JILL KATHLEEN KIRBY: Une quête généalogique passant par l’île Maurice

En mai de l’année dernière, Jill Kathleen Kirby (JKK), née à Southamptom, Hampshire, au Royaume-Uni, et vivant maintenant aux Etats-Unis, a décidé de « give up my work and devote my time to organizing the numerous family documents I have acquired. » L’intérêt de JKK ainsi que la documentation sur son histoire familiale datent de plusieurs décennies. De fil en aiguille, elle se découvre des filiations mauriciennes, dont les Mabille, famille liée aux révérends Jean Le Brun et David Jones, figures connues dans le monde protestant et de l’histoire locale.
Récit: « My mother spoke often of her family in South Africa; I do have the Family Bible from South Africa printed 1862. I have also been able to do a considerable amount of research in South Africa; this eventually led me to Mauritius through a remarkable book written by James Backhouse in 1844 describing his time in Mauritius in 1838. This I found in the Archives of the University of British Columbia in about 1986. In 1838 James Backhouse arrived in Port-Louis, (he had spent about 10 years travelling to the Missionary Stations in Van Diemens land); in the Mauritius he describes many visits with a Jean le Brun (this name appeared on so many of my family documents I acquired from the Mauritius Archives). In Volume 2 of his book he describes travelling along the south coast of South Africa and when he reaches Swellendam mentions visiting the Mabille family relatives of Jean Le Brun and D. Jones of the Mauritius, I knew then I had found the connection between these two countries. »
« When I was older I began searching my Family History and have letters from my Great Aunt Kathleen Stanhope White and my Grandmother Enid Stanhope White who was actually the younger sister of my Grandmother Muriel Stanhope White; Muriel had died in childbirth in 1923 and subsequently my Grandfather whom I remember well, married her younger sister Enid; she is the only grandmother I knew Both Grandmothers were born in South Africa. I have collected many records through those years but work intervened and now I am in a situation where I no longer need to work, so I can devote my time to organizing and getting my records scanned and easily accessible for my family members who are interested in my research. »