, maar ons is beperk, ons mag net toevoeg en nie verwyder nie. Sou daar twee-strydighede voorkom sal ons dit met 'n nota uitlig en aantoon waarop ons ons feite baseer.

Jy kan dan kies om dit so te los of om kontak te maak met die bestuurder om die saak aan te spreek. Ons weet egter dat soms kan twee bronne verskil en dan aanvaar ons dat die werklike feit nie beskikbaar is nie, en sal ons maar die uitval moet aanvaar.      

Die verandering van die Last Name at Birth sal noodwendig deur die bestuur van die projek hanteer moet word, want hier is persoonlike kommunikasie nodig. Sodra die Last Name at Birth korrek is kan die profiel beskerm word.

Vra gerus as jy meer wil weet.
Baie dankie vir die goeie inligting.  Hoe kry mens die plakker en hoe maak mens 'n persoon in jou familie deel van die projek?
Hi Catherine,

Once we can start with setting up the project, a project page and badge are going to be created and everyone who likes to join can join and will receive a project badge, and that's also when a ''plakker'' is going to be created for the project you all can add to your own profile or to the profiles of your family members or other South African Roots profiles if they are not part of a different project already of course.

This G2G is the first step and started to see if people are interested have ideas and would like to join and become an active member of a project like this, so if you know some South African fellow members who you think might be interested as well, please show them this G2G (add a link to it in a mail or post ) and if we have a lot of people that are interested and who all responded here, is when we can start the project ! :)

Hi Catherine 

Dankie vir jou  entoesiasme   Dit is vir my heerlik om te sien daar nog iemand wat nie kan wag nie :-) 

Hi Bea

Thank you for the excellent answer

 

Dankie vir julle almal. So excited to work with you both.
Dankie vir die verdere uiteensetting, Ronel. Ek onderskryf elke punt daarvan (en maak darem reeds bietjie so, hoop ek).
Dirk stel jy belang om by ons aan te sluit?
Ja. Ja.
Dankie Dirk ons sal julle op hoogte hou
+6 votes
Môre! Ek het maar onlangs betrokke geraak by Wiki. Dit was nog altyd my behoefte om my voorgeslagte na te vors. Dit het my op 'n ongelooflike ontdekkingsreis geneem! En ek moet bysê, ek sou dit nie kon doen sonder Susan se hulp en leiding nie. Ek sal graag wil deel wees van die projek. Met almal se entoesiasme, soos duidelik uit die antwoorde, sal dit 'n groot sukses en besondere nalatenskap wees. En met leiers soos oa Susan, 'n groot eer.  

Elsa van Rooyen.
by
Hi Elsa

Baie baie dankie vir die vertroue wat jy in ons sit. Ek moet byvoeg jy het so hard gewerk aan daardie profiele en dit voorwaar puik gedoen.

Dit sal vir ons 'n voorreg wees om jou in die span te he.
Goeie more Elsa

Baie dankie vir jou bereidwilligheid om by ons aan te sluit Ons sien uit daarna om jou te vergesel op jou ontdekkingsreis.
+8 votes
Hi; this looks great. I'm not sure how one would do it, but it's important to keep it relevant to all South Africans, so this should be inclusive of non Afrikaner history I.e. Black / Zulu / Xhosa / British / etc etc. I don't see it as my role to make up those projects, but they should somehow be available in case people with a more direct interest would like to become involved and so that it is welcoming of all regardless of colour, sex, creed, etc. I'm not sure what the scope is?
by Anton Eugene Bergh G2G6 (7.5k points)
Thank you  Anton

This is the feedback we are looking for. For everyone to view his or her opinion on what he or she would  like to find. If more than 8 people want to start a project, and if the WikiTree leaders agree to it a new project can be started.  Everything will fall under this project. We are taking baby steps at the moment, but the diverse history of South Africa can lead to many sub projects.

To put you mind at ease : Any person on WikiTree regardless of his colour, sex or creed who join the South African project, will be treated the same. We will follow the same WikiTree rules for all.
+6 votes

Great initiative Susan & Ronel! I will support where I can though my time allows me to prioritize the COGH project.

It is high time that the other sub-projects (1820-Settlers, Groot Trek, Boer Wars, Natalia [etc.]) get started. And I'm happy to let others do the work, take leadership on this.

Jislaaik ... dit gaan pret wees - Lou - ek het ook Engelse familie waar twee seuns aan verskillende kante geveg het (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Dearlove-3) - een vir die Souties en een vir die Boere ...:-) Daar is ook nog die verhaal van hulle pa (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Dearlove-9) wat die eerste pub in Johannesburg gerun het - dit was die eerste sinkgebou terwyl die res van Johannesburg nog 'n tentekamp was ... en hy was getroud met 'n Australiese vrou - die eerste vrouw wat in die nuwe stad Johannesburg begrawe was ...

by Philip van der Walt G2G6 Pilot (169k points)
Philip

Baie dankie vir jou ondersteuning met die nuwe projek. En ja COGH sal altyd na aan ons harte le en ek dink almal sal altyd betrokke wees met dit.

Na als, sonder die mensies tusses 1652 - 1806 sou daar geen ander projekte gewees het nie :)
Dankie Susan :-) Uitsonderlike dank vir almal wat op die COGH projek dit moonltik gemaak het, die voorbereidende werk gedoen het ... sonder julle almal ...
Jy sal nog voorwaar baie van my sien, Jy gaan nie so maklik van my ontslae raak nie... hahahaha.
Philip thanks for your support and enthusiasm , great stories :)
Dankie Philip

Dankbaar vir jou ondersteuning

Klein mensies neem groot stappe hier ;-D
+7 votes

Hi everyone , 

We have been very busy already today, because you all are so enthusiastic and inspiring, so everyone who wants to join you now can start by adding this category to the top of your own Bio , just copy and paste the following to the top of your own Bio, remember this category is only for members though, for profiles you should add the template (plakker ) or the template category . 

So for project members only, just copy and paste to the top of your Bio :[[Category:South_African_Roots_Project]] 

For profiles we now have a template or plakker meant for all profiles you think could fall under the project (sourced and improved), if you like you can add one to your own profile or your close family members as well of course, for the template just copy and paste the following at the top of a Bio : {{South African Roots}} 

If profiles already are part of a project and have a template added already, you can add it to our project with just the category [[Category:South African Roots]] if a profile could fall under more than one project, please ask in G2G what template or project is the most appropriate one for that profile and the most appropriate project can add their template and all others perhaps just the category ? 

We are still working on the project page, so it's not quite finished yet and the badges will take a week or so before we can award you all one, but I thought with so many great responses and enthusiasm we could make you happy and reward you all with a little present for a start ! :) 

Have a wonderful day and if maybe you still have questions or ideas, happy to help and we love all input ! 

by Bea Wijma G2G6 Pilot (305k points)
edited by Bea Wijma
Yes indeed Bea, my question is which templates or categories would apply to the current {{Dutch_Cape_Colony}} profiles?
I think it probably depends on which projects will be developed in the future as well of course, for now they all have a template, so no need to add a second or for some maybe third one I think ?

But if in future a more appropriate or more specific project is started for specific profiles or families, like I said I think the most logic would be to only add the template of the most appropriate project for that profile or the family, but that's of course something we all can discuss and think about whenever it's needed and when something like this would occur.

We all share the same goal and that's to make sure our profiles are all sourced and improved, and to try to keep and make sure our WikiTree is as healthy and accurate as possible.

No one 'owns' profiles, we all have to share them, projects and for example project profiles just are a great and easy way to make it possible to share profiles with thousands of people if needed, and to work on or watch over them together. So for me personally, I feel and don't think it's really worth making a lot of fuss about a template when a profile can be added to a project by just a category as well.

A profile should be about the person and his or her life, at least that's what I feel is most important, it's like a little monument for the person to honor his or her life, so it's not about the amount of templates or categories..a few categories can be added and perhaps and only if needed maybe one or two templates as well, but I think we also have to watch out we don't bombard them with too many stuff at the top, which sometimes is rather distracting from what a profile really is about or for...
I understand and completely agree. Only my question was of a practical nature - (forget about the templates for a moment) if the COGH project will be a sub-category of Dutch Roots, which category should be added (doesn't need to be solved right now; was just wondering) ....

O hahaha well for the Cape of Good hope profiles nothing changes, they all can be found in the COGH project because they all have the template added (a template in fact is or does the same as a category) it adds profiles to that specific category .

I added a category to only the COGH project page and by this the project is added already to the South Arican Roots project and will be easy to find for all South African members . So that's all, nothing else or no extra categories need to be added to any of the profiles ;)

Unless... you think or feel  it's needed to add one of course, in that case this category,[[Category:South African Roots]] would add all profiles to the South African Roots Project as well .. If you want to add yourself as a member of the project, add this to the top of your own Bio: [[Category:South_African_Roots_Project]]

Ok, understood. Thanks Bea ..:-)
@ Philip, you're welcome and added a little to my previous answer to make it even more clear ... I hope ;)
It looks wonderful.  Thank you, I feel quite proud.
Thanks Catherine it really does eeh :D Happy you like it and that you feel so proud, it's of course wonderful all people with South African Roots can add a template to their own profile as well now :)

We're working on the project pages now and as soon as we have the badge everyone who has the (members only) category (and or) template added to their profile will receive a badge and than it's official !

All South African members will have a place of their own at WikiTree, a place where you all can chat and or discuss things in you own language and where everyone hopefully will feel right at home !
+5 votes
I would love to join, just please know that I will be quite useless most of the time, my work does not allow me much free time. None the less, I would not mind being part of this project at all, this is our unique history after all.
by Kobie Janse van Rensburg G2G Crew (660 points)
Baie Welkom Kobie

Hoop dit sal 'n wonderlike ondervinding wees.

Ons is baie opgewonde oor die toekoms van ons Suid Afrikaanse familie boom  

 Die SA Roots Span
+5 votes
Hi,

Please add me to the list of volunteers for this project :)

Wynand
by Wynand van der Walt G2G6 (8.4k points)

Hi Wynand

Welcome to the South African Roots project Wynand  very happy to have you as a member of our team !

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