Judi Marais-Meyer register

VAN EEDEN JAN. - Oldenburg. * 1637, arr. 1662 as junior ship's corporal, later (1688) burgher at Stellenbosch. ~ (1) 1671 Lysbeth Jansz of Amsterdam; (2) 13.6.1688 Maria Russaar of Blois in France. 6 children. + 1704. (C 2, p. 135; Test. O.C. 1: 36; Inv. O.C. 1: 80; G.R. nr. 105.) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jan and Lysbeth were divorced on the 13th June 1688 in Cape Town.

   Birth Date 1654
   Death Date 1742
   First Name Lijsbeth Sanders
   Last Name Herbst
   Suffix SM/PROG
   Maiden Name van de Caap
   Gender Female
   Birth Location Bremen, Deutschland
   Death Location Wellington, Cape Colony

In 1699 Johann Herbst received a grant of land on the upper reaches of the Wamakers River, in the newly settled region of Wagenmakersvalleij (now Wellington). This was the year that Lijsbeth would have been freed from the chain-gang, if her fine was not paid. Herbst (or Herfst) named his farm ‘Opperherfst’.

He lived there with Lijsbeth (now known as Lijsbeth Sanders)138 until his death in 1734, though in 1724 the farm was transferred to his son-in-law, Johannes Vosloo, on condition that Vosloo maintain him for the remainder of his life (the agreement with Vosloo made no mention of Lijsbeth Sanders).

The genealogical registers tell us that he had two daughters with Lijsbeth: Clara Herfst, who married Johannes Harmensz Potgieter in 1712 and Gerbrecht Herfst, who married Johannes Vosloo.

When they first settled at Opperherfst, Lijsbeth and Herbst were assisted by the burgher (and tailor) Heinrich Venter, who agreed to help Herbst, ‘wegen zijn swaekheijt’ (on account of his infirmity) to establish the farm. They would sow and reap together and share the profit and the loss.

Venter made his 60 cattle available for ploughing and manure and pastured his sheep on the land. In 1704, however, Venter received his own land, further downstream on the Berg River, and he presumably left Herbst and Lijsbeth Sanders to fend for themselves.

In time, as we shall see, they gathered around themselves a small community of relatives, including the husbands and lovers of Lijsbeth’s daughters by Louis of Bengal. -------------------- Birth - Lijsbeth Sanders was born circa 1659 at de Caep de Goede Hoop.1

Defacto - Lijsbeth Sanders and Louis van Bengale were in a defacto relationship circa 1678 at Cabo de Boa Esperança. (2.)

Lovers - Circa 1684 Lijsbeth Sanders and Willem Teerling were lovers at de Caep de Goede Hoop.(3.)

Defacto - Lijsbeth Sanders and Jan Herfst were in a defacto relationship circa 1690 at Drakenstein. (2.)

Engagement - She and Louis van Bengale were engaged on 17 March 1687 at Stellenbosch, Cabo de Boa Esperança,They appeared before the Magistrate and executed a pledge to marry. According to Hattingh some researchers interpreted this pledge as as a marriage; and Louis' later application to be released from it, as divorce. Hattingh argues that instead, it was merely an agreement or promise. (2.)

Death - Lijsbeth Sanders died circa 1743 at de Caep de Goede Hoop. (2.)

Name-Record - On 1663, the name of Lijsbeth Sanders was written in the record as Lijsbeth van der Kaap.

Slave Transaction - Lijsbeth Sanders was sold by Matthijs Coeijmans, to Adriaan Willemsz van Brakel on 3 March 1671. (1.) (4.)

Slave - She is named as een slavin van Louys van Bengale in the baptism record of her daughter, Elisabeth on 6 June 1680 at de Caep de Goede Hoop. (5.)

Name-Record - On 6 October 1680, the name of Lijsbeth Sanders was written in the record as Elysabet NN. (6.)

Baptism - She is named as a parent in the record of the baptism of Elizabeth Louisz on 6 October 1680 at Nederduitsch Gereformeerde Kerk, (Cape Town), de Caep de Goede Hoop. (5.),(7.),(2.)

SlaveEmancipation - On 27 July 1683 Cabo de Boa Esperança Lijsbeth Sanders was emancipated by Louis van Bengale her owner and lover, who described her in his application as “mijn meijt genaemt Lijsbeth van Cabo”. Lijsbeth's children, Elizabeth Louisz were freed along with her. In return, Lijsbeth was required to loyally serve Louis for a further year. (8.),(2.)

Baptism - Louys van Bengala and Lijsbeth Sanders is named as a parent in the record of the baptism of Maria Louisz on 10 February 1686 at Nederduitsch Gereformeerde Kerk, (Cape Town), de Caep de Goede Hoop. (9.),(10.)

Misc - On 15 March 1688 at Stellenbosch, Cabo de Boa Esperança, Lijsbeth Sanders and Louis van Bengale were sued by Louis for being "absent". He demanded before the court that she must marry him. Lijsbeth claimed that she was not denying her pledge to marry, but that it had actually been conditional as the Magistrate had cautioned Louis to desist from tyranically treating her "met smijten, slaan en dreijgementen van dooden" (by throwing things at her, hitting her and threatening her with death). The court attempted to bring them to agreement, i.e.: “met allerhande sachte middelen p(ar)tijen eerst soekende te bevredighen, hebbe door haar interpositie niets kome obtineeren (bewerkstellig), alsoo de Gh(edaag)de absoluijt verklaerende, noch te kome noch te willen met dito Lovijs om reedenen vooren gemelt trouwen, noch huijshouden dus hebben p(ar)tije met wedersijds bewilligingh ijndelijk geaccordeert, dat Lijsbeth soude gaen, waer het haer beliefde, doch niet met een ander trouwen noch doen by houden, immers niet te mogen in huwelijk met een ander treeden, soos langh Lovijs ongetrout was; ende dat de Vaders gelijk begeerden de kinderen bij dito Lijsbeth in onecht geprockeert, soude tot hem neemen alleen het jonghste kindt noch een jaer bij de moeder latende, mits aan de selfde voor lijfs onderhout int sefde jaer uijtkeerende vijf en twintigh Caapse gls, doch soude Lovijs gheholden sijn, gedachte kinderen in alle deucht en Christelijke plicht op te trekken, en doen opvoeden, soo met school te senden als anders: en sij p(ar)tijen voor den Achtbaaren Raad met dit accoort vergenoegt geweest”.

An agreement was reached before the court, but it did not hold for long, because later that year, Louis sued Lijsbeth and her lover, William Teerling, and demanded that the court reinstate her in slavery.

It is unclear when the relationship between Lijsbeth and William Teerling began. He was born in England and worked for the company (VOC) for several years before becoming a vryburger and was for a while a servant and sheep herder for Louis van Bengale.

Louis fired Teerling because of his relationship with Lijsbeth and sued them both, demanding custody of the youngest child (presumably Maria); release from the promise to marry her, "haer t’enemael ten opsigte van trouwbeloften en anders ontslagen te sijn”, adding that he had failed to comply with the promise to marry because she was was not a Christian, "sy niet in de Chr(istelijke) religie onderwesen, off gedoopt was". He also demanded that the court reinstate her in slavery, “wederom in slawernij bij den eijs(e)r gestelt”. Hattingh writes that the court determined that he could get the child once he had paid Lijsbeth he full "kostegeld" - perhaps the expenses related to the child's upkeep. (2.)

Name Variation - Lijsbeth Sanders was also known as Lysbet Sanders. (11.)

Citations:

1. [S607] J.L. (Leon) Hattingh, "Kaapse notariële stukke waarin slawe van vryburgers en amptenare vermeld word (II), Die tweede Dekade 1671-1680", Kronos (Die notariële stukke II) 15 (1999): 2.3.1671; Matthijs Cooijmans van Herentals, burger, verkoop aan Adriaaen van Brakel, baastimmerman in diens van die Kompanjie, 'zeker meijt slavin van d'Caep' genaamd Lijsbeth, ongeveer 12 jaar oud, vir ƒ450.. Hereinafter cited as "Die notariële stukke II."

2. [S326] J.L. (Leon) Hattingh, "Die Blanke Nageslag van Louis van Bengale en Lijsbeth van die Kaap", Kronos (Die Blanke nageslag . . .) 1 (1979). Hereinafter cited as "Die Blanke nageslag."

3. [S326] J.L. (Leon) Hattingh, "Die Blanke nageslag", Of dit in die eerste plek Louis se optrede teenoor haar was, óf bloot daaruit voortgespruit het, is nie duidelik nie, maar Lijsbeth het 'n verhouding met die 56 jarige Willem Teerling gehad. Teerling wat in Engeland gebore is en 'n aantal jare in die Kompanjiesdiens was voordat hy 'n vryburger geword het, was vir 'n tyd lank die kneg en skaapwagter van Louis van Bengale. Hattingh cites court documents of 1689 in which Teerling is said to be 56 years old.

4. [S326] J.L. (Leon) Hattingh, "Die Blanke nageslag", As twaalfjarige slavin is sy op 3 Maart 1671 deur Matthijs Coemans aan Adriaan van Brakel verkoop vir 'n bedrag van fl60.

5. [S397] NGK G1 1/1, Nederduitsch Gereformeerde Kerk, Kerken Boek (Bapt.), 1665-1695: den 6 October [1680]; Elisabeth; Elysabet een slavin van Lovys van Bengale; Armosy de grote, transcribed by Richard Ball, Norfolk, England, (May 2006), Genealogical Society of South Africa, eGSSA Branch http://www.eggsa.org/. Hereinafter cited as Nederduitsch Gereformeerde Kerk, Kerken Boek (Bapt.).

6. [S397] NGK G1 1/1, Nederduitsch Gereformeerde Kerk, Kerken Boek (Bapt.): den 6 Octob. Elisabeth Elysabet een slavin van Louys van Bengale [witness] Annesy de Grote, 1665-1695, Genealogical Society of South Africa, eGSSA Branch http://www.eggsa.org/

7. [S544] E-mails from Mansell Upham (e-mail address) to Delia Robertson, 1 Aug 2010 (Personal Library, Email Upham) "The mother is specified: as slave of Louis van Bengale named Elisabeth which can only be Lijsbeth Sanders as we have her on record for being so. Paternity is unspecified. Later in life Louis van Bengale formally acknowledged paternity of all three illegitimate daughters in his joint will with his wife Rebecca van Macassar. The baptismal entry reads: den 6 October [1680] Elisabeth Elysabet een slavin van Lovys van Bengale Armosy de grote."

8. [S544] E-mails from Mansell Upham to Delia Robertson, 1 Aug 2010 "Subsequently, thanks to a vital piece of evidence brought to my attention by Susie Newton-King when she was researching the sodomy case involving Lijsbeth Sander's Coetzee offshoot, we now have actual proof that Pieter Willemsz Africano alias Pieter Willemsz Tamboer was brother to Lijsbeth Sanders. Tamboer had died at the house of Anna's husband (Potje) - at a time long after Lijsbeth Sanders and Louis van Bengale had gone their separate ways - and Lijsbeth Sanders sued for monies owing following the funeral of her brother. Clearly, Anna was related. If Maria had really been her mother - she certainly never seems to make any verifiable re-appearance in the record. Also, Lijsbeth Sanders probably named Anna after her mother and Anna's baptism has a Maria van de Caep as BOTH mother and witness. This I strongly maintain to be a clerical error and that Maria Everts is mentioned twice as mother and witness [Note: Maria Everts baptized her own daughter Anna in 1687 and we have her deceased estate papers]. Anna seems to be the second manumitted child of Lijsbeth Sanders in 1683 who only got to be baptized in 1685 and bear in mind that Louis van Bengale and Lijsbeth Sanders only contemplated legalizing their relationship in 1687 a relationship that went sour in 1689 when Lijsbeth Sanders ran off with Teerling - the closeness of Anna's baptism to that of Lijsbeth's Maria in 1686 might have to do with the fact that Lijsbeth Sanders was left to her own devices as a free woman (even if still required to work for her former owner for 1 more year) and also the fact that her sister Maria Everts also has a checkered history of baptizing bastard children in fits and starts [and one by the surgeon and Van der Stel cohort Willem ten Damme which never gets enough attention or appreciation in terms of the extent of the 'stranglehold' (I use this word for want of a better alternative as their contextualization requires greater scrutiny and something I am trying to do in my biographies on these people) Anna and Evert van Guinea had on the community) by researchers] in a quest for respectability of societal inclusion as free inhabitants even if Anna and Evert van Guinea never felt the need to convert to Christianity or to legalize their 'marriage' [did they resist pressure to do so or opt for non-inclusion of the civic order or did the authorities discourage/ignore them???]. At one point the authorities make mention of the disreputable households of both Anna and Maria Everts ...

Anna Louisz appears to have pre-deceased her mother and to have been childless which would explain her non-appearance in her mother's deceased estate papers."

9. [S397] NGK G1 1/1, Nederduitsch Gereformeerde Kerk, Kerken Boek (Bapt.): eodem dito (10 Febr.) Maria de vader Louys van Bengala de moeder Lysbet Maria van de Caep, 1665-1695, Genealogical Society of South Africa, eGSSA Branch http://www.eggsa.org/

10. [S326] J.L. (Leon) Hattingh, "Die Blanke nageslag", Die derde dogter van Louis van Bengale is minder as ‘n jaar na die doop van Anna op 10 Februarie 1686 in die Kaap gedoop. Dit was Lijsbeth van die Kaap se tweede kind by Louis en het die naam Maria gekry.

11. [S325] Lorna Newcomb and Ockert Malan, compilers, Annale van Nederduits Gereformeerde Moedergemeente Stellenbosch No 1.., CD-ROM (Stellenbosch) Die Genootskap vir die Kerkversameling, 2004 0-9584832-1-3), Baptism Register, Gerbregt (gedoopt den 1 Octob 1702) d' vader Jan Hars, d' moeder Lysbet Sanders, d' getùygen Jan Jacob, en Lysbet Lowies.. Hereinafter cited as Palmkronieke I Baptisms.

12. [S544] E-mails from Mansell Upham to Delia Robertson, 1 Aug 2010.

13. [S326] J.L. (Leon) Hattingh, "Die Blanke nageslag", pg 9.

Compiler: Delia A. Robertson. The dirst fifty Years Project. http://www.e-family.co.za