Welcome to the McCarthy Family History Archive

Every family has a story.

Some stories begin in the green hills of Ireland. Others start on frontier farms in the Cape Colony, in the wagon routes of the Orange Free State, in the churches of the Eastern Cape, or on the wide plains of the Transvaal.

This website is dedicated to preserving, researching, and sharing those stories.

What began as a search for the origins of James McCarthy, an Irish immigrant who arrived in South Africa during the nineteenth century, has grown into a much larger family history project spanning multiple generations, countries, and family lines.

Today the archive contains research on a growing number of interconnected families, including:

• McCarthy
• Van den Berg
• Van Staden
• Dreyer
• Kruger
• Du Preez
• Furstenberg
• Therblanche
• Venter
• Van Heerden
• Guigon
• Chalnot

and many other related branches that form part of our extended family story. Within these pages you will discover more than names and dates.

You will find family stories, photographs, cemetery records, historical documents, marriage certificates, estate papers, church registers, military records, research journeys, and the lives of ordinary people who helped shape the history of South Africa.

Our research follows families across Ireland, France, England, Canada, Belgium, and South Africa, tracing their journeys through migration, war, farming, industry, faith, and family life.

Some family branches are extensively documented. Others remain incomplete and continue to present new challenges, unanswered questions, and exciting discoveries.

One of the greatest mysteries still surrounds James McCarthy himself. Although much has been learned about his descendants, his exact Irish origins remain unknown. The search continues, and with every new document, photograph, or family story, another piece of the puzzle emerges.

This archive is not a finished project. It is a living collection that continues to grow through ongoing research, family contributions, and historical investigation.

Contribute to this Research:

We welcome contributions from relatives, descendants, researchers, and historians who may be able to help expand this family history.

If you have:

• Family photographs
• Letters and correspondence
• Certificates and official records
• Family stories and memories
• Cemetery information
• Historical documents
• Research notes

If you have information to share, please visit our Contact Us page.

The past belongs to all of us.

By preserving these stories today, we ensure that future generations will understand where they came from, who came before them, and the remarkable journeys that shaped their family history.

Thank you for visiting the McCarthy Family History Archive.