Maria Elizabeth van Wyk

English below

Die volgende verhaal is deur die geslagte oorgedra. Maria Elizabeth (Bettie) het die verhaal van haar angswekkende wedervaringe, oorvertel aan haar kinders en skoondogter (my ouma) - Linda Farrell (van Wyk)

Maria Elizabeth (Bettie) se eerste man was 'n grootwildjagter Roelof (R P) du Toit. Hulle was Dorslandtrekkers wat in Namibië gewoon het. Boesmans het Roelof na die veld gelok en hom vermoor in vermoedelik Mei 1887. Na Roelof du Toit se dood, is van die Boesmans terug na hulle huis, waar hulle haar (Maria Elizabeth (Bettie) ) en die kinders gevange hou . Hulle dreig om haar op te eis as vrou. Omdat dit reeds donker was, besluit hulle om eers oor te bly . Bettie is aangesê om op die vloer te sit sodat een van die Boesman met sy kop op haar skoot kon slaap, om te verhoed dat sy ontsnap. Sy het stilletjies deur die nag haar voorskoot losgemaak en onder hom uitgeseil. Sy en haar kinders vlug saam met 'n jong seun, wat haar kom waarsku het, deur die veld. Tydens Bettie se vlug het die seun bedags in bome geklim om te sien of Swartbooi hulle nie agtervolg nie. Eindelik het sy afgekom op waspore en dit gevolg. So kom hulle na dae se ontberinge uit by Axel Erikson, ‘n smous wat allerlei dinge soos olifanttande, velle en negosieware gesmous het. Hy het hom oor haar ontferm en gehelp dat sy by Walvisbaai uitkom, waar sy met ‘n seilskip terug is Kaapstad toe na van haar famile, ‘n reis van drie maande. Na eindelose ontberinge kom sy in Kimberley aan. Haar broer Karel gaan soek haar en ry toevallig by die Engelse pastorie verby waar hy haar op die stoep vind. Die rit terug na Witrand naby Koster na haar ouers neem sewe dae met ‘n perdekar. Bettie was swanger tydens hierdie gebeure. 'n Baba (Maria Elizabeth gedoop) is gebore op 9 Oktober 1887 en kort daarna oorlede. Sy en Willem Abraham Jacobus van Wyk (‘n wewenaar met 7 kinders) trou later en het nog 4 kinders saam.

Brokkies van hierdie verhaal word vertel in die volgende boeke: 1) Voortrekkers in Suidwes-Afrika - Gustav Preller 2) Die Dorsland Trek soos vertel deur die Trekkers C J H en L M du Plessis - Die handgeskrewe teks is in die Ferdinand Postma Biblioteek van die Potchefstroom Kampus van die Noordwes-Universiteit. 3) ‘n Swerwer op die Sonpad - W A de Klerk

The following narrative has been told through the generations. Maria Elizabeth (Bettie) has told the story to her children and her daughter-in-law (my grandmother) - Linda Farrell (van Wyk)

Maria Elizabeth (Bettie) was married to Roelof du Toit, a big game hunter. They were Thirst land trekkers and lived in Namibia. Bushmen lured Roelof out into the fields and murdered him in May 1887. Some Bushmen then went back to the house, kept Maria Elizabeth(Bettie) captive and threatened to claim her as wife. It was dark by then and the Bushmen decided that they should stay over for the night. One of them forced Maria Elizabeth(Bettie) to sit on the floor so that he could sleep with his head in her lap, to keep her from escaping. Sometime during the night she managed to take her apron off and move out from underneath him. She escaped with her three young children with the help of a boy who originally came to the house to warn her. During her flight, the young boy climbed trees to make sure that they weren’t followed. After days in the field she found wagon wheel tracks and followed it. They were eventually picked up by the skin dealer, Axel Erickson and taken to Walvis bay. From there they boarded a ship to Cape Town, a journey of 3 months. She travelled on to Kimberley, where her brother Karel eventually found her on the veranda of the rectory and took her and her children home to her parents at Witrand, near Koster. Bettie was pregnant during the ordeal. A child (also called Maria Elizabeth) was born on 9 October 1887 and died shortly thereafter. She later wed Willem Abraham Jacobus van Wyk and they had another 4 children together.

Parts of the story can be found in the following books: 1) Voortrekkers in Suidwes-Afrika - Gustav Preller 2) Die Dorsland Trek soos vertel deur die Trekkers C J H en L M du Plessis - The hand written text can be found in the Ferdinand Postma Library of the van die Potchefstroom Campus of the North West University 3) ‘n Swerwer op die Sonpad - W A de Klerk