Like the documents from Granny Ottilie's side of the family these were collected by our Uncle George, whose daughter Jean copied them for Jo Ohlson de Fine (Patricks's wife) who sent them to me. Thanks Jean and Jo.
Our great-grandfather Joseph married Ellen Gay of County Westmeath in Ireland, whether before or after emigrating to South Africa is not clear. A record of her Baptism shows her to have been born in 1853.
The next document from "St.Patrick's Rom. Cath. Church Kokstadt" shows Ellen must have been 30 when our grandfather George was born. Contrary to what we had previously understood the document says his father was called William, not Joseph. So there is some mystery here - maybe just a clerical error. Perhaps he was William Joseph Smith? Since her son George had a half-brother she must have had a second husband but that probably has nothing to do with the name muddle.
According to her death certificate (copy below) Ellen died in Woodstock, Cape Town at the age of 79 in 1932. Though somewhat difficult to read, the cause of death is given as "Influenzal Catarrh Myocarditis". In other words she had a heart condition exacerbated by a dose of flu.
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