Location: South Africa

Surnames/tags: Rydar Snowdowne Wakelin
About the Rydar Family Bible
The Rydar Family Bible was gifted to Johanna Elizabeth “Joe” Ferreira by Henry Richard Rydar on their wedding day in 1905. It was passed down to Mary "Humphrey" Gertrude Bailing (nee Wakelin) from her mother, Mary Johanna Wakelin (nee Rydar).
The book has remained in the family and the family information in it was largely kept up to date by Mary. She passed it on to her cousin, Margie Frayne (nee Snowdowne) [1], because her daughter, Joan Marylin Marsh, did not want it, nor did Joan have any daughters, and Mary expressly wished that the book should stay with a woman from the Ferreira-Rydar bloodline.
It is a fabulous book - not at all like a conventional bible in that it contains much information about natural history, geography and more, as well as being a religious book. It is beautifully illustrated with a number of colour plates.
Attached are some photographs[2] of the Bible - both of the older family information handwritten into it, and also of various pages of interest within the impressive and massive book.
Entries in the Bible
Family names that have been noted within the Bible are (in alphabetical order): Aquilar, Bailing, Barnard, Bosch, Cretchley, de Marilliac, Fourie, Frayne, Frazer, Greaves, Hamburger, Hart, Hasler, Horn, Hutchison, Labuschagne, Lewry, Marsh, Massey, Nicol, Rydar, Scott, Smith, Snowdowne, Wakelin, Zastron.
Note: Not all photographs or transcripts of the family information written within the book are shared here, due to privacy for living relatives. Should you wish to see additional pages or enquire about the descendants, please contact Tracy Frayne.
![]() | Inside cover J. E. Rydar Krugersdorp |
![]() | Presented to page Presented to Johanna Elizabeth Rydar from Henry Richard Rydar |
![]() | Bonds of Holy Matrimony page This certifies that Henry Richard Rydar of Hespeler Canada and Johanna Elizabeth Ferreira of Sitzi Kama C.C were united in the Bonds of Holy Matrimony at Krugersdorp on the 3rd day of May in the year of our Lord 1905 |
Image not available. | Births Mary Johanna Rydar Born May the 12. 1906 |
Image not available. | Marriages Mary Johanna Rydar to James Charles Wakelin on June 25th 1924 at Roodepoort, Tvl. |
![]() | Deaths Henry Richard Rydar. Died Apr 15th 1919
Johanna Elizabeth Rydar - Died February 22nd 1929
Joan Elizabeth Wakelin 17th Oct 1930 |
![]() | Deaths cont (see middle of Bible for previous entries) - These entries appear on a page at the beginning of the book separate from the first list - hence this note.
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![]() | Memorandum In fond & loving memory of my Dear Husband. Who died on April 15/4/19.
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![]() | Memorandum cont In fond & loving memory of my Dear & only Brother who died on active service on Dec 21st 1918 at Nyassaland
Note added by Margie Frayne "same name as Henry's wife". This is correct as this was written by Johanna Elizabeth Rydar, who was known as "Joe" |
Sources
- Margie Frayne (nee Snowdowne), biography compiled September 2017. Updated and shared online here by Tracy Frayne.
- ↑ Rydar Family Bible currently in possession of Margie Frayne (nee Snowdowne) in North West Province, South Africa.
- ↑ Photographed and transcribed by Tracy Frayne, January 2020.
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