The Irish man whose history is buried in Brixton
Meet Jimmy Casey, he came all the way from Ireland to learn more about his uncle who has been at Brixton Cemetery for decades.
Back in 1902 an Irishman would find his way to South Africa.
Then, 37 years later, on March 29, 1939 the same Irishman would meet his death and be buried at Brixton Cemetery.
In the 84 years since his death, one would have been well within their right to assume that his life and history would be buried along with him for even more decades to come.
That assumption could have been fair to make had he not had a nephew like Jimmy Casey (70), who, with passion in his heart to find out about his family’s history, journeyed to South Africa to find out more about the uncle he never knew.
He had heard many stories about his uncle, though. Stories such as him making a fortune in the goldmines of South Africa. “I heard he made money all right, but I think he was involved in buying and selling shares,” he said.
Adamant to know the truth about his uncle and the stories he was led to believe, Casey would seek out the assistance of Friends of Johannesburg Cemeteries’, Sarah Welham. On the day the Northcliff Melville Times met Casey, he was part of a group of volunteers led by the organisation, that cleaned headstones and tidied graves.
Through Welham’s help, he would not only learn that his uncle was buried at Brixton Cemetery but also that he had a last will and testament which he will soon have a copy of.
Up until four years ago, Casey had little interest to find out about his family lineage, and it was not until he started doing his research that he found all to be so fascinating. “The things you find out about your family back all of those hundreds of years ago is so unbelievable. The only thing I am sorry about is that a lot of my first cousins have passed away, and had I done this maybe 20 years earlier I would have met them in different parts of the world, and this is one regret I have.”
Records on his uncle suggest that Casey could still have more relatives to find here in South Africa, the possibility of which really excites him.
He will spend six more weeks in our country, a country that he now knows he will always have ties too. In this time he will be a tourist, visiting places like the Kruger National Park and other sites too.
Before he travels across the many parts of the country, he will erect a new tombstone for his uncle, a gesture he cannot wait to see come to fruition before he leaves to return to Ireland.
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