Richard Ball has argued, quite convincingly, that Anthonetta and Agnietje Campher are the same person, not two sisters:
The reconstruction of her families are based on the inventory of the estate of Arij van Wijk (1731), the Estate Distribution Accounts of her son, Willem van Wijk Ariesz. who died without leaving children in 1774, her daughter Maria van der Swaan's will of 1740 and also the Stellenbosch church records.
Anthonetta Campher was possibly the daughter of Laurens Campher and Ansela van de Caab who were recorded living in Stellenbosch with three children in 1703 (Cape Muster Rolls of inhabitants). The evidence for her three marriages
1. Gerrit van der Swaan 1705
2. Arij van Wijk Willemsz: circa 1711
3. Jochem Scholtz 1733
is as follows:
1 Willem van Wijk Arijsz: - Boedelrekening dated 6th May 1775 1 (Deceased Estate distribution accounts)
His brothers and sisters are listed, including:
• Anna van der Swaan wed: Lodwijk Putter d['0u]de
• Maria van der Swaan wed: Hendrik Kruger.
as half sisters on the deceased's mothers side (als halve Susters van de overleedens moeders Zijde)
2 Opgaafrollen 2
1709 Ary Wz van Wijk 1 man
1712 Ary Wz van Wijk 1 man 1 wife 1 son 2 daughters
1719 Ary Wz van Wijk 1 man 1 wife 2 sons 3 daughters
1731 Ary van Wijk & Agnetta Campher
1 man 1 wife 5 sons 4 daughters (ref 1. below)
allowing for the fact that I don't know when in the year the opgaaf returns were made, in 1712 Ary van Wijk and Anthonetta Campher had just the one son
and in 1719 they had just one daughter, 2 sons born prior to 1719 and one son born circa 1719
This give us two daughters too many in each assessment. This could indicate the presence in the household of the two Van der Swaan daughters.
In 1731, according to the baptism registers, they had 5 sons and 4 daughters, tallying with the opgaafrollen exactly - by this time both Van der Swaan daughters had married, Anna in ... and Maria in ...
3 In her will dated 1740 3 Maria van der Swaan, naming her heir in case she shoud die without leaving any children, stated that her mother was Antonetta Campher, formerly the widow of Gerrit van den Swaan.
Given the form of this statement one would assume that Anthonetta Campher was then, in 1740, either the wife or widow of another man. Unfortunately Maria did not state what her mother's current marital state was.
4 Council of Policy 4
During 1739 there were several reports to the Council of Policy (the governing body) at the Cape from the Piketberg area where a number of dissatisfied farmers were having their case examined by Johannes Cruiwagen.
In May of 1739 he stated that he had spoken to the farmer, Hendrik Krugel, who offered to send his brother-in-law, named Gerrit van Wijk, to carry information to the other farmers.
From another statement in July of the same year we are told that in this area there were Gerrit van Wijk, the Widow Gerrit van Wijk and her son, Gerrit van Wijk the younger. The last named was a boy of 15 or so and the eldest son of the Widow van Wijk (Elisabeth Vivier).
Hendrik Krugel had no sisters so his brother-in-law must have been a brother of his wife. His wife was Maria van der Swaan.
According to the De Villiers/Pama version, she had no brothers, but if Anthonetta Campher, mother of Maria van der Swaan was the same Anthonetta Campher, mother of Gerrit van Wijk Ariesz:, then they are brothers-in-law.
We must accept, therefore, that there was only one Anthonetta Campher, married firstly to Gerrit van der Swaan, then to Arie van Wijk, Willemsz and, in 1739, recently become the widow of Jochem Scholtz.
These notes written and researched by Richard Ball ©2003 In the opgaaf of 1738 she is listed in the Drakenstein district, as being on her own, with three sons and three daughters, 40 cattle,100 sheep and some grain, presumably still farming in a small way, or perhaps livining with a son or daughter.
