Have you ever wondered what your ancestors were like, and wish that you had known them? John Wilmot and Alan Montgomery from the Genealogical Society of South Africa (GSSA) are dedicated to assisting as many people as they can to discover their roots.
The GSSA was founded on June 18 in 1964, with the inspiration of keen genealogist Philip Myburgh who invited eight others with similar interests to partake in the traditional hospitality of his farm Joostenberg, Muldersvlei, on the outskirts of Stellenbosch.
There the group discussed the setting up of a body devoted to the study of genealogical and family research in general.
Almost 60 years later Wilmot and Montgomery are heading the Gqeberha branch with the same zeal and determination.
Wilmot said,
Through the society the two senior citizens aim at highlighting the importance of research in genealogy and family history, to provide a wide range of meetings, educational courses, projects, and services about genealogy and family history for the general benefit of members of the society, and others.
Wilmot acknowledged the wide range of information available on the internet; however, finding incorrect or corrupted data on the internet is easy; hence this information needs to be confirmed from other sources.
He said that they encourage the observance of the highest standards of research by members of the society, and to promote reliability, integrity and professionalism of all South African genealogists.
“We want to be actively involved in the preservation of genealogical records and memorabilia, and to establish and maintain contact with like-minded societies throughout the world,” Wilmot added.
With 11 branches across the country, the society offers training courses on how to undertake research; how to record and store the information, and share steps to avoid when conducting research on your family tree history.
“To expand our knowledge, we invite different speakers to address us on their family origin, their lifestyle and history.
“We check if members are hitting a brick wall, and offer suggestions on how to overcome these barriers. Our branch publishes a quarterly newsletter with articles of Eastern Cape families with the family tree of the progenitor, his wife and their children, as well as the children’s spouses,” Wilmot explained.
The branch has a large collection of books, registers, record-files and manuscripts in the library of one of its members.
“We encourage contributions of books and memorabilia to our library for safe-keeping and future referencing,” Wilmot concluded.
The East Cape branch meets on the third Thursday of every month; Wilmot and Montgomery encourage more people to become members.
For more info, contact John Wilmot on 0872 368 3167 or email jaysqh@iafrica.com and Alan Montgomery on 084 9818491 or email amontgomery@aerosat.co.za
