FROM SOUTH AFRICA TO USA: SELIGMANN
Jacob SELIGMANN (1846-1900) was born in Ichenhausen,
in Bavaria. At some date, probably before 1874, he
went to South Africa, where he married a South African
lady called Hendrina HENDRICKS who must have been born
about 1850. They had 4 children, all born in South
Africa. By 1880 the family appears on the US Census
for Springfield, Illinois. Jacob died in Chicago.
According to one of his great grandsons Jacob may
possibly have been living in the Kimberley area before
he left South Africa. In the USA the family name was
anclicised to SELIGMAN.
On my family tree, there is a note that Jacob lived in
Rouxville, S. Africa, then Chicago, USA. In the book
on the history of the Jews in South Africa by Saron
and Hotz, there is reference to a Jacob SELIGMAN, who
lived in Aliwal North, before the 1880s, as far as I
can understand.
There were other members of the family to which the
Jacob in my question belonged who also lived in Aliwal
North and Rouxville.
In addition a search of NAAIRS reveals the following
intriguing entry:
++++++++++++++++++
DEPOT:NAB
SOURCE :CSO
TYPE:LEER
VOLUME_NO :663
SYSTEM :01
REFERENCE:1878/3834
PART 1
DESCRIPTION
HIS HONOUR THE PRESIDENT OF THE ORANGE FREE STATE,
BLOEMFONTEIN,REQUESTS THAT THE
MAGISTRATE AT DURBAN BE EMPOWERED TO TAKE SUCH
STEPS AS MAY LEAD TO THE ARREST OF JACOB
SELIGMANN.
STARTING1878
ENDING1879
REMARKS G1878/419.
++++++++++++++++++
Qu. 1 Was this the Jacob Seligman(n) about whom this
query is addressed?
Qu.2 Can anyone provide me with any more information
about the sojourn in South Africa of this member of my
mother's family?
Qu.3 Is there any record of a Seligman(n) in Kimberley
during the period ~1875-80?
Qu.4 Is there any record of a SELIGMANN/HENDRICKS
marriage in S. Africa?
Please do let me know anything that might give me more
insight into the African life of Jacob and Hendrina.
Adam Yamey, London, UK