Mum and I visit South Africa in 2007 and 2012 to learn about the life and times of my great grandfather, Vincent Lawrence (1872-1965). Lawrence worked with Gandhi when the Mahatma was in South Africa, got involved in the struggle against apartheid, and helped found St. Anthony's Church in Durban.
Yesterday mum and I went over to Currie's Fountain sports field, which used to be an active site of Indian political activity and organization. We were over there to interview Ila Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi's grand daughter. She is actively involved in the Satyagraha movement, and has started a paper in South Africa called Satyagraha. We had a lovely interview with her, and I picked up a copy of "The Power of Non-Violence." Afterwards, we went for lunch with Auntie Francie and Auntie Maureen. Auntie Francie made a huge and lovely banquet for us! We got to review the Gabriel family tree, and heard about the "juicy bits" from the treasure trove of family stories. I am intrigued not only by Vincent Lawrence, but also by Ammonee, my great great grandmother. She came to South Africa as a passenger Indian when she was 13 years old, with her cousin. She had two children out of wedlock: one with an Indian soldier, and another with the local magistrate (she was his housekeeper). Eventually, she married Perumal Gabriel, my great great grandfather, and had another 8 kids with him! I am discovering that my ancestors are a varied and colorful lot. There are lots of family stories, with a whole diversity of life paths, including both success and tragedy.
I've taken a bunch of pictures, which you can see here.
1 comment:
Hi Ken, I think we are related! I have sent you a private message on Facebook messenger. I would love to connect to talk about our Gabriel family connection. Many Thanks,
Sam
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