Maria Lozee, SM

First Name: Maria. Alternate spelling for her first name: Marytie / Marritie / Maritie

'Maiden Name / Birth Name:' Uncertain. She came to be known with the surname Lozee (and variants) from the time she married the Steyn progenitor. Alternate spellings of her surname from that time on as documented on the First Fifty Years website: Lozee (most common spelling) / Logee / Losee / Losëe / Lose. To simplify matters we use the spelling LOZEE in compliance with SAG vol 12 p 205 and with Die families van Ou Swellendam Deel 1 Steyn p 2.

'Parents:' There are two theories about her parents: she was either of slave descent or she was of European descent.

The oldest and most commonly known theory is that she was of slave descent. The best documented exposition of this theory is found on the First Fifty Years website. One needs to read the full documentation about Maria Lozee and her putative (most likely) mother, Maria van Angola. See: http://www.e-family.co.za/ffy/g7/p7767.htm and http://e-family.co.za/ffy/g8/p8050.htm. According to these experts, she was most likely the daughter of the slave Maria who was purchased on 1 May 1665 from Zacharias Wagenaer. This Maria had two daughters: Maria van de Caep, baptized in the Cape on 12 September 1666; and Cornelia van de Caep, baptized in the Cape in 9 March 1669. In two research articles by Mansell Upham one can find information about this first theory. The articles are: 'What can't be cured, must be endured … Cape of Good Hope - first marriages & baptisms (1652-1665)', January 2012 and 'Hell and Paradise … Hope on Constantia', February 2012. See: http://www.e-family.co.za/ffy/RemarkableWriting/UL01WhatCantBeCured... and http://www.e-family.co.za/ffy/RemarkableWriting/UL04DeHoopOpConstan...

Some people say that further support about Maria’s possible link with slavery goes like this: the place where the slaves were lodged was known as the 'slave logie' or 'slavelogie'. The spelling of logie is close to Lozee. This theory is unlikely, since there is no evidence that Maria Lozee had anything to do with the slave lodge. Her putative (most likely) mother is supposed to be a privately owned slave, so that would also argue against a link with the slave lodgings. Thirdly, the Dutch word for logie / logies has never in the history of the language been spelt with a ‘z’, making the link with the slave lodgings even more unlikely.

Question: Is Maria of slave descent or not? There is no documented proof that Maria was/is of slave descent.

The second theory is that she was of European descent, most probably one of the Huguenots. It is based on the thought that either her parents had the surname Loze / Looze / de Looze / Lozee, all of which are still found today, or she had a first marriage to a gentleman with the surname Lozee, Loze, Looze or de Looze. The latter three are Dutch surnames. Lozee is a French surname. Until now, no record has been found of such a person travelling to South Africa at that period or of Maria having been married to such a person. What do we have in favor of this theory? In the 1686 Cape Muster Roll ‘Douwe Gerbrantz en Maritie Lesee’ are listed together, and ‘Marij van Angola’ is listed separately on the same Muster Roll. See the Muster Roll on the eGGSA website: https://www.eggsa.org/sarecords/index.php/muster-rolls/cape-archive.... Why did Maria Lozee marry Douwe Gerbrandt Steyn in 1685, only two years after her son Jacobus was born? According to this theory, she was 18 years old when Jacobus was born. Since her parents were not in the Cape at the time to give permission for her to marry, she had to wait till she was twenty years old before she could legally marry. These stipulations come from the Dutch law about marriages from 1580. Further support of the fact that she was not of slave origin comes from the fact that "Marriages between whites and freed slaves were prohibited by decree in 1685..." Source of this quote: page 148 in the book Slavery in Dutch South Africa by Nigel Worden; published by Cambridge University Press in 1985). Marriages between whites and freed slaves had been approved in Batavia as soon as in 1622 - "the prospective groom was obliged to purchase his bride's freedom and have her baptised with a Christian name". Source of this quote: pages 15-16 in The Social World of Batavia by Jean Gelman Taylor; published by the University of Wisconsin Press in 1983.

'Birth:' Before 12 September 1666. If she was one of the French Huguenots and she had to wait till she was twenty to get married, she would have been born in 1665. If she was a slave, see the note about her baptism.

'Baptism:' 12 September 1666 according to documentation listed on the First Fifty Years Project. Note: The reason why some question this date of baptism is because of different versions of the transcription of her baptismal record. The correct transcription was made by Mansell Upham: 'een slavinne kint van Joannes Coon gedoopt onder getuychen van den heer en wiert genaemt Maria.' BUT if she was not of slave descent, this is not her baptismal record.

‘Birth of her son Jacobus:’ Before 29 August 1683. He was born before Maria married the Steyn progenitor, so there are speculations as to whether Jacobus was actually the son of the Steyn progenitor. Most authorities assume that he was indeed the son. There are several reasons. For example, he got the name of his paternal grandfather, who was a Jacob / Jacobus. Secondly, he could have been the son of DG Steyn but Maria had to wait till she was legally of age before they could marry.

‘Baptism of her son Jacobus:’ 29 August 1683 in the NG Church in Cape Town

‘Marriage to the Steyn Progenitor:’ 19 August 1685 in the NG Church in Cape Town.

‘Birth of her daughter Antie:’ Before 24 August 1692. This daughter was named after the mother of the Steyn Progenitor.

‘Baptism of her daughter Antie:’ 24 August 1692 in the NG Church in Cape Town.

‘Second Marriage:’ To Paul Heyns on 27 February 1701, about one year after the death of the Steyn progenitor.

In the period between 1687 and 1719 she was recorded as a witness to a baptism in the NG Church at least fourteen times: Eleven times together with the Steyn progenitor, two times with Paul Heyns.