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From: "Becky Horne" <>
Subject: Re: [ZA] Cemetery Plots
Date: Mon, 9 Jun 2003 20:49:17 +0200
References: <038b01c32d9e$86304960$479fef9b@telkomsa2156telkomsa.net> <002801c32e93$72c3a340$77beef9b@bazett>


Hi Bazett, Edric and Harold

Thank you all for sharing your knowledge, plus the very interesting family
stories.

I just find it so sad that the thought of death was so much on our ancestors
minds. As a child growing up, my parents wouldn't allow me to attend
funerals until I was very much older and in high school. As a parent, I
followed the same rule set by my parents. I just wanted to protect my
children from the harsh reality of death, and for them to retain their
innocence for as long as I could. Very naive I guess. People say that you
should cry when someone is born and laugh when someone dies. Yet we don't do
this for obvious reasons - we just don't want to say good bye.

When my grandfather died, my Mom wore black clothes for 3 months. I was a
little older and wiser by then, and couldn't understand why my Mom was sad
and just prolonging the hurt by 'advertising' her grief.. Maybe that is why
in so many pictures of the past you find these very sad ladies dressed in
black. It must have been tough to be a Mom back then. The poor Dad's too.

So let's all celebrate life and make it the best we can. Just remember to
smile for the camera :o)

Best wishes
Becky
Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Researching: HENWICK; HILL; HORN(E); MEREDITH; DEYZEL; LARSEN; WILLSON;
LYNAR; HENNING; STERLEY; THECK; BEST; BRAUN, GREENER; GLANVILLE.
----- Original Message -----
From: Bazett Meyer <>
To: <>
Sent: Monday, June 09, 2003 4:26 PM
Subject: Re: [ZA] Cemetery Plots


> Hello Becky,
>
> I think your questions were excellent as it covers an aspect that is so
> often ignored in research i.e. the financial and socio-economic conditions
> of our ancestors.
>
> Regarding your question about family plots in cemeteries. I have very
little
> to add to Edric's mail as I think that he covered the main issue. Edric, I
> would like to add one sentence to your reply. During the 19th century
> families were large and medical services were of a low standard, compared
to
> today and parents were therefore forced to accept right from the start
that
> they would lose some of their children. A family plot consisting of four
to
> six graves was therefore the norm.
>
> On farms there were farm cemeteries and when persons got older they
usually
> made a coffin for themselves and for their wives or had them made.
>
> Your mentioning of "Cape of Good Hope (Savings) Bank " triggered the
memory
> cells ;-). I did not reply to your query sooner as I wanted to update my
> knowledge on the bank. In 1998 a cousin of mine died at the age of 73. As
he
> was a bachelor and the last in his family I helped sorting out his
intestate
> estate.. He was an architect and had numerous photographic slides of
family
> and buildings. I went through all these slides looking for family. A
number
> of slides featured the "Cape of Good Hope Bank" I also found a brass
> medallion presented by the University of Cape Town for the best building
> design for that year. I phoned my cousin's ex partner, whom I met at the
> funeral, asking if the medallion meant anything to him. I have never seen
> someone so eager to get anything as that ex partner of my cousin and he
> confirmed that it was for the new Cape of Good Hope Bank.
>
> I phoned the bank this morning only to learn that Nedcor took over the
bank
> as from 1.1.2003. They did confirm your date of 1831 as the establishment.
I
> also got a promise from them that I could email them and ask for
information
> on the history of the Cape of Good Hope Bank. As soon as I receive an
answer
> I will report back.
>
> I have no information about the LOMBARD bank founded in 1793. You have
> raised my curiosity and I will try and learn more about them. The name
> LOMBARD, however, is closely linked to the establishment of the banking
> system.
>
> There were also a number of "one branch" banks in the 19th Century. The
last
> one was "Die Stellenbosch Distriksbank" which was taken over in the
> seventies by a banking group. Most probably Boland Bank.
>
> I can add very little to the history of insurance companies. Maybe Harold
> could tell us more. What I do know is that many of these schemes defaulted
> when claims were made.
>
> An amusing family story.
> My grandmother married my grandfather in 1907 , when she was 18 and he
took
> out a life insurance policy in her name. He explained very carefully that
> this policy has to be paid on the dot every month or else they would
cancel
> it and she would then lose all the money paid to date. My grandfather died
> in 1952. During the early seventies my grandmother, when she was in her
> eighties, received a letter from the Old Mutual congratulating her on the
> fact that she is now one of ten of the oldest policy holders. As result of
> this she need not pay any further premiums as the Old Mutual would pay it
on
> her behalf. She immediately wrote them a stinking letter accusing them of
> trying to get her policy cancelled!!!!!!!!
>
> The Old Mutual answered her that she could continue to pay her premiums
but
> they would still pay an equal amount. This whole thing caused amusement in
> the family but obviously not when she was around.
>
> Regards
> Bazett Meyer
> Malmesbury, South Africa
>
> Subject: [ZA] Cemetery Plots
>
>
> > Hi there
> >
> > This is a general question, so I hope somebody will understand my
> innocence and come to my rescue.
> >
> > In days gone past, why was it so important for our ancestors to buy a
plot
> in a cemetery? In modern times we have a Funeral Policy. Was it because
> there was no Insurance Companies around at that time or hadn't somebody
> thought of a funeral policy? Or maybe a case of our ancestors not trusting
> the Banks and putting their money under the mattress?
> >
> > Insurance Companies - These first appeared on the South African scene in
> the 1830's, but few of the earliest didn't last for long, some becoming
> bankrupt and others disappearing through mergers.
> >
> > Banks - The first bank was established at the Cape in 1793 to provide
> finance for farmers and for the growing community of merchants. Known as
> LOMBARD Bank, it was modelled on the Bank van Lening in Holland. It was
only
> in 1831, however, that a second, the Cape of Good Hope Savings Bank made
its
> appearance. Others followed, among them the National Bank of the Orange
Free
> State, formed in 1877
> >
> > SOURCE: The SA Family Encyclopaedia by Peter JOYCE
> >
> >
> > Best wishes
> > Becky
> > Port Elizabeth, South Africa
>
>
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