MEINTJES JOHANN HEINRICH, according to the will of his daughter Anna Elisabeth (Test. O.C. 8: 103) Heinrich Meintjes van den Berg in Münsterland. ~ 14.1.1709 Christina Bastiaansz, d. of Francois Bastiaansz of Armentières and Anna Maria de Leeuw. 8 children (G.R. nr. 601), one daughter, Anna Dorothea, not mentioned in G.R. under Meintjes, but under Jacobus van den Berg. She was bapt. 5.7.1711 ~ (1) Matthias Lotter (q.v.), (2) Johann Hasse (q.v.). In 1749 M. was granted “de gewoone kleeding als zynde oud en afgeleefd en buyten staat iets in 't minste te kunnen winnen”; in 1752 a certain Eva Coetsee was engaged to look after him for the sum of 4 rds. per month, which was increased to 8 rds. in the same year, “aangesien sy met dien grysaard veel moeyten dagelyks heeft, zoo met hem voor alle ongedierte suywer te houden als andersints”. In 1753 his son-in-law, Johann Hasse, took M. under his care. (Res. of the Cape Church Council of 5.5.1749, 7.8.1752, 6.11.1752, 4.6.1753.) Cf. Heinrich Goszelke.

- Dr. J. Hoge, Personalia of the Germans at the Cape, 1652-1806, Archives Year Book for South African History (Cape Town: Government Printer, Union of South Africa, 1946)

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Hendrik was from the time of his arrival at the Cape until 1711 in the employ of Heinrich Oswald Eckstein, a wine-farmer of Stellenbosch. On 25th February, 1712 he was granted the farm Brandvalley at Roodezand and on 24th October, 1712 was allotted grazing for his stock at Klipkraal, beyond the Berg River. He was subsequently granted other farms, moving frequently from one district to another. According to the census records, he was registered in the following districts:

Stellenbosch 1712 - 1714, 1717 - 1721 and 1727 to 1729, Cape Town 1722 - 1726 and Drakenstein 1715, 1716 and 1730 - 1735. It is interesting to note that seven of his eight children were not christened in the district where he resided. Hendrik was finally granted the farm Burgersdrif in the Drakenstein district on 10 April, 1731 and here he evidently stayed until his return to Cape Town, as no trace of later grants could be found. He spent the last years of his life in poverty and on 5th May, 1749 it was recorded in the minutes of the Cape Church Council that he was given a church grant as he was old and unable to earn a living. His eldest daughter re-married in 1752 and on 4th June, 1753 it was recorded in the Church Council minutes that she offered to care for him. He stayed with her and her husband Johann Hasse from Braunschweig in Cape Town until his death at age 87 years on 17th October, 1762.

Hendrik was the father of eight children, five daughters and three sons.