Which Notable South African are you most closely connected to?

Question

We're looking at notable South Africans in the Connection Finder this week on the heels of the most recent WikiTree Challenge in association with the Genealogical Society of South Africa. Check out these connections:

• Colin Botha, head of the Cape Archives
• Margaret Cairns, Cape historian
• Johannes August Heese,  author "South African Genealogies"
• Floris Jaarsveld, Cape historian
• Edward Jones, publisher "Rolls of British Settlers In South Africa" and "Albany Chronicles"
• Roelof, Lombard editor "South African Genealogies"
• Miriam Makeba, singer/activist
• Dee Nash, published "The Settler Handbook"
• Jacobus Pierneef, landscape artist
• JRR Tolkien, author
• Desmond Tutu, Anglican archbishop/activist

Which one of these South Africans is closest to you on our single family tree? If you're one of the 29.8 million of us who are connected to each other on our big tree, you can check with the Connection Finder.

In addition to the above and our many Featured Connections, you can check your connections to any category on WikiTree, such as South African Roots and South African Notables. Click the green MyConnections button in the upper right hand corner of the category page.

Let us know how you're related below. If you want to share your connection on social media with cousins and friends, click the "get shareable image" below the results, e.g. Tina Turner and JRR Tolkien. Then just upload it along with the URL of your direct connection. (Please refrain from sharing your connection on the featured profiles themselves, though. It clutters conversations on research and collaboration. Thanks!)

Help us find and improve the profiles for next week's US Founders theme.

Answer 1

I am most closely connected to Colin Graham Botha and Edward John Morse Jones at 22 degrees of separation.

Cousins:

• 23 degrees from Marjorie Diane Nash (15C)
• 24 degrees from Roelof Lombard (22C 3R)
• 26 degrees from Johannes August Heese (20C 5 R)
• 26 degrees from Floris van Jaarsveld (21C 4R)

No Relationship Found:

• 22 degrees from Colin Graham Botha
• 22 degrees from Edward John Morse Jones
• 25 degrees from Margaret Constance Cairns
• 25 degrees from Jacobus Hendrik Pierneef
• 25 degrees from J. R. R. Tolkien
• 28 degrees from Miriam Makeba
• 34 degrees from Desmond Mpilo Tutu

Answer 2

Cousins:
Marjorie Diane Nash - 16C2R - 27 degrees   
Johannes August Heese -21C7R - 28 degrees
Roelof Lombard - 23C5R - 25 degrees
Floris van Jaarsveld - 22C6R - 28 degrees   
Connections:
Colin Graham Botha - 23 degrees   
J. R. R. Tolkien - 25 degrees   
Edward John Morse Jones - 25 degrees   
Margaret Constance Cairns - 28 degrees   
Jacobus Hendrik Pierneef - 29 degrees   
Miriam Makeba - 33 degrees   
Desmond Mpilo Tutu - 38 degrees

Answer 3

None of this week's featured profiles is closer than 18 degrees to me, but I noticed unusual similarities between many of the connections, and following the connection paths brought me to a profile which is within 7 degrees of no less than six of the featured profiles:
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Maree-18

I'm sure there have been other weeks when the featured profiles have been equally closely connected to each other, but given that the population of South Africa is over 60 million, I found this week's cluster a little surprising.

Comments

South Africa may have a population of 60 million, but how many profiles does it have on WikiTree?

---

Definitely not many, & given the composition of the selected profiles, it seems that they might be almost entirely colonizers. Which is disappointing for a nation that's over 80% Black.

---

So Very True Thomas

It would be great if  the South African project could include all South Africans  but..

Unfortunately  finding sources is most difficult  and WikiTree needs sources. :-)

Answer 4

Johannes August and David are 23rd cousins twice removed

Floris and David are 24th cousins once removed

Roelof and David are 25th cousins

Marjorie Diane (Dee) Nash and David are 17th cousins once removed

Answer 5

I am most closely connected to Colin Botha at 21 degrees.

Answer 6

21 degrees from Colin Botha (no relation)

Cousins:

Dee Nash -- 15th cousins (uncertain)

Johannes August Heese -- 20th cousin, 4 times removed

Floris Jaarsveld -- 21st cousin, 3 times removed

Roelof Lombard -- 22nd cousin, twice removed

Answer 7

18 degrees from Edward John Morse Jones.

20 degrees from Colin Botha.

24 degrees from Margaret Cairns.

24 degrees from Marjorie Diane "Dee" Nash. 14th cousin 2 times removed. MRCA James (Hamilton) Hamilton First Earl of Arran (abt 1475 - abt 1529).

24 degrees from Jacobus Pierneef.

25 degrees from Johannes August Heese. 21st cousin 4 times removed. MRCA Robert (Dreux) de Dreux (1185  - 1234).

25 degrees from Floris Albertus van Jaarsveld. 22nd cousin 3 times removed. MRCA Robert (Dreux) de Dreux (1185 - 1234).

25 degrees from Roelof Theunis Johannes Lombard. 23 cousin 2 times removed. MRCA Robert (Dreux) de Dreux (1185 - 1234).

27 degrees from Miriam Makeba.

31 degrees from Desmond Tutu.

Answer 8

• Colin Botha - 23 degrees

• Margaret Cairns - 25 degrees

• Johannes August Heese - 21st cousins 6 times removed, 25 degrees

• Floris Jaarsveld - 22nd cousins five times removed, 25 degrees

• Edward Jones - 24 degrees

• Roelof - 23rd cousins four times removed, 24 degrees

• Miriam Makeba - 28 degrees

• Dee Nash - 15th cousins once removed, 23 degrees

• Jacobus Pierneef - 26 degrees

• JRR Tolkien - 18 degrees

• Desmond Tutu - 35 degrees

Answer 9

• 21 Degrees to Colin Graham Botha (1883 - 1973)
• 22 Degrees to Edward John Morse Jones (1889 - 1969)
• Jacobus Hendrik Pierneef (1886 - 1957)
• 23 Degrees to Margaret Constance (Twentyman-Jones) Cairns (1912 - 2009)
• 24 Degrees to John Ronald Reuel Tolkien CBE FRSL (1892 - 1973)
• 24 Degrees to Roelof Theunis Johannes Lombard (1931 - 2011) (24th Cousin one time removed - Uncertain)
• 24 Degrees to Marjorie Diane (Murray) Nash (1928 - 2010) (17th Cousin Once removed - Unknown)
• 25 Degrees to Johannes August Heese (1907 - 1990) (23rd Cousin three times removed - Uncertain)
• 25 Degrees to Floris Albertus van Jaarsveld (1922 - 1995) (24th Cousin twice removed - Uncertain)
• 28 Degrees to Zenzile Miriam Makeba (1932 - 2008)
• 34 Degrees to Desmond Mpilo Tutu (1931 - 2021)

Answer 10

On this notable South Africans list I am closely connected to:  Margaret Cairns 11 degrees; Johannes August Hees 14 degrees;  Floris van Jaarsveld 14 degrees; Jacous Hendrik Pierneef 16 degrees; Colin Botha 16 degrees.

However, I am more closely related to other notable South Africans: 

Deneys Reitz, 4 degrees of separation. Reitz was a Boer warrior in the Second Boer War against the British Empire, founder of a major South African Law Firm, an officer in the First World War for the South African army against the German Empire, commanding several battalions of the British Army; author of the book, 'Commando A Boer journal of the Boer War.  He joined Smuts' South African party and was Deputy Prime Minister. In 1943 he was appointed as High Commissioner to London. 

in 1920 he married my great aunt, Leila Agnes Buissiné Wright (Cape Town, 13 December 1887 - Cape Town, 29 December 1959). She was a social reformer, an outspoken advocate of women's rights and suffrage for women, and the first woman member of the Assembly (representative for Parktown in Johannesburg, 1933–1944). 

Answer 11

Ancestors and cousins:

18 degrees - Roelof Lombard (23C, 2R) [uncertain]
21 degrees - Johannes August Heese (21C, 4R) [uncertain]
23 degrees - Marjorie Diane Nash (14C) [uncertain]
24 degrees - Floris van Jaarsveld (22C, 3R) [uncertain]

Connections:

21 degrees - Colin Graham Botha
23 degrees - John Morse Jones
24 degrees - Margaret Constance Cairns
24 degrees - Jacobus Hendrik Pierneef
25 degrees - Gwyneth Taylor
26 degrees - J.R.R. Tolkien
28 degrees - Miriam Makeba
30 degrees - Desmond Mpilo Tutu

Answer 12

Jacobus Hendrik Pierneef is by far the closest connection at 15 degrees.  All of the names in between are Dutch until the path gets to my Aunt Joyce Bell, whose mother was Helen Verbass, daughter of two immigrants from the Netherlands to Kentucky, United States.

The other profiles are all more than 20 degrees away, and there are four cousins too distant to mention.

Answer 13

My closest is C.G. Botha at 21 degrees, but no known relationship.

Answer 14

20 degrees from Colin Graham Botha, three branches (1-2-18)

22 degrees from Edward John Morse Jones, six branches (1-3-1-7-2-9)

23 degrees from Marjorie Diane (Murray) Nash, Murray-2417, three branches (5-10-9, 15th cousin twice removed MRCA Robert Constable (1423 - 1488), Constable-47, Agnes (Wentworth), Constable (-1496), Wentworth-7

23 degrees from Margaret Constance Cairns, three branches (7-8-9)

23 degrees from Roelof Lombard, Lombard-2074, two branches (14-10), 23rd cousin three times removed MRCA Aénor (StValéry) de Dreux (abt. 1192 - aft. 1250), St_Valéry-29, Robert (Dreux) de Dreux, Dreux-32 (1185 - 1234)

24 degrees from Jacobus Hendrik Pierneef, four branches (2-4-9-10)

24 degrees from Floris van Jaarsveld, Van_Jaarsveld-929, three branches (8-7-10), 22nd cousin four times removed MRCA Aénor (StValéry) de Dreux (abt. 1192 - aft. 1250), St_Valéry-29, Robert (Dreux) de Dreux (1185 - 1234), Dreux-32

24 degrees from Johannes August Heese, Heese-55, five branches (6-3-4-3-9), 21st cousin five times removed MRCA Aénor (StValéry) de Dreux (abt. 1192 - aft. 1250), St_Valéry-29, Robert (Dreux) de Dreux (1185 - 1234). Dreux-32

24  degrees from John Ronald Reuel Tolkien CBE FRSL, four branches (6-2-10-7)

28 degrees from Miriam Makeba, seven branches (1-1-4-5-4-5-9)

34 degrees from Desmond Mpilo Tutu, seven branches (2-6-5-2-2-10-8)

Answer 15

• 22 degrees - Colin Botha
• 23 degrees - Marjorie Nash
  • 20C2R - MRCA Joane (Holand) Radcliffe (abt. 1287 - abt. 1347)
• 24 degrees - Edward Jones
• 25 degrees - Roelof Lombard
  • 27C4R - MRCA Baudoin (Hainault) de Hainault (1088-1120)
• 26 degrees - Floris van Jaarsveld
  • 26C5R - MRCA Baudoin (Hainault) de Hainault (1088-1120)
• 26 degrees - Jacobus Pierneef
• 27 degrees - Margaret Cairns
• 27 degrees - Johannes Heese
  • 25C6R - MRCA Baudoin (Hainault) de Hainault (1088-1120)
• 27 degrees - J.R.R. Tolkien
• 31 degrees - Miriam Makeba
• 37 degrees - Desmond Tutu

Answer 16

18° from Colin Graham Botha.

20° from Margaret Twentyman-Jones Cairns.

19° from Johannes August Heese.

20° from F. A. van Jaarsveld.

24° from Edward John Morse Jones.

18° from Roelof Lombard.

28° from Miriam Makeba.

20° from Dee Murray Nash.

21° from Pierneef.

23° from J. R. R. Tolkien.

35° from Desmond Tutu.

Answer 17

20 degrees from Edward John Morse Jones
20 degrees from Colin Graham Botha
23 degrees from J. R. R. Tolkien
24 degrees from Margaret Constance Cairns
24 degrees from Roelof Lombard (23rd cousins, 3x removed)
24 degrees from Marjorie Diane Nash (14th cousins)
25 degrees from Johannes August Heese (21st cousins, 5x removed)
25 degrees from Floris van Jaarsveld (22nd cousins, 4x removed)
25 degrees from Jacobus Hendrik Pierneef
26 degrees from Miriam Makeba
34 degrees from Desmond Mpilo Tutu

Answer 18

I am 22 degrees from Colin Graham Botha

25 degrees from Eduard John Morse Jones

27 degrees from Jacobus Henrik Pierneef

28 degrees from Margaret Constance Cairns

28 degrees from Roelof Lombard ( 25th cousins once removed.

28 degrees from Majorie Diane Nash (22nd cousins four times removed)

29 degrees from Johannes August Heese (25th cousins once removed)

29 degrees from Floris van Jaarsveld (25th cousin twice removed)

30 degrees from J.R.R.Tolkien

31 degrees from Gwyneth Taylor

35 degrees from Miriam Makeba

38 degrees from Desmond Mpilo Tutu

Answer 19

I am 15 degrees from JRR Tolkien. No relation as yet.

 All my other connections to these South Africans are 20 or more degrees.

Answer 20

Marjorie Nash - 15th cousins once removed

Johannes Heese - 20th cousins 6 times removed

Roelof Lombard - 22nd cousins four times removed

Floris van Jaarsveld - 21st cousins five times removed

Updated Nov 3