The Jigsaw Puzzle Tree

FOREWORD

Information for this book has been gathered over twenty years, and, from the beginning, the possibility of a book was in my mind. I have had to make some decisions – there is obviously an enormous amount of material which has not been included. We also decided to make 1900 the cut-off point, though in some cases this has been extended a little.

The format of the book took place gradually. I have always enjoyed reading of others’ searches and the gradual acquiring of information; these accounts have often given me ideas of new areas to explore. The first chapters are, then, an account of the way in which we gathered information, and how it led us further back in time. It then seemed sensible to put what we had learned in historical order and context, and this makes the second section of the book. The third part deals with other Angove families, possibly unconnected with ‘ours’ but with interesting stories. I am sure there are more of these and would be interested in any further anecdotes or history from Angove families.

Anyone who has dealt with old documents knows that spelling often varies. In most cases the spelling is that used in the source. Sometimes a different spelling is used in the same document, e.g. Reginald/ Reynold.

We first approached some publishers, but it was obvious that the small print run would make the book uneconomic for larger publishers, so we are ‘doing it ourselves’ with the help of family, especially Neil, and printers. Traditional publishers don’t like many pedigrees, and there are 50 in this book – we want the information to be accessible and useful to as many people as possible. I acknowledge that there may be mistakes – they are mine, and I alone take the blame – please write and tell me about them.

Perhaps we could adopt the motto of the Angove newspapermen of South Africa –Without fear, favour or prejudice,

Wendy Angove