OBSERVATIONS MADE TO MR ALLEN F JOSEPH OF MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA, BY WING COMMNDER E H OHLMUS, (SLAF Retd) OF SRI LANKA, ON THE BOOK TITLED “The Genealogy and Lineage of the De Kretser Family of Ceylon (Sri Lanka )- 1661 to 2006.” BY MR IVOR DE KRETSER OF MELBOURNE.
11th July 2008
My dear Allen,
Thank you for sending me, Mr Ivor de Kretser’s book, “The Genealogy and Lineage of the De Kretser Family of Ceylon (Sri Lanka )- 1661 to 2006.” No, I do not wish to keep the book – Thank you. I will return it to you through someone who will make a trip to Melbourne. I particularly liked the comprehensiveness of the section on Henry Loftus also listing your grandma Melissa Theodora and taken direct from authenticated DBU Journal entries.
I use the word ‘authenticated’ here in the DBU context . Data from individual or other uncorroborated sources is difficult for me to accept as completely authentic. The terms (or words) ‘genealogy’ and ‘blood line’ have a specific meanings - and it is sometimes sad to see well meaning people confuse them with the term ‘ family tree’. As you know genealogy is “descent traced continuously from a male ancestor” and blood line refers to “ one’s pedigree or one’s set or line of ancestors” , while family tree is merely “ a chart or diagram showing the relation between people in several generations of a family or extended family”
As I mentioned to you over the phone last week cannot consider it as a book on genealogy
because it is flawed , contains uncorroborated data and lacks historicity; and I am making my personal observations separately as suggested by you (See Annex “A” below)
Yet this does not and should not take away the book’s immense value as an easy-to-read record of the De Kretsers and the efforts of the author. The chapters especially from page 76 onwards are very informative and would be of much interest to the younger ones of a clan with a long and distinguished history.
I am glad that Leonard and I were able to be of assistance when you uploaded your DBU genealogy on your blogsite.
Annex “A”
The Genealogy and Lineage of the De Kretser Family of Ceylon
(Sri Lanka )- 1661 to 2006.”
1. The book makes good & interesting reading. Is well designed and nicely presented.
2. Following are some items that do not seem quite right to us who discussed the book :-
(a) Page iv. (1) States that Distribution is restricted to members of the De Kretser family.
(Though not price-marked, we understand that the book is on sale.)
(2) States that no part may be reproduced …for financial gain, even
though quite a lot material has been copied from DBU Journals, which carry no
copyright !.
(b) Page vii. The opening sentence “..Genealogy is sometimes described as a cross between a
detective story and a larger than life jig saw puzzle,” is not understood; and I do not think
that it is correct to say that this is a “ resumption of a similar work begun by the late
Mr F H De Vos and Mr DV Altendorff .”
(c ) Page ix. (1) The references to “ the Burghers of European descent.” and “the
endeavourto combine genealogy with glimpses of family history”.
(d) Page 1.
(1) I would not use the words “revise” or ” revision” in the context of a
Genealogy. JDBU journals, you will see, refer to “corrections”, “amendments: and
“additions’”(updates, really)- e.g. see Vol 70 which I edited.(You have a copy).
(2) Louis de Kretser, according to JDBU Vol 1 page 87, along with your
(paternal) ancestor, Abraham Joseph is listed under the caption ,” Some of the
founders families which settled in Ceylon from Europe during the Dutch
Administration A.D 1640 -1796. Louis’ genealogy is repeated verbatim
in the book.
(3) There is no reference to Cornelius in this JDBU Vol 1(1908) - but he is mentioned in
JBDU Vol 47 ( 1957) . Mr Altendorff must have had an explanation for this.
(e) Pages 6 &7
(A note of explanation) :
1. Children of a female listed in the JDBU :
(a) if the husband is a Dutch Burgher, are shown under the
father and carry his surname
(b) if the husband is not a Dutch Burgher, they are not listed.
2. Genealogy is reckoned on the male line of descent.. and Messrs de Vos’ & Altendorff’s works reflect this .
3. Under Lloyd Loftus de Kretser (Pg. 6) :
(i) there is a “Mona Augusta” listed as child # 6 (Pg. 7) , but there is no listing of her name
in the de Kretser genealogy published in JDBU Vol 47 Page 64, where child # 6 is shown
as “Dalziel Arth
(ii) “ Mona Augusta “ is shown as having married W H B Grabau, but her children are listed
only by their first names.- which is puzzling.
(f) There are many similar listings (under the female sibling) which will not find any place in
the JDBU , as their surnames are not “de Krester”, but those of their respective fathers !
Some of the many listings of these, for example are:
* Pg. 4 (Hazel Mary), (Rosemary Mignonne), (Mignionnette Fleur)
* Pg. 9 (Faye Valerie) ,( Betsy Evangeline & daughter Patricia),
( Arnot Rosemary )
*Pg.13 (Gwendolne Maud), (Marjorie Maud)
*Pg.14 (Edna Geraldine)
*Pg 15 (Corrine June Carinthia),(Cynthia Anabella), (Carillon Amy)
*Pg 19 (Beatrix Christobelle )
…………. and many more such listings are found on pages 21, 22,23, 24,28,29,31,38,39,
43,44,45,47,48,52,53,54,56,58,61,62,70,
(g) On page 67 we find this entry : “- Ronald Cedric de Kretser , born 30th April 1957,
married 7th July 1986, Theresa Samarakoon. Divorced .No children.” We do not see
anything ‘genealogical’ about this entry.
(h) Page 76. The heading/title “The de Kretser Genealogy” is misleading. In fact I think it
is incorrect . The fathers and sons Index is an useful reference source -,but not a listings
therein are found in the DBU Journals ! Thus, , to speak of 1917 records of the DBU is
incorrect –as the De Kretsers born after 1917 are also listed !.
(i) On page 62 (Section 116) is found the details of Godfrey Terrence de Krester, This
data is not published in the JDBU even though he is a former President of the Dutch
Burgher Union of Ceylon. Daughter Mitchele Iolani‘s 3 children should bear their
father’s surname ‘Gunasekera” and would be appropriate listings in a family tree only !
[Please see (f ) above for similarities]
3. The name “De Kretser” is also found/referred to in the following editions of the JDBU:-
Vol 10, Pt 1,page 18
Vol 47, Pt 4,page 58
Vol 51, Pt 3,page 71
Vol 60, Pt 1,page 90
Vol 69, Pt 1,page 19
4. This book is an excellent record of the De Kretser Family Tree.
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