Emigrants and decendants in South-Africa. 
A link to norwegian roots.

The norwegian settlers to Natal in 1882. 

This picture is scanned from a memorial book  "The Norwegian Settlers" Marburg, Natal 1882"  that was published 50 years after the landing of 229 passengers at the mouth of the Umzimkulu on 29th August, 1882. For lookups amd copies of books go here. Here is the index and the first chapter for those who want more background on the emigration. Here is some more.  

I have put up this homepage to keep track, and to make it somewhat easier for the decendants and friends of the families to search their origins and roots in Norway, and to follow up and supply to the page, whenever they like to.

From ==== SOUTH-AFRICA Mailing List ====
Richard Hawkins:
-----
Over the years there has been very little mention of the impact of the
Norwegian settlers in Natal and even less mention of some of the names which
have in many cases changed from their original spelling due to early
difficulties with pronunciation. While researching a branch of my family I
became intrigued by this little known branch of our history, and thanks to
Roslyn in Rhodesian I aquired copies (in English) of the 50th and 100th
Jubilee issues of the Norwegian Settlers in Natal. I'd been wading through
the Norsk. Nybyggerlib : Natal 1882-1932 until that point and the Durban
archives wouldn't let me make photocopies due to it's age. Below I've listed
names of the families and their allotments along with a brief run down of
the voyage from the 1932 issue. The 1982 issue has too many "living" people
(who I don't know) for me to place it here.

The families boarded the Wilson line "Tasso" in Aalesund, Norway on 14 July 1882.
They arrived at Hull, England on Monday 17 July 1882, departing the East
India docks in London on 20 July 1882 in the CHMS Lapland, provisioning at
Dartmouth the next day and sailing for Durban, South Africa via Cape Town and East London.
They did not disembark in CT due to a smallpox outbreak in CT at the time.
229 passengers landed at the mouth of the Umzimkulu on 29th August, 1882.

THE FAMILIES WHO ARRIVED ON C.H.M.S LAPLAND
(and the lots they settled on) 

More about family origins and descendants and cousins by clicking on their names. 

LOT 1 : Rasmus Sandanger, wife Helene.
With Peter Knotten, wife Maren, child Anders.
LOT 2 : Matias Holte, wife Karen, child Konrad.
With Johan Myklebust and Ane Muren.
LOT 3 : Isak Igesund, wife Dortea, child Anna.
With Jakob and Olava Ribbestad.
LOT 4: Johan Nero, wife Karen, children Anna and Dorthea.
With Martin Amundsen and Ane Sande.
LOT 6 : O1e Valdal, wife Beate, children Marie, Lina, Olaf.
With Regine Johnson and Severin Loken.
LOT 7 : Kristian Rodseth, wife Kristine, children Aage, Anna, Marie,
Elisabet.
With Johanne Oie and Peder Ertesvaag.
LOT 8 : John Kipperberg, wife Gurine.
With Emblem, wife Marit children Trine, Lauritz.
LOT 9 . Elling Pahr, wife Ane, children, Olava, Kristine, Pernille, Peder,
Anna, Eilert and Ole.
With A. Hansen.
LOT 10 : John Lillebo, wife Kanutte, children Peder, Anna, Pernille,
Andreas.
With Knut Myklebust and Jorgine Ensti.
LOT 11 : K. 0. Standal, wife Johanne. K. E. Standal, wife Oline.
(NB:O.J. Brauteseth bought this Lot 11, married wife Johanne Oie (housemaid at lot 7) in 1891. They had 4 children)
LOT 12 : K. Martinsen, wife Elisabet, children Margrete, Klara, Elise,
Martin.
With Kaia and Gudve Rogne and E. Brudevik.
LOT 13 : 01e Haajem, wife Hendrikke, children Edvard, Anna, Laura, Karl,
0le, Nora.
With Petrine, Hans and Nille Haajem.
LOT 14 : Emil Berg, wife Kornelia, children Johan, Gusta. Marie, Magda,
Alfa, Harald, Arthur.
With Anna Brungot, J. Melseter.
LOT 15 : C. D. Lund, wife Marie, children Sverre, Einar, Ragnhild, Astrid.
With brother Tank Lund.
LOT 16 : A. Andersen, wife Gertrud, children Johanne, Hilma, Andreas, Karen.
With Elias Rodseth, Ingebrigt, Edvard Bye, Marie Jorgensen and Vaernes.
LOT 17 : Church and School Lot.
LOT 18 : Peter Brune, son 01e.
With Marie Moe and R. Nederhus.
LOT 19 : 0. Vinjevold, wife Oline, children Oline, Peder, Oluffa, Anna,
Josefine, Andreas.
With Anders Stigen.
LOT 20 : F. Hufft, wife Kristine, children Sofie, Inga.
With Jorgen Vold and Gurine Frisvold.
LOT 23 : Martinus Gidske, wife Anna, children Anna, Petter, Bernt, Berte.
With Johan Petersen and Nikoline L�ndahl.
LOT 25 : Gjert Kvalsvig, wife Marie, child Gustav.
With J. Johannesen and Sevrine Paulsen.
LOT 29 : Nils Oie, wife Malene, children John and Guttorm, Kannutte and
Ingeborg and Kornelia. With J. 0. Brauteseth and Karoline Haajem.
LOT 30 : T. 0. Dahle, wife, children Anna, Gusta, Thea, Ludwig, Oluff,
Kornelius.
With Ingeborg Dyb, W. Andersen and Marie Dahle.
LOT 31 : A. Birkelund, wife Marta, children Lars and Larsina.
With Ane Vatne and Peder Dahle.
LOT 32 : P. Haram, wife Cecilia, six children.
LOT 33 : John Oie, wife Karen.
With Olai Vatne and Malene Eidseth.
LOT 35 : Borgensen, wife Marie, child Eivind.
With Londahl, wife Ragnhild, children Martha, Devold and Dorthea.
LOT 36 : Pettersen and J. Andersen.
LOT 37 : Knut Haggeselle, wife Johanne, children Sofie and Ida.
With mother Maren and brother Anders, and Anna Karlsen.
LOT 41 : F. B�dtker, wife Cecelie, children Fritz, Paul, Marie, Rebekka.
With L. Berntsen.
LOT 43 : P. Trandal, Haakon Hjelle and Elen Ekornes.
LOT 44 : J. Kjonstad, child Dina.
With Ingeborg Valum and Olaus Skjerve.
LOT 45 : G. Kjonstad, wife Elise.
With Dagna and Emil Holte. Zefanias Olsen. Grimstad, Karl Meeg and Lina
Pettersen.
LOT 46 : H. Andreasen and Kristian Olsen.
LOT 50 : Endre Bj�rseth, wife Anne, children Anna, Peder, Alfred, Olivia.
With Johan Vernes.

It's a lot of history connected to these people and families, that will tell us more about the times and the places they live in. I hope to learn more about this in the future..

To be continued... If you like to contribute please send me an email to knut_brauteset@yahoo.com  

South-Africa: PORT SHEPSTONE

(From http://www.go2africa.com/south-africa )

This is the largest town on the tropical KwaZulu-Natal South Coast. It was founded in 1867 when marble deposits were discovered on both river banks near the mouth of the Mzimkulu River. A harbour was immediately built at the opening of the river mouth for marine trade. The first coaster entered the harbour on the 8 May 1880 and inaugurated regular trade between Durban and Port Shepstone. The main exports for many years after that were marble slabs, sugar and lime. The development of the village was boosted by the arrival of 200 Norwegian settlers who were brought out to farm the area. On their arrival some of the settlers immediately noticed the potential for seafaring trade and devoted their time and energy into developing the harbour and its facilities. By 1893 Port Shepstone was functioning as a full fiscal harbour. However, when the railway from Durban reached Port Shepstone, the harbour was doomed. It fell into disuse and eventually the river silted up again making it impossible to use. Port Shepstone is today the administrative, commercial, distribution and transport centre of the South Coast. On the outskirts of the town is a charming church which is the cultural and social focus of the Norwegian settler's descendants.

Underneath is a picture that Kim took when in South Africa of the Norwegian Settler's Church in Port Shepstone (Marburg).

The following picture and interesting history is found on http://home.eunet.no/~nilsneri/kirker/sor_afrika_1998/satur_doc_1999.htm

Den 14. juli 1882 la b�ten Tasso ut fra �lesund. Om bord var 34 familier som skulle emigrere, ikke til Amerika, men til Zululand i S�r-Afrika. Passasjeroversikten viser at smed Holte, l�rer Kj�nstad, baker Trandal, vognmaker �ye, skomaker Dahle og prest Berg var blant passasjerene. Sist sommer bes�kte ungdom fra Sauherad Norwegian Settlers Churche i Marburg utenfor Port Shepstone. Mange de som har tilknytning til kirka i dag b�rer fortsatt sine norske navn - med stolthet.

Denne emigrasjonen fra Norge til S�r-Afrika var en konsekvens av at man hadde startet misjonsvirksomhet i KwaZulu-Natal. Blant annet hadde misjonsskipet Elieser i 1880, f�rt av kaptein Landmark, seilt p� kysten av Zululand. Landmark ble imponert av den fruktbare jorda, de gr�nne �sene og det solfylte landskapet, og han tenkte at dette m�tte v�re flott plass for norske utvandrere. Vel hjemme i Norge skrev han avisartikler om Zululands mange fortreffeligheter, og han utga en brosjyre som beskrev landet geografi og klima, og som listet opp alle frukter og gr�nnsaker som man kunne dyrke.

Brosjyren skapte stor interesse, s�rlig hos b�nder i �lesunds-omr�det. De kontaktet den norske presten Emil Berg som arbeidet for Sj�mannsmisjonen i London og ba han skaffe mer informasjon. Han igjen kontaktet Walter Peace som var agent for regjeringen i Natal. (En liten forklaring: Zululand var de svartes omr�de, Natal var for de hvite. I dag er det offisielle navnet KwaZulu-Natal). Forhandlingene mellom Berg og Peace fikk de norske b�ndene l�fte om at femti familier, p� gitte vilk�r, skulle f� fri reise fra London og til S�r-Afrika. De skulle ogs� f� landomr�der ved minningen av elva Umzimkulu - hver familie skulle f� vel 400 m�l, og et felles beiteareale p� over 8000 m�l. Betaling (1,50 Rand pr Acres - vel 4 m�l) skulle skje etter 10 �r.

Hver familie m�tte ha med minst 100 Rand - tilsvarende 50 Pund - til � dekke sine viktigste behov den f�rste tiden. De m�tte ogs� kunne legge fra legeattest, og attest fra sin lokale prest om god oppf�rsel. I tillegg til familiemedlemmene kunne hver familie ta med seg to enkelt-personer.

Mange s�kte om � f� reise, s�rlig fra Sunnm�re og �lesund, men ogs� fra Tr�ndelag og Bergen. Av vel 300 s�knader ble 50 plukket ut, men da det kom til realiteter var bare 34 klar for avreise.

Grunnen til at myndighetene gjerne ville han innvandrere var flere. Det var overflod p� god og dyrkbar jord. Men det dreide seg ogs� om politikk. Immigrantene ble plassert som en buffer mellom den hvite bosetningen langs kysten og den svarte bosettingen inne i landet.

I tillegg til at hver familie fikk sitt landomr�de p� vel 400 m�l ble det ogs� satt av 400 m�l til kirke. Og nettopp kirke var noe av det f�rste imigrantene satte i gang med. P� et nydelig h�ydedrag i Marburg ble kirka reist. Sj�mannspresten fra London, Emil Berg, ble med p� reisen, og ble den f�rste presten i den nye kirka. Nordmennenes sosiale liv ble i stor grad levd i og rundt kirka.

Vi verken kan eller skal g� gjennom hele historia. Det er heller ikke alt i denne historia man kan v�re lik stolt over. Man var nok ikke s� �pen og klar i sin holdning til rasediskriminering og apartheid som man kunne �nske.

I dag er norske innvandrernes kirke i Marburg en menighet som ikke er tilsluttet noe spesielt kirkesamfunn. De fleste av de aktive i menigheten b�rer fortsatt norske etternavn, de heter Brauteset, Holte og Berg.

For tiden driver de med stor utbygging. Det som til n� har v�rt kirkesalen skal i framtida bli et kapell, s�rlig med tanke p� vielser. Det bygges ny stor kirkesal, lokaliteter til ungdomsarbeid og andre aktiviteter. Utbyggingen finansieres f�rst og fremst ved at man har solgt en del av de 400 m�lene eiendom som fulgte med kirketomta.

I l�pet av kort tid vil det bli bygget flere tusen nye hus i omr�det rundt der kirka ligger. I disse husene vil det bo folk av alle raser. -Vi m� gi disse menneskene mulighet til � tilbe sin Gud, derfor bygger vi ut kirka, ble ungdommen fra Sauherad fortalt da de bes�kte kirka i juli 1998.

The Genesis Project.

nov.2003:
I have to ask you to vist our Norwegian Church  website. It is the driving  force in our community with the Genesis Project.  
Read and see how Norwegians  in South Africa are helping in their community.   
Tell all the Brauteseth's you know or are in contact  with to visit the web  page. 

We have a celebration (landinsfest) every year  to celebrate the  arrival of the Norwegians on 29 August 1882. 
We  would like to get some young  Norwegians over here at that time to visit and  enthuse our youth at that  time. 
Many Norwegians do not speak Norwegian and I  think its an oportunity  for the Norwegians in Norway to get involved maybe  as volunteers at the AIDS  Care Centre or just send some money for a donation.  Or maybe get a whole lot  of Norwegians to come and join in the fest in August  next year.   The web site is http://www.genesiscentre.co.za  with the  link to our Norwegian  Church which stands proudly on the hill for over 121 years.   We look forward to you sending it to all your  contacts.   It's nice to also know that our geneaology has a  practical side to it and we can get together to serve other, less fortunate  people.   
Best regards,   Peter Brauteseth