LAST QUOTATIONS FROM HERTIA BOCKELMAN AND DW DE BEER (1998)

Some years later, in 1730, we find that Matys had died and had left his wife and family of seven children between the ages of 16 and one year. Presumably Matys had been about 56 years of age. And now Hilletjie’s had to shoulder the burden alone.

Nine children were born of this marriage.

Helena 1710)

Samuel 1711) died in 1713

Samuel 1714 (after 1732 no more records)

Maria Elizabeth 176

PLEASE REFER TO THE FRANSIE PINAAR MUSEUM IN PRINCE ALBERT FO CHARTS WHICH SHOW THE FOLLOWING:

Block 4 in Ryneveldstreet as it is today

The arrow points at the plot CC, granted to Hilletjie’s in 1750. The building at the corner of Ryneveld and Church streets is the “Schreuderhouse”, a National Monument.

Zacharias 1719
Mathys 1721
Hilletjie 1724
Johanna Adriana 1727
Johannes Jurgen 1729


Their godfathers were mainly members of the Smit family and their friends, Andries Krugel and Maria Ras (they farmed at Paarl) and Jurgen Hanekom of “Natte Valley”.

Until 1734 the widow Matys de Beer and her family had occupied the house between the church ruins and the “Steeneburg”.
She then owned 10 heads of cattle. In 1735 we read that Matiam Leroux moved into the dwelling of the road in the area. And Hilletjie with 3 sons and two daughters settled at a farm in the district. There were cattle and sheep and 8 000 vines to be looked after. By 1740 the cattle had increased to 100 heads, sheep to 600 and vines to 10 000.

In the course of time the sons and daughters were married and left the family. The sons supervised farms. Hilletjie seems to have lived most of the coming years with Zacharias and his family. He had been on Jan Mostert’s farm,
“Veelverjaargt”, not far from Stellenbosch and his brother, Johan Jurgen, had been on the neighbouring place of Jan Beukes.

When Hilletjie was 60 years old, the Huis Erf en Tuinland CC in Block 4 of Ryneveld Street in Stellenbosch was granted to her on 12 October 1750. She now had her own in the area where she stayed for many years.

The tailor Johann Zorn lived next to her on Plot BB until 1754. After his wife had died in 1755, he married Hilletjie two years later. They lived in Ryneveld Street until Hilletjie’s death on 16 December 1759 at the age of 69 years.
Her plot was then transferred to the Koster Conrad Fick on 6 March 1761. (A 1608 “Die Grondeienaars van Stellenbosch by J van der Byl).

PART TWO OF MATYS DE BEER AND HIS CHILDREN ( COMPILED FROM RESEARCH DONE BY HERTIA BOCKELMAN FROM THE BOOK : DE BEER, DAWID WILLEM 1826-1942, HIS ANCESTORS AND CHILDREN) AFRIKAANS TITLE, 1998.

ZACHARIAS DE BEER had been the farmer who developed “Kweekvalley” to one of the prosperous and wellknown places of the Swartberg. On this land Prince Albert was built in later years.

He grew up amongst his family and the community of Stellenbosch. In the year 730, when his father died, he was eleven years old and from an early, life on he had to learn to work hard.

From two entries in the “Generale Rolle der Paden, Wegen en Driften van Stellenbosch” dated 1742 and 1752, we know that Zacharias and Johannes de Beer were inspectors (opsiender) of the “Caabsepad”, for the part from Jan Loubsers place along to Coenraad Jansz Vischer and up the way to “Saxenburg”.

Presumably they worked on the farm “Veelverjaagd” for which Zacharias became the supervisor in later years.
In May 1743 he was 24 years old and was married to Anna the daughter of Johannes Pretorius and Helena Vosloo.

Three years later Zacharias and Anna had a family of two daughters and one son.
And on the 3 August 1746, he became the supervisor of Jan Mostert’s farm “Veelverjaagt”, where he lived with his family for the following ten years.
This farm was situated between the “Papegaaisberg” and “polka Draai” or “Kuils River”, and was 54 Morgen and 90 Roeden in extend. His neighbour to the south had been Jan Beukers and the wagonway to Stellenbosch had crossed the farm.

Originally the land was granted by “Erfgrondbrief” on 9 January 1659 to Gerrit Vischer, then on 26 January 1715 to Conraad Jansz Vischer and on 5 January 1745 it was transferred to Johannes Mostert.
(Old Stellenbosch Freeholds, Part 1, Deeds Office, Cape Town).

Fred Appel, who was married to Zacharias’s Sister Maria Elizabeth, supervised “Veelverjaagt” during 1745 – 1746.

A comparison of the official records for the years 1746 and those of 1756 shows the progress on the farm:

1746: 20 cattle and 200 sheep
20 Mudden Tarw and 9 Mudden Garst had been gathered

1756: 10 000 vines, a production of 12 Leaguer Wine and 9 Mudden Garst.

But not everything went so smoothly. He lost his wife Anna in 1754. five daughters and one son were born from this marriage.

Hilletjie Smit, the mother of Zacharias, took care of the family and household till Zacharias was remarried on 22 June 1755 to Maria Aletta Botman.


In 1756 he left “Veelverjagt”.

Grazing and agricultural lands near the settled area now become scarce.
Zacharias and his two younger brothers Matthys and Johannes Jurgen saw a brighter future in crossing the mountain ranges and to make their way into the interior, where loan farms were available for cattle and sheep grazing.

This sort of farming had the advantage of a quicker turnover in comparison with agricultural farming. They had the possibility of renting land for 2 to 3 months before they decided on a longer lease. The annual quitrent was 24 rix-dollars and was due to the company.

The forerunner was Johannes the youngest of the brothers. He set off from the Cape in 1754 to “trek” along the wagonway to the north where he was granted grazing rights at “Gunstfontein” in the Roggeveld which was part of the Drakenstein District.

Matthys followed him in 1756. He also started at “Gunsfontein Overschotsekloof” but at the same time he had permission to graze his stock at “Hattingsklkoof: (Roggeveld). The farmed with horses, cattle and sheep.

And then on 26 November 1757 Zacharias
arrived at “Keerom” on the VIS Rivier in the Roggeveld. He had a grazing permit for three years till 11 December 1760.

“Keerom” was at the end of a wagonway surrounded by mountains. It was a remote corner of the world, far away from law and civilisation.

The farmers in such secluded areas had many obstacles to conted with. The severe climate of the Roggeveld with intense cold winters and longlasting droughts; their herds had to be protected against the leopards whose home was in the mountains; and the bushmen raids were in times a great problem. These facts (and more) forced many of the farmers to move from one place to another and thus they became so called “trekboere”. They were a hardly and self contained folk.

1759
In February, Zacharias moved to settle at “Elandsfontein” in the Roggeveld on the Vis Rivier, which he kept till 1764. This part of the Roggeveld was known as god pasture country for sheep, cattle and horses. The water supplies must have been comparatively good and the indicate says the farm had fountains and was a large area with game. Today the road between Middlepos and Calvinia passes Elandsfontein at the “Oorloogskloof”.

During the year 1759 he lost his second wife Anna Aletta Botma. By now there were eight children, six by his first marriage and two by Anna Aletta.

For many years Zacharias was a member of the Drakenstein Dragonder Compagnie under Captain Adriaan von Brakel.

1760
The next place he rented was called “Goubloomse Kloof” (from 22 April 1760 to 14 July 1762). This stockpost was described to be situated “vor de Roggelands berg in Droogeland”.

At the end of this year Zacharias married again, this time at Tulbagh to the year old Dina van Dyck. He was now 41 years old.

1762
This was again an important year for the de Beer brothers. The news that more loan places had been released by the Government (D.E.I Company) for farming and grazing at Swarteberg had made them decode to cross the stony Karoo with bag and baggage to this newly opened part of the country.

On the 12 February Matthys and his family settled at “Swart- Rivier” on the other side of the Leeuwen Rivier. This was vacated by him on 11 October 1768.

On the 31 April Johannes had his grazing permit for “Frischgewaagt is halbgewonnen” on the other side of the Leeuwen Rivier behind the Swarteberg, which farms was in his name until 27 September 1780.

And on the 2 December Zacharias started to build a home and future for his family at “Kweekvalley”.

These frontier farmers were their own architects, their houses were simple with thatched roof. The lovely farm houses with neo-classical were the result of prosperity in later generations, which the early colonists never experienced.

Kweekvalley was a happy spot. Thanks to the circumstances that he had the use of the never-ceasing water the mountains, he was able to irrigate fields, vineyards, orchards and gardens. He also put his knowledge to such good use, that his place, situated at the foot of the Swarteberg, became one of the most productive farms of the area. The travellers who passed his farm praised his good wine for which he also had a ready market in Koup,Nieweveld and the northern area where the water supply was short.

He rented several “Veepos for his stock. In 1756 – 1766 “Vis Kraal” at the Leeuwen River.
In 1771 -1772 the “Kromme Rivier onder die Nieweveldberg”, and in 1772 the nearby situated “Vygevalley” gelegen over de Leeuwen Rivier agter de Swarteberg.
According to the Census of the years 1763 – 1773 he kept an average number of 20 to 80 cattle and 300 to 800 sheep per year.

1777
The marriage to Dina added six children to his family and there were now fourteen descendants.

Zacharias de Beer is recorded in the Tulbagh (Waveren) Death Register to have lied on 6 February 1777. He was about 58 years old. We do not know what caused his death at such a comparatively early age.
MOOC 6/I Cape Town report the date of his death as 28 February 1777).

During the following year, in September 1778, Commander Robert Jacob Gordon (from Netherland) who was in charge of the garrison at the Cape was a guest at Kweekvalley. He is the artist of the wellknown drawing of the place, which reflects the achievement of fifteen years farming by Zacharias.

R.J. Gordon accompanied Baron von Plettenberg on an inspection tour to the Eastern Border of the Cape. During the journey, Gordon made drawings of places people, animals and plants, as well as maps. These originals are kept at the Rhycks-Museum in Amsterdam.

The original “onderschrift” is:

Gesig van de plaats genome queekvaleij gelegen boven aan Swarte-rivier, twee uuren. Men lette op die eenvoudige bouw der huizen, de Hottentot hutten en de Boesmans-“schermen”.( Hertia Bockelman, 1998)

Another of Gordon’s sketches is of interest to us. The “Woonplaats van Johannes de Beer in de Gamdebo”

A few days after von Plettenberg’s party left Kweekvalley they outspanned at Johannes’s farm.

The drawing is unfinished. In the foreground are the wagons and tents of the inspection party. Their “Dagregister” reports that the place is situated in a valley between mountains of Gamdebo. The soil there is of rich clay, mostly planted with corn and vines. However … “de wijn die deeze plaats voorbrengt valt zeer schal en van eene onaangenome smaak”.

This place was called “de reede”; from 1777 – 17786 it had been in Johannes’s name. he was also an enterprising farmer and always in the frontline. Twelve different farms were rented by him between the years 1754 – 1785.
He died in July 1785 (MOOC 6/I) 56 years old and had eight children by his marriage to Cristina van der Merwe.

We know that Matthys in his early years had been the Tamboer of the Drakenstein Dragonders, Captain Gerhard van der Byl.

He was married to Maria van Eeden and from this marriage 13 children were born.
He died at the age of 63 on 6 July 1784, presumably on the farm “de Buffels Valley” gelegen aan de Winterberg.

An “Excuse Letter” is preserved, which Matthys had sent to the Field Corporal A.[ Burger, dated 20 August 1780.

(Translation)
Respected Cousin
As to the Commando I know not what to do, my horse is so weak that he can scarcely move, and food for forty days I have not got, and know where to get it, otherwise I should send you a man. I have also no powder, and I beg your help and advice to get some. You will have heard how I reached my house.
I remain your cousin
Matthys de Beer

According to the researcher, Hertia Bockelman (1998), The story of Matthys de Beer and his three sons is not simply a story of
one of the early colonists of the Cape, it does in a sense reflect the life
and hardship of the first two generations of many of these pioneers who
arrived at the Cape during the early parts of the 18th century.

_______________

Old maps of Cape Town (1985): Confer to the following descriptions:

The pictures of Kweekvalley and Johannes de Beer’s farm come from the Cape Archives. Their numbers are AG 7146 – 76 and AG 7146 – 45.
The picture of the front page is “Panorama of Stellenbosch in 1710” drawn by E,V, Stade. (Cape Archives)

AFRIKAANS QUOTATION FROM DW DE BEER (1984) :

Uittreksel uit DW de Beer se boekie “De Beer, Dawid Willem 1826 – 1924, Sy Voorsate & Nasate.” (Januarie 1984)

Die Familie De Beer

Beknopte stamboom van die jongste tak (Johannes George, b9) van hierdie familie

Algemeen

Twee de Beers het onafhankilk van mekaar na Suid-Afrika gekom, nl. Jan Dirkse De Beer en Matthys Andries de Beer. Uit die beskikbare gegewens is dit onduidelik of hulle familie was. Hulle het ook nie in dieslfde tyd hierheen gekom nie. Jan Dirkse de Beer is reeds in 1675 getroud, 23 jaar na die aankoms van Jan van Riebeeck aan die Kaap. Jan Dirske de Beer het egter net een seun gehad, nl Dirk Africanus de Beer, maar hierdie seun het blykbaar geen nageslag gehad nie.

Die ander de Beer, Matthys Andries de Beer, het waarskynlik net na die jaar 1700 hier aangekom, want hy is te Stellenbosch getroud op 24.10.1705 met Hilletjie Smit.

Matthys Andries de Beer is dus die stamvader van die De Beer familie in Suid-Afrika.

Die plek van herkoms van die stamvader, Matthys Andries de Beer:

In die huweliksregister van die gemeente Stellenbosch, onder datum 24 October 1705, staan die volgende inskrywing:

Matthys Andries de Beer van Wase, jongen, met Hilletjie’s Smit van Cabo.

Die vraag ontstaan nou waar hierdie plek Wase, gele was. Verskillende bronne het hierdie vraag ook verskillend beantwoord. Bronne dui wase aan as in Holland, Switserland of Duitsland. Mondelinge oorlewering in ons tak van die familie dui dit eger aan as Swede!

Een van die vaders wat hierdie mondelinge oorlewering oorgedra het was David Willem, (b9c2d1e1). Hierdie vader het 98 jaar oud geword en hierdie besondere stukkie oorlewering is dus deur hom aan byna vier geslagte oorgedra. Hier was dus betreklik min vir foute.

Wat is nou die werklike feite in verband met die ligging van Wasa? Navorsing wat deur die skrywer gedoen is toon aan dat geen moderne of outydse atlas ‘n pleknaam aangee wat presies Wase gespel word nie. Die fout wat ander skrywers gemaak het was myns insiens om alleen na die spelling te kyk. Daarvolgens sou net een plek moontlik in aanmerking kon kom, nl. Wasen in Switserland.

Om die juiste plek vas te stel is dit egter noodsaaklik dat daar veral ook gelet word op die uitspraak, sowel as bekende historiese feite, omstandgheidsgetuiens en dan natuurlik ook na die mondelinge oorlewering. Dit is tog duidelik dat die Afrikaner, Engelsman of Fransman nie plekname soos Berlyn of Parys op dieselfde manier skryf of uitspreek nie!

As ons volgens uitspraak sou gaan is daar dan vier gebiede of plekke in Europa wat in aanmerking geneem sou kon word. Dit is Wasen in Switserland, Vaassen in Nederland (tussen Apeldoorn en Epe), die sg. Land van Waas (in Oos-Vlaandere) en les bes Vaasa, ‘n hawestad in die huidige Finland. Die uitspraak van al hierdie woorde is min on meer Wase of Wasa. Ook die Finse uitspraak is gekontroleer met die Finse kulturele attaché in Pretoria. Nog meer navorsing sal gedoen moet word om die juiste plek van herkoms te bepaal. Op die oomblik gee skrywer hiervan vookeur aan die Finse hawestad Vaasa weens omstandigheidsgetuienis, mondelinge oorlewering en die korrelasie daarvan met bekende historiese fiete.

In die 17de eeu het Holland sy sg. GOUE EEU beleef. Sy skepe het oor die hele wereld handel gedryf en het die skeepshandel in die Oossee feitlik heeltemal gemonopoliseer.

In elke van hierdie lande en hawens waar die Hollanders konsessies en handelsbelange gehad het, het daar natuurlik talle Hollanders gewerk. Aangesien Vaasa ‘n Oossee hawe was en nog steeds is, is dit ook logies om aan te neem dat Hollanders ook daar handel gedryf het en gewerk het.

Finland was egter in hierdie tyd nog GEEN ONAFHANKLIKE LAND NIE! Die gebied waarin Vaasa gelee was was destyds deel van Swede. Die hawestad Vaasa is ook in werklikheid vernoem na die destydse Sweedsse vorstehuis, Vaasa. Die feit dat Vaasa deel van Swede was, verklaar dan ook en pas pragtig in by die mondelinge oorlewering wat na ons gekom het nl. dat die stamvader uit Swede hierheen gekom het.

Uit hierdie gegewens kan ons dan die volgende gevolgtrekkings maak:

Matthys Andries (die stamvader) was feitlik verseker ‘n Hollander en NIE ‘n Sweed of Fin nie. Waarskynlik het hy, of dalk al sy vader, in Vaasa gaan werk ineen of ander hoedanigheid wat met die handel of skeepvaart te doen gehad het. Nou is dit ook net logies en natuurlik dat die skepe wat in die Oossee handel gedryf het, ook weer in die Kaap aangedoen het en andersom, en dat mense op hierdie wyse verneem het van die nuwe moontlikhede in die Kaap. Sommige mense het sekerlik toe hulle heil hier kom soek. Op hierdie manier het Matthys Andries waarskynlik ook na die Kaap gekom vanaf die hawestad, Vaasa, waar die Hollanders handel gedryf het.

Daar is talle spelfoute in die ou Kaapse registers. Die word Wase, soos gespel in die register van die Stellenbosch gemeente, is waarskynlik gespel soos wat die skriba of predikant dit in sy eie taal sou spel of, ...hy het dit bloot gespel soos hy dit GEHOOR het. As alle historiese en omstandigheidsgetuienis dus saamgevoeg word met die mondelinge oorlewering sowel as die uitspraak van die word, dan wys gevolg-trekkings taamlik sterk heen dat hierdie plek van herkoms die hawestad Vaasa (uitspraak Wasa) kan wees.

Naskrif: Bostande is ‘n verkorte en verwerkte weergawe van ‘n artikel wat skrywer gepubliseer het in die tysdskrif “FAMILIA”, kwartaalblad van die Genealogies Genootskap van Suid-Afrika, no.4 van 1981 (Fransie Pienaar Museum, Prince Albert, 1998).