Genealogical and biographical records and sketches
Example of one of many FISH Family Arns
FISH Family history - Windsor England 1720 to Cape Town South Africa 2008
The Fish family can be traced directly through a documented trail in Cape Town South Africa and back to 1720 in Windsor in the county of Berkshire England.
The earliest records we have found to date of our direct ancestors are John Fish and Elizabeth (born about 1720), they attended St Andrews church in Clewer village in Windsor Berkshire. All their four children and some grandchildren where baptised in St Andrew’s Church. One of the children got married in St Andrew and a few were buried in the grounds of the church. No grave stones survive to this day.
They must have moved closer to Windsor as their younger children where baptised at St John The Baptist Church in the High street of Windsor. The Queen is the patron of the church and has and still goes to church there at least once a year. The church is located about 100 meters from Windsor Castle, the Queen’s official residence.
Extensive research has been undertaken at the Berkshire records office and archives in Reading Berkshire Hall. The Berkshire Family History Society has many useful records. The full microfiche transcribed records of the churches were consulted and the relevant copies appear in appendix 8 of the FISH Family CD.
The 1841, 51, 61, 71, 81, 91 and 1901 Berkshire census records were also consulted to estabish the movements of the family. The electors poll registers and trade directories also yielded some interesting details.
Extensive research continues to try to trace the FISH family further back in time, closer to the time of a few Fish families around 1400. A great deal of early FISH data has been collected but the links to other Fish families have not materialised yet. An exciting area for further research for any interested family volunteers.
A large amount of research has also been undertaken at the local Kalk Bay, Simonstown , St James and Wynberg churches and the Cape Town Archives.
This Fish Family History CD is a compilation of some of the work of :
my brother Shaun Veldsman made a substantial contribution over the years - thanks Shaun
It has taken us over 15 years to get to this point.
I would like to thank all the family members who have made information and photographs available so that we could make some coherent sense of our collective history.
There are large gaps and blatent errors/mistakes. I call upon all interested parties to contribute to this book / CD as it is our history writen by all of us. So PLEASE contribute to a more accurate and fuller FISH FAMILY HISTORY.
Think of it this way, one day when we have all passed on some 400 yrs time or so, our great great grand children will have a wealth of information on all of our lives, “Their History”. There is so much to tell about the social and historic times we live in, the people we met and the events we witnessed.
Thank You Walter
Contact me or Rob or Clive
Email me if you want a copy of the FISH FAMILY HISTORY CD ROM. We desperately need copies of your old photographs and your family stories you want recorded.
Please help research the following information, the information will be added to this website with credits to yourself, thanks. These 3 English branches need researching so that we can trace their living decendants and establish contact with these branches.
We need data on the following family groups (most of the data below comes from the 1841 to 1901 English census website). We need to research the actual local church records to make further progress. Can you please help.
1. Fish Family in Lincoln 1782 to present. John Fish baptized 15-Feb-1782, St Johns Church New Windsor Berkshire, He married Mary ???? born 1782. John died in Lincoln. Children: William Robert Fish 1716 born 1825. Mary Fish born 1827. William Robert Fish born 1825, Lincolnshire England Lincoln St Peter at Arches. He married Sarah Wallace 20 Apr 1833, in St Martins Church Lincoln Lincolnshire,(daughter of Henry Wallace). William Robert Fish died 2 Mar 1867, aged 45. He is buried at Canwick Road Cemetry Lincoln.Children: George Fish, born 1853, Lincoln Under Arches, died 1871, Lincoln died aged 18 years Lavinia Mary Fish born 1856. Mary Fish, born 1827, Lincolnshire England Lincoln St Peter at Arches. She married (1) John Cartwright. She married (2) ??? ????. Children by John Cartwright: Lavina Cartwright, born 1846, Lincolnshire England Lincoln St Peter at Arches. She married ?? unknown, 1872, in Newark. Lavina died 1850, died before 1851 not in census. Children by ??? ????: Mary Fish, born 1844, Lincoln.
2. Fish Family in Middlesex. George Fish, (son of James Fish and Sarah Oslan) baptized 14-Jan-1784, St Johns Church New Windsor Berkshire. Sarah Fish born about 1825 niece of George Fish lived with family at 1861 census at no 3 Gorham Place Marylebone.Children: Sarah Fish, baptized 23 Oct 1814, of Colnbrook. George born about 1830. Emma Fish, born about 1832, St Giles Middlesex. Caroline Fish, born 1845, Marylebone. She married ??? Hartwell, in sometime after 1851 and before 1861 census. George Fish, born about 1830, St Giles Middlesex. He married Harriet ??, born 1834, Swafham Norfolk aged 47 at time 1881 census. Children: Clara Fish, born 1870, Marylebone aged 11 at time of census. She married John Wallace, 19 May 1902, in Great Amwell Hertford, born 1876, (son of James Wallace).
3. Fish Family in Kilsby Northamptonshire. John Fish, born 15-Jul-1797, (son of Robert Fish and Sarah ????) He married Mary Colledge, 24 Sep 1833, in Kilsby St Faith, Mary was born 30 Oct 1803, Kilsby Northampton, (daughter of Thomas Colledge and Mary Colledge). Mary died and was buried 1872, aged 68. Children: John Chroket Fish, baptized 3 Nov 1834, Datchett. William Henry Fish, born 1834, occupation painter. He married Mary Ann Conroy, 31 May 1857, in Datchett Bucks aged 24, born 1833, (daughter of Thomas Conroy). William son of John Fish of Datchett marraige witnesses are Henry Ward and Mary Ward. Daughter of Thomas Conroy (Tailor) marraige witnesses Henry Ward and Mary Morgan. Mary may have been recorded in 1881 census in London as born in windsor and in union workhouse in london. This needs varification Buckinhhamshire Family History Society, Baptism Database (2005), Baptism; St Mary the Virgin - Datchet - 3 Nov 1834 John Crockett Fish son of John and Mary of Datchet, gentleman.
FISH Family history - Windsor England 1720 to Cape Town South Africa 2008
