| Notes |
- PRIVATE
- The «b»1861 England Census «/b»shows 9 yr old Rebecca P Best living with her family in Bolton, Lancaster, where she was born. In the house hold were: mother, Elizabeth Best (42), father, Robert Best (39), grandfather, James Peachey (81), brother, Robert Best (15), a lodger, Oliver Blenkhorn (18), sister, Mary F Best (7) and Rebecca P Best (8). Rebecca's father was an Independent minister of Mawdsley St Chapel, Bolton.
In «b»1867 when«/b» Rebecca was 14 years old, her brother«b», «/b»Frances William Best, died at the age of 18.
The «b»1871 England Census«/b» has 19-year-old Rebecca as a "governess" at the Marlborough House Ladies Boarding School in Exeter, Devon. [A transcription error says that she is born in "Boston" Lancashire. This should be Bolton.] Her 17-year-old sister, Mary T Best is a "student" at the same school. Family lore says that she was a teacher, and this record confirms that. Her mother and father were still living in Bolton where he was an "Independent minister of the Maudsley Street Chapel".
In 1874 her brother George Best emigrated to the United States of America. Rebecca was renowned for her letter writing to relatives around the world. Perhaps her brother's departure was the start of this. There is a letter in reply to one from Rebecca, from Arthur Morley [who was her first cousin once removed](address illegible) in which he says he is sending ".«i»..some family trees giving information which may be of interest now or later to some of my relatives in South Africa«/i»." This letter refers to Rebecca's uncles Thomas, Andrew and William and "...also those of Elizabeth - the Ellson's." It also refers to a visit by Rebecca and Lizzie to {"Chandle Kulm" (in England, implied) illegible} in the 1880s.
"...a further change occurred in the month of August, 1877 by the marriage of Mr Best's eldest daughter, Rebecca to the Rev. J. Lundie, M.A/ Missionary of the United Presbyterian Church to Kaffraria. In the October following they sailed from London to South Africa..". [Memoir of Rev Robert Best p72]
In «b»1877«/b» Rebecca married John Lundie of Scotland and, according to the story passed on down through the Auld family, they left on their honeymoon for a missionary life in South Africa aboard the «u»«i»SS Anglian«/u»«/i». (to be verified)
They arrived in East London, Cape, South Africa in the middle of the Frontier Wars. "«i»Their first mission station at Lujilo was burnt down during the [Frontier] War of 1877/78 and afterwards they and the Aulds moved to the Columba Mission at Kentani in the Transkei. John and Becca then founded a new Mission nearby at Willowvale which they called Malan Mission"«sup»1«/i» What a shock this must have been to a young woman brought up in a manse in industrial Lancashire, and educated in a private school in peaceful Devon.«i»«/sup»
«/i»
Nora Stone's comment about her grandmother seems to sum up her outlook on life, "«i»... She made me afraid of the Devil, so I much preferred Grandpa's company where God was our pal - always providing new surprises for me."
«/i»The «b»1901 Census«/b» showed that Rebecca Peachey Lundie [Nee Best] and her husband, John Lundie were staying with Rebecca's sister and brother-in-law, James Johnston, in Darwen (district Blackburn), Lancashire. The Lundies' younger children were staying with their son, Frank, and daughter, Mary, in Edinburgh. It is not known why they did not visit the Johnstons with their parents.
[This record was difficult to find for the Johnston's name was incorrectly recorded as 'Johnston«b»e«/b»', and the Lundies as "Lund«b»er«/b»"].«i»
«sup»1«u»«/i»«/sup»Notes on the Lundie & Auld Families«/u»
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1852 - 1941 (89 years)
[6, 7, 8] 
