George Augustus Leonard De Friedland

George Augustus Leonard De Friedland

About:

• Born 30 September 1879 in Härlunda, Kronoberg, Sweden [Source: Cousin has birth certificate]

•  Moved to USA at ± 9 years old

• 

  Europe Political Map 1905

• Ran away from home @ 17 years old (± 1900?). From USA.

• Arrived in the Cape before 1900 [Source: Granny] on the Tarantula [Source: John]

• Applied for letters of naturalization in 1904 [Source: KAB = CO-8611-22]

• Major in South West Africa during World War I?

• His father died in USA ± 1921

• Started Masonic lodge in Johannesburg - Sons of SA

• Was a major & led mounted troops in parade for Prince of Wales’s visit to Johannesburg in 1925.

•  Died in Pretoria 22 May 1964 [Source: TAB = MHG-3849/64 & tombstone & cousin has death certificate], aged ± 85 years.

• Buried: Zandfontein Cemetery, Pretoria, Tshwane, Gauteng, South Africa. NB: Date of birth on tombstone is 1884, which is incorrect!

 

 NB: No official documentation ever records George Augustus Leonard De Friedland's name to include the name "von Wallenstein", nor has my family ever known him by this name.

 

 

George Augustus Leonard De Friedland - Tombstone

Parents:

• Father: Anders Magnus Jonasson, born: 19 November 1861 in Härlunda, Kronoberg, Sweden. Died: 10 February 1924, Geneva Township, Kane, Illinois, United States

   

  Mother: Signild Mary Kjellsson, born: 25 November 1862, Sweden [Source: On shipping list, according to Imelda]. Died: ± 1898

   

  Father involved in Swedish Lutheran church, father’s father a minister? [Source: Granny]

   

  Paternal Grandfather: Jonas Andersson Fridlund, born: 16 September 1826, Voxtorp, Småland, Sweden

   

  Paternal Grandmother: Catharina Svensdotter, born: 1824, Vostra Torsas, Kronoberg, Sweden. Died: 25 June 1900, Härlunda, Kronoberg, Sweden

• Father involved in Swedish Lutheran church, father’s father a minister? [Source: Granny]

Siblings:

• Carl Julius Friedland, born: 11 May 1888 Geneva, Kane County, Illinois, USA

   

  John William Friedlund, born: 24 June 1889 Geneva, Kane County, Illinois, USA. Died: 29 May 1955 Elgin, Kane, Illinois, USA. Married: Opal Fay Bell

   

  Victor Thurman Fridlund, born: 25 March 1891 Geneva, Kane County, Illinois, USA. Died: 7 March 1936 Elgin, Kane, Illinois, USA.

   

  Edwin Ludwig Friedlund, born: 30 December 1892 Geneva, Kane County, Illinois, USA. Died: June 1980 Alhambra, Los Angeles, California, USA. Married: Evangeline Anna Iulo

  

  Edwin Ludwig Friedland
  

  
   

   

  Herman Sextus Fridlund, born: 12 July 1895 Aurora, Kane County, Illinois, USA. Died: 25 May 1954 Douglas, Oregon, USA. Married: Viola Thressa Kent

   

  Lillie Anna Kataren Fridlund, born: 18 December 1897 Aurora, Kane County, Illinois, USA. Died: 12 December 1971 Oregon, USA

Places lived in South Africa:

• ± 1910 - Kimberley diamond diggings. Met our great grandmother.

Du Toit's Pan Road Kimberley, 1899

• 1918 - 20 Millbourne Road, Bertrams

• ± 1922 to ? - 60 Putney Road, Brixton (with children & Ruby) Were living here during Miners’ Strike

• ? - end of Goldman Street, Florida (with children & Ruby) - big garden with stream running through it.

• ±1927 - Hamburg, near Roodepoort (with children, Granny in Std 3).

• ? short period - 2 rooms in a back yard (with children) after losing Singer Machine shop.

• ± 1928 - traveller for Union Art Co. No fixed address? Granny boarded with acquaintances. Rogna taken with him.

• ± 1929 - 10 Verona Street, Bezuidenhout Valley, Johannesburg (with Billie & children)

• 1956 - 6 Hilary Manor, Green Point, Cape Town

Work:

•  ± 1918 - before Great Depression - African Life Schlessinger

• Before Depression - Singer Sewing Machine shop, Roodepoort - owned (Rogna worked there in afternoons)

• During Depression - Union Art Co. - worked as a traveller

• ±1929 - Premier Art Co. - owned (met Billie, when commissioned to have to an artist paint her grandparents’ likenesses from photographs.)

Marriages (5):

 1. Christina Avelina (born Grainger). [Source: TAB divorce record]

• Became Mrs Fisher

•   Divorced from George Augustus Leonard de Friedland 1919* [Source: TAB]

*NB! He was already “married” to Johanna Catharina Elisabeth Jacobs at the time of this divorce!

• Children from this marriage: Carl, Louis & Gloria (“quite a few years older than Rogna”)

• Divorced when she had an affair & married Mr Fisher

• Mr Fisher died in 1922 Miners’ Strike?

2. Johanna Catharina Elisabeth Jacobs (our great-grandmother) [Source: TAB]

   

Johanna Catharina Elisabeth Jacobs

• Divorced from George Augustus Leonard de Friedland 1921. [Source: TAB]

• Her parents died when she was 14 years old of ‘flu epidemic

• She had 2 sisters, and they married 3 brothers who were prominent in Kimberley, where they lived

• Met in Kimberley at diamond diggings

• Married ± 1911 for 7½ years

• Her children from previous marriage to Mr Engelsman: Violet, Amy & Vernon

• Children from this marriage: Rogna (born 1912) & Härdis (born 11 May 1918)

• Dressmaker

• Granny saw her intermittently through her childhood, when she showed off Granny to her friends. Granny last saw her when Granny was about 18-20 years old (i.e. about 1937). She was said to have returned to Kimberley to her family there. Rogna told her children that she had died when Rogna was young. [Source: Granny]

3. Ruby Mullens (neé Few) 

• Father had leather & saddler store in Commissioner Street, Johannesburg (?)

• Married before 1922 Miners’ Strike

• She had children from previous marriage: Stanley & Freddy

• They were married ± 5 years until ± 1927

• Dressed as Brittania on horseback in parade at Prince of Wales visit to South Africa in 1925 & was thrown from horse

• Mentally insane & allegedly abused her children & my grandmother

• Died during a kidney operation

• No record of a divorce in the archives

4. Johanna Christoffelina Joubert (born van Staden)

•  Called “Billie”

• From Daspoort, Pretoria

• Aged 19 at time of marriage in ± 1929

• Married for 25 years until ± 1954

• Divorced 1938. Restitution of Conjugal Rights 1955 [Source: TAB]

5. Gertrude Eileen [Source: TAB death record for George]

• Married Leonard when he was about 80 in 1954. [Source: Granny] Note that Leonard was supposedly 81 when he died in 1964!

• Wife at the time of Leonard's death in 1964 [Source: TAB]

#DeFriedland