Melt (Meldt) van der Spuy, SV/PROG

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Melt van der Spuy (a1), the eighth child of the van der Spuy family of Rotterdam, The Netherlands, was the only Van der Spuy to immigrate to South Africa . He was christened at Rotterdam on 04 April 1688, and was named after his uncle Melt Janse van Leewen.

In 1707 the young Melt accepted employment as a soldier with the Oost Indische Compagne. Prior to his departure from Holland he named his mother as the only beneficiary to his estate – his father being deceased. The Will and Last Testament was lodged and registered by Notaris Waarts on 12 December 1707.

On 29 December 1707 he sailed from Rotterdam on board De Schellenberg and arrived at Kaap De Goede Hoop on 26 May 1708. After 5 years he returned to Holland on board the Donauw. Upon his arrival on 19 September 1713 he received 354 Gulden and 17 Stuivers for services rendered to the Compagne during the five years spent in their employ at The Cape.

Barely four months later, on 16 January 1714, he sailed from Rotterdam on board the De Kiefhoeck, this time as an Adelborst, or Petty Officer. He left the ship upon their arrival at the Cape of Good Hope and assumed local citizenship on 09 April 1715.

On 14 June 1716 he married a local girl, Maria van der Poel in Cape Town. She was born on 07 February 1694, and later died on 23 August 1770. From this marriage eight children were born, two daughters and six sons.

Like most of the young Netherlands immigrants to the Cape, the Oost Indische Compagne employed Melt. Although he became a Vryburgher after six years, he remained a member of the Burgher-Cavallery and at the time of his death he held the rank of Lieutenant.

Within a few years of his arrival at the Cape Melt acquired his first property, and thereafter, until his death he purchased and sold three more properties. His main source of income was from his involvement with the liquor trade. It appears that by 1722 and until his death in 1734, he held one of four liquor licenses issued by the Compagne.

Although no inventory of his assets at time of death could be traced, it would be safe to assume that he was a man of means. This assumption is based upon the fact that he was in a position to send his 9-year-old son Petrus to Holland for his education.

Maria was the eldest daughter of Vryburgher Pieter van der Poel from Leiden and Johanna Viant from Amsterdam. Unlike Melt, Maria was born at the Cape in 1694. Her father was a respected and wealthy man with a farm on the Liesbeeck River and the owner of six houses in Cape Town. After his death the considerable Estate of Pieter van der Poel was inherited by his four children, with the name of Melt recorded with that of his wife Maria.

Stamvader (Ancestor) Melt (a1) died on 28 October 1734, and according to custom at that time, was laid to rest in the kelder (vault) in the Groote Kerk in Cape Town. Maria, who died in 1770 at age 76, survived Melt by 36 years.

In 1740, six years after the death of Melt, Maria again married. The second time to Sy Edele Carel George Wieser, a member of the Burgher Raad. Wieser owned extensive land at the Cape, amongst which the valuable 224 morgen Groot Constantia farm which he acquired from Olof Bergh for 2888 Riksdaalders on 09 August 1734. Thus Maria van der Spuy-Wieser became the housewife of Simon van der Stel’s beautiful farm.

After the death of Wieser in 1758, Jacobus van der Spuy, the eldest son of Melt and Maria, inherited Groot Constantia. Jacobus remained the owner until his death on 15 January 1778, when the farm was sold to Jan Serrurier.

Marthinus (b6), the sixth child of Melt and Maria, was born in 1727, and was christened on 18 May 1727. Marthinus was 13 years old when his mother remarried Wieser in 1740. He died on 10 January 1790.

On 11 June 1750 Marthinus (b6) purchased De Klipheuvel aan de Mosselbank Rivier, a 60 morgen farm which after 34 years, he sold to his son Melt (c2).

Three years after he acquired his farm, Marthinus married Petronella Steen on 10 March 1753. She died on 21 January 1770 and was survived by her husband for twenty years. Marthinus left two Wills, one dated 20 October 1759, and another dated 19 March 1779. In the first Will he is referred to as den Landbouwer.

A further indication of Marthinus’s farming activities, and his lifestyle, is recorded in Alys F. Trotter’s book “ Old Cape Colony”, in which she refers to a 1772 journey by the Swedish naturalist Spaarman, én Route to Paarl. Spaarman records: “October 1772. At three o’clock in the afternoon I arrived at the house of a farmer named van der Spuy. He was a widower and born in Africa, and a brother of Jacobus van der Spuy, the owner of Groot Constantia. Without appearing to see me, he remained motionless in the passage that leads into the house. When I was near to him he did not take even one step towards me, but took my hand and greeted me with the words

‘Good day, you are welcome, how are you? Would you like some wine, or a pipe of tobacco, or would you like anything to eat?’ His daughter, young, well made, and with a pleasing manner, put on the table a magnificent breast of lamb stew, garnished with carrots. After the meal she offered me tea in such an attractive manner that I hardly knew which was preferable, the dinner or my young hostess. Consideration and goodness of heart was plain to see on the father and in the bearing of both father and daughter”

Marthinus van der Spuy’s second child, a son Melt (c2), was born in Cape Town on 03 July 1756. He died on 06 November 1825. He was the first van der Spuy to own the farm Klein Olifantskop, which was acquired from Jacob Eksteen on 11 January 1787. Olifantskop was (is) situated about 50 Km north of Cape Town in an area known as Koeberg.

On 10 June 1781 Melt (c2) was married to Aletta Barendina van der Westhuijse. She was christened in 1762 and died on 31 December 1834, nine years after her husband. They had seven children, two daughters and five sons, amongst whom Sybrand Johannes, their fourth child.

Sybrand Johannes (d4) was born on 12 June 1790 and christened on 01 August 1790 at Philadelphia, a small village about 10 Km from the family farm. During 1816 he married Angelique Maria Kolver who was born on 20 July 1797 and later died on 01 March 1872.

On 03 March 1824 the farm Oliphantskop was transferred to Sybrand Johannes (d4) from his father Melt (c2). Seven years before the death of Sybrand Johannes on 07 February 1864, Oliphantskop, by then extended after acquisitions of adjoining lands, was subdivided and transferred to the two sons. One portion being renamed Kalkfontein, became the property of Hendrik Jacobus (e8). The remaining portion – Oliphantskop – being transferred to Andreas Lutherus the other brother.

Hendrik Jacobus van der Spuy (e8), my Great Grandfather, and the new owner of Kalkfontein, was born on 27 August 1826 and died at age 52 on 11 January 1879 at Kalkfontein. The date of his marriage to Engela Frederika Dreyer is not known. She was born in 1829 and died in her 87th year at Kalkfontein on 21 August 1916. On 09 August 1892 the farm Kalkfontein was transferred to Hendrik Jacobus (f5), my Grandpa, who was then 33 years old. He was the third owner of Kalkfontein.

Hendrik Jacobus van der Spuy (f5) was born at Kalkfontein on Saturday 29 October 1859, and died at Durbanville at age 76 on Sunday 17 February 1935. At the time of his death, my Grandparents were living in Durbanville in a house on the corner of Gladstone and Church Streets, close to the Synagogue. He was interned in the Kalkfontein family vault in the Philadelphia cemetery, as was his wife when she passed away in 1957. Thereafter the vault was sealed and no further burials were done therein.

Around 1883 he married Harriette Eedes Cloete, daughter of Sebastian Valentine Cloete and Harriette Eedes. S.V. Cloete was a Magistrate at Somerset West and later at Paarl. This marriage produced fourteen children. The third child, a boy, was stillborn. The fourth child, Sebastian Valentine (Bas) died in 1906 as a result of an accident involving a firearm, whilst out hunting on the family farm, Kalkfontein.

(The historic farms Groot Constantia and Kirstenbosch were at one-time owned by the Cloete family.)

The farm Kalkfontein, in the Philadelphia district, changed hands on 16 May 1932, when the Vink Brothers acquired ownership. Subsequent owners were Michael Dinken, Solomon Daeson, and on 11 June 1945, W. Davies. On 07 May 1948 Kalkfontein was sold to the Imperial Cold Storage Company (I. C. S.) One of the I. C. S. Directors at that time, Ivan Wentzel, was a cousin of Llewellyn Wentzel who had married one of the van der Spuy daughters, Baby.

On 02 July 1948 the family farm once more reverted to van der Spuy ownership when Andries Christoffel van der Spuy, a nephew of H. J. van der Spuy (f5), became the new owner. He in turn transferred the farm to his son Albertus Johannes van der Spuy on 11 March 1969. His son Andries Christoffel, born on 06 October 1969 will no doubt continue the family tradition.

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Melt se voorouers in Holland

Die Suid-Afrikaanse stamvader se oupagrootjie, Jacob Cornelisz Wagemaecker, gebore moontlik voor 1600, oorlede 1662, getroud met Maertgen Adriaens, hul het toe nog nie die ”Van der Spuy” van gebruik nie, hul kinders:

i) Die een in 1624 begrawe ii) Adraen (Adriaan, Ariën) Jacobz iii) Cornelisz Jacobsz iv) Berbertgen Jacobs, getroud met Jacob Joris van der Wyck v) Leentgen Jacobs, getroud met Ysaack Jans vi) Sijtgen Jacobs vii) Stintgen Jacobs, getroud met Steven Kuijl

In die kerkargief van Charlois word ”rekeningen” aangetref waarin twee inskrywings voorkom wat moontlik betrekking het op bg. Jacob en Cornelis:

i) ”1662 Ontfangen van de kinderen ende erffgenamen van zaliger Jacob Cornelisz Wagemaecker dat denselven int cruijswek begraven leit V Xs.” ii) ”1662 Ontfangen van Jacob Cornelisz Wagemaecker van dat sijn kint in cruijswerk begraven is V Xs.”

In ‘n bewysstuk van Jacob Cornelisz van der Spuy van 23 Julie 1639 word aangegee: . . . ”sijn erf, boomgaard, telinge in het dorp Charlois aan de noordzijde van de kerkstraat - voorts het huis waar hij in woont tussen de Charlois Hoogedijck en d‘spuy van Charlois, omtrent 850 roeden alsoock seeckere twee morgen lants gelegen in Charlois in ‘t Rietblock.”

Adraen (Adriaan, Ariën) Jacobz, moontlik gebore te Charlois, onder Rotterdam, oorl. 1656, getr. met Stijntge Cornelis de Man (Jan Cornelisz/d.), oorl. C. 1649, hy hertr. 10/3/1652 met Janichen Jacobs, ‘jongedochter uit Sint Anthonispolder‘. (polder = poel of ‘n stuk drooggelegde land.), hul kinders (eerste drie uit eerste huwelik):

i) Jacob, waarskynlik jonk oorlede ii) Aechten iii) Maeijken iv) Jacob Ariens v) Marijgje, ged. 6/12/1654 te Westmaas, moontlik vroeg oorlede.

Interessant dat by die doop van laasgenoemde ”werd Arijen voor het eerst Van der Speu genoemd”.

‘Ook de secretaris van Westmaas noemde hem ”Van der Spuij” toen hy ergens aantekende dat Arijen in januari 1656 overleden, nalatende en desolate boedel.‘

Ariën het minstens van 1643 tot 1656 as wamaker te Westmaas gewoon. In 1650 en 1656 word ook sy broer, Cornelis Jacobz van der Spuij genoem, dog niks verder nie, sodat veronderstel moet word dat hy elders gewoon het. Hulle skyn nie in Westmaas gebore te gewees het nie aangesien daar voor 1643 niks oor sy familie gevind word nie. Dis egter nie uitgesluit dat hy uit Charlois, onder Rotterdam, afkomstig was. Die naam kom daar later voor, en ook het Ariën se eerste vrou daar gewoon.

Doop en trouboeke te Charlois toon egter niks aan nie aangesien hulle eers later aangelê is. Wel word in die kerkargief van Charlois ‘kerkrekeningen‘ aangetref uit die tydperk 1583 tot 1662, waarin Jan Cornelisz de Man se naam verskyn as ”kerkmeester” in 1653. Ook verskyn ‘n naam, Dirck Cornelis van der Spuij, en wel as substituut-secretaris in 1653 en as secretaris in 1657. Hierdie Dirck Cornelis was moontlik Cornelis Jacobz (Jacob Cornelis) se seun.

Westmaas se doop- en trouboeke begin vanaf 1648 sodat ons eers van dan van Ariën se gesin verneem. So word sy Marigje se doopdatum (26/1/1648) vermeld.

Kort hierna (1648?, 1649?) is Stijntge oorlede; op ‘2 juli 1650 verscheen Arijen Jacobz als weduwnaar voor het grecht, vergezeld van zijn broer, Cornelis Jacobsz, om zijn kinderen uit te kope uit de boedel‘.

Als voogden van de kinderen waren verschenen de grootvader Cornelis Cornelisz de Man, en diens gelijknamigen zoon.

Daar was drie kinders: Jacob, Aechten en Maeijken (lg. was waarskynlik 1648 se Marigje).

Daar is bepaal dat Arijen die boedel sou beheer, die kinders sou opvoed en onderhou tot hul agtiende jaar, wanneer elk nog vyftig gulden sou ontvang. So lees dit: ... ‘ te alimentren ende onderhouden in aet ende dranck, cleedinge ende reedinge, sieck ende gesont soo het Godt gelieft ter schoole te laten leeren lessen en schrijven ende een eerlijck hantwerck te laten leeren oome haren cost daermede te verdienen tot haar mondige dagen toe dat is te weten elckx tot haar achttien jaren toe als wanneer sy luijden voor mondich sullen gehouden warden ...‘

Na die tydelike het dit hom wellig goed toegegaan:

Op 19 November 1643 gee hy ‘n bewys vir 350 gulde aan Jacob Pietersz van der Bom, ‘een lakenkoper‘ vir die se ‘wagenmakerij‘.

Ruim twee jaar later koop hy ook diè se huis, waarin ‘de wagenmakerij was gevestigd, voor 400 gulden‘.

Op 11/5/1651 transporteer Claes Laurensz Spruijt ‘aan hem een huis met schuur en erf, dat evenals het zyne aan de berm van de dijk was gelegen. De koopsom had 1140 gulden bedragen, waarvan jaarlijks 200 gulden warden afgelost.‘ (berm = wal)

Jacob Ariens (ook Jacobus Ariense), ged. 23/2/1653, oorl. 1703-1707, ‘jongman van Westmaas, wonende te Rotterdam, getr. met Creijntje Jans van Leewen, jongedochter van Rotterdam, getr. 24/4/1671 te Delshaven met attestatie van Rotterdam‘. Sy is oorl. 18/2/1723. Die volgende ”Extract” kom uit die doopregister van Rotterdam, hul kinders:

1) Stijntien, 13 januari 1675, k.v. Jacob Arijensse van der Spuij en Crintie Jans van Leeuwen
2) Neeltie, 22 oktober 1676, k.v. Jacob Arense van der Spuij en Krintie Jans van Leuwe Get.:- Jacob Willemse van Leuwe en Trintie Jans van Leuwe 3) Jannetie, 30 januari 1680, k.v. Jacob Ariense van der Speuij en Krijntie Jans van Leeuwen Get.:- Melt Janse van Leeuwen en Geertruij van Leeuwen en Grietie Willems 4) Cornelis, 21 october 1681, k.v. Jacob van der Spuij en Krijntie van Leeuwen Get.:- Maritie Wijck en Jan de Wueet (?) 5) Jan, 11 mei 1653, k.v. Jacob van der Spuij en Trijntie Jans van Leeuwe Get.:- Jan van Leeuwen, Grietie Willems en Maria Jans van Leeuwen 6) Jan, 15 maart 1685, k.v. Jacob van der Speuij en Crijntje van Leuwe, wonend op ‘t Quakernaet Get.:- Jan Janse van Leuwe en Maria Jans van Leuwe 7) Johanna, 6 juni 1686, k.v. Jacob van der Spui en Trintie van Leeve op Quakernaet Get.:- Maertie van Leuve 8) Meldt, 4 april 1688, k.v. Jakop van der Spuij en Krijntie Jans op ‘t Quakernaet Get.:- Willem van Lewe en Maria van Leuwe 9) Neeltie, 14 februari 1690, k.v. Jacob van der Spuij en Krijntie Jans op ‘t Quakernaet Get.: - Jn Sijmense en Geertrij Jans 10) Jan, 12 januari 1694, k.v. Jacob van der Spuij en Crijntje van Leeuwen op cde Botersloot Get.: - Leondert Stolck en Lena van Leeuwen 11) Neeltie, 10 maart 1697, k.v. Jacob van der Spuij en Crijntie Jans op het Quakernaet Get.: - Maritie Jans van Leuwen

Daar was behalwe bg. Elf kinders nog ‘n kind, nie in die ”Extract” aangegee nie :

Arij, waarskynlik die oudste, en gebore moontlik 1673, op 23/2/1701 getr. met Cornelia Sijperze, hul kinders:- Jacoba en Jan

Van hierdie twaalf kinders ‘waren acht jonggestorven. De doop en trouw van de kinders zyn steeds Gereformeerd.‘

Op 1 Julie 1703 maak Jacob van der Spuij en Krijntje van Leeuwen hul testament voor notaris Waarts te Rotterdam. ‘Jacob lag toen ziek te bed en is mogelijk kort daarna gestorven‘. (In ieder geval voor 12/12/1707). Die langslewende is tot universele erfgenaam benoem, en bepaal ook dat ‘na beider overlijden hun zoon Ary niet meer zou ontvangen dan de legitieme portie‘.

Op 20 September 1714 maak Krijntje van Leeuwen ‘n nuwe testament ‘waarin zij legaten besprak voor haar kleinkinderen Jacoba Aryens van der Spuij, Jan Aryenz van der Spuij, Jacob Cornelisz van der Spuij en haar zoon Melt van der Spuy, en haar kleindochter Jacoba Kuijl, kind van haar dochter Stijntje van der Spuij‘.

Voor het overage zouden haar drie zonen, Ary, Cornelis en Melt erven. De weeskamer werd uitgesloten.

Behalve in de hierna te noemen akten waarby ook haar zoon Melt was betrokken, werd Krijntje van Leeuwen nog gevonden in een notariële akte van 8 februari 1718, waar zy als voogd optrad van haar kleinzoon Jacob Cornelisz van der Spuij, en in een acte d.d. 23 januari 1720, waarin zy een verklaring aflegde over een conflict waarbij zij in november 1719 aanwezig was geweest.