TOPIC:

Does anyone know how I can find out who the parents were of John Edward Gooch born in 1867, and who was sometimes known as E Gooch. He was a driver for the Imperial Military Railways and was killed by Boer saboteurs when the train he was driving was blown up. The place is recorded as Palmietfontein. I have found two dates for his death, 23 January 1901 and 18 February 1901. WO100/252 Military Rank: Driver, Service Number: 9361. I have researched the Ancestry website, but I can’t find a definite link to parents or siblings. He married Ellen Maria Anderson and had one son, Sydney Clarence Gooch born 17 Sep 1894 in Johannesburg. Thanks.

I would go with the 18th as a date of death, Watt states he died of his injuries received and was originally buried at Klip River Station, that is not a common name either, I assume you are quite certain he was born in 1867, but, do you know where he was actually born?

aygooch wrote: Does anyone know how I can find out who the parents were of John Edward Gooch born in 1867, and who was sometimes known as E Gooch. He was a driver for the Imperial Military Railways and was killed by Boer saboteurs when the train he was driving was blown up. The place is recorded as Palmietfontein. I have found two dates for his death, 23 January 1901 and 18 February 1901. WO100/252 Military Rank: Driver, Service Number: 9361. I have researched the Ancestry website, but I can’t find a definite link to parents or siblings. He married Ellen Maria Anderson and had one son, Sydney Clarence Gooch born 17 Sep 1894 in Johannesburg. Thanks.

Thank you for your helpful and interesting reply. I’ll update the death information. John Gooch was our great grandfather and the only information I have on him was given to me by grandfather, his son Sydney Gooch whose memories of his father were vague because he was very young when his father was killed. Syd thought his dad was born in about 1867 somewhere in the Western Cape, but he had no document proof of this. The information and documentation is sketchy that is why it is making tracing the Gooch ancestry so difficult. Thanks again.