PART 1: THE FOUNDERS OF THE ANDERSSON FAMILY
INTRODUCTION
F
irstly, profound thanks and admiration go to Ruby Hodgkiss (nee Anderson) for the
genealogical chart we now have, enabling us to trace back the Anderson part of our
ancestry. Thanks are due to her sister Vera Hart (nee Anderson) for her part in the
research and especially for informing us about the ship ‘Snorre-Stuurlasson’ which we
will have a lot to say about later. And thanks in abundance are due to my brother Alan
Hodgkiss for the time-consuming task of compiling the chart. They too have now joined our
ancestors.
Thanks are also due to Russel Brownlee for helping me with formatting and for compiling the
abbreviated family tree of the Anderson family which can be seen on pages 42-44 .
** *The research in Sweden was done by :
* Johan von Sydow (Archive Researcher, Gotenborg);
* Carl Bager (Relative) Vrango; Much information on Google about him as poet and
writer. Look out for his book Outposts of the Sea. There is a photo of him in the photograph
files:
* Valter Johnsson (Relative) Donso
RUBY’S RESEARCH
When my mother Ruby was going on for 80, in the 1980s, she set upon the arduous and
exacting task of researching the origins of her Father’s and Mother’s ancestors, the Andersons.
She also researched some of the Hodgkiss family story. She wrote many letters to many official
bodies in South Africa, Sweden, Somerset House and elsewhere, expressing her research
interest. She had no computer access. But what she did have were family legends and her own
memories of grand- and great- grandparents. Knowing them as she did gave her the personal,
emotional impetus to follow the trails back wherever the official lines led.
This story then combines the research and the verbal history as recorded or remembered by
Ruby.
Gradually, as information came to her she followed the Anderson trail back further than she
ever dreamed possible, until the early 1600s where the recorded history came to an end.
Ruby’s greatest moments, and Vera’s too, were when they were able to trace and make contact
with their descendants still living in Sweden. Although the language barrier was at first difficult
Ruby found someone who could translate the Swedish letters and gradually as the younger
English–speaking Swedish offspring became interested they were able to communicate more
easily. Vera’s granddaughter, Yoland, became friendly with one of the younger Swedish girls,
Maria, and eventually went to visit her in Guttenberg and to see the places which still held the
memories and mysteries of our ancestors.
In the meantime, while this was going on, Ruby declared that she would love to travel to
England as she had never been anywhere overseas before. And since Dad (Leslie Hodgkiss) had
passed away by then she had no responsibilities at home. I was only too happy to accompany
6