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Venter Facts and Fiction  
What is the Truth?  
 Overview

 This is the more difficult part of it all. Do I just list Facts and Fiction, or do I show where and who posted this information?

 The first advice is to be very doubtful of genealogical sites, or where people publish their ancestry online. Simply because you don't know where they got their information from, and whether they have verified its accuracy. Simply quoting sources is no guarantee that the information is correct. And you really can't "trust" many of the authors who have published "authoritive" books, particularly before the 1990's, when information and databases were not as available as they are now. This is not limited to your own ancestry or family name. It includes the "in-laws".

 Having said this, you should definitely look at the "in-laws" of your family and what they say. Not surprisingly, they may tell you more about your family than what your own family is prepared to disclose. And in many instances, the "in-laws" may have information and sources that your own family don't have.

 And to confirm my suspicions about the quality of the work published by Pama, read an extract published 14 April 2010 by eGSSA (Genesis 26, P4). There they confirm that Family Crests published by Pama were mostly incorrect and that N.H. Theunissen "thumb sucked" them! )

 I cannot emphasise it enough. Verify, check and re-check your information, firsthand! To find "real" information about the Venter family, go to the Venter Community

 The Myths listed, are in no particular order...

 
 
 Myth #1   Myth #2   Myth #3      Facts 
     
 
Francois Viljoen, father of Hendrik's wife, was a French Huguenot...

 Francois Villion arrived in the Cape in 1671 (p92). That is 17 years before the Huguenots (they arrived 1688). Also, he married Cornelia Campenaar on 17 May 1676 (p92). That is 12 years before the Huguenots arrived. And then his daughter Anna Sabina (Hendrik's wife to be) was born before 1678. That is 10 years before the Huguenots arrived. Francois was given his farm in 1682, 6 years before the Huguenots arrived (p124). So he (and his family) can hardly be classified as Huguenots. At best, Francois can be regarded as a French refugee or even fugitive. (Some have a view that Francois was a Huguenot, regardless, since many people fled France before the 1680's. This may be so, but somebody must convince me that everybody left France for religious reasons. Also remember, Louis XIV only revoked the Edict of Nantes on 22 October 1685, which was 14 years after Francois arrived in the Cape. - The Edict of Nantes was signed by Henry IV on April 13th, 1598, which brought an end to the Wars of Religion.) - Was Francois' hometown, Clermont, high on the persecution list?

The above can be verified: "The French Refugees at the Cape" by Colin Graham Botha (of the Cape Archives), published 1921, Cape Times Limited, as well as the Viljoen ancestry and records in the Cape Archives.

Now that you have read the above, go see and judge for yourself...

And, of course, read my Blog...

 
Venter Stuff  
 History

 Where did the Venters come from, when and who are they?...

 Current Initiatives

 There are many initiatives on the go. Some by private individuals and others by research organisations. Do a DNA test and discover where you belong...

 Active and Knowledgeable Venters

 A lot of work has been done by Robert Venter (USA) and others. Don't do work that's already been done...

 Sites To Go To For Family Historical Data

 You can use Google to find information, or you can do a quick pick here and save some time...

 Some Venter Family Crests / Coat Of Arms

 You thought all the Venters have one uniform family crest? Think again. There are several...

 Venters Who Have Made Their Mark

 There are several well known Venters. For example, Craig Venter in the USA (Genome Pioneer), but there's also Craig Venter in South Africa, son of Bill Venter, a well known business man in South Africa, and others...

 Venters Who Did Not Make Their Mark
 Not every Venter did so well, though. Some went "the other way"...

 Venter Facts and Fiction

 Not everything you read is true or correct, even if written by professionals. See here for some common misnomers...

About Me  
 Background

 More info about me and how this site has evolved over the years. You will NOT find everything Venter related here. There's too much. Only those that I deemed interesting or important...

 Family Tree

 My own family tree in progress...

 Family Documents

 Copies of family documents. Maybe you are related to me...

 Historical Family Photos

 Old family photos that I could find...

 Privacy Policy

 I am committed to maintaining the privacy of your information and to safeguard your privacy online...

News and Information  
 Events, Press Articles And Documents

 Download them from here...

 My Most Recent Blog

 Read some of my thoughts and comments...

Last Updated 12 May 2010.

 

© Christo Venter 1998 - 2011. All rights reserved.
If you think you own the copyright on something within this Site, please contact me.
Last updated on Saturday, 19 February 2011.
Site creation date: 23 December 1998.