Anna Rebecca Koevoet

Please see discussions: Johannes van Ceylon was not the husband of Anna Rebecca van Bengalen, he was her freed slave

Arnoldus is oorlede in 1735, want sy boedelinventaris is op 21 Desember 1735 opgestel. Sy vrou, Anna Rebecca van Bengale, is in 1734 oorlede. - Bronne: Heese, Groep Sonder Grense, https://www.stamouers.com/stamouers/k-to-m/255-koevoet-arnoldus

Summarised by Michele Woodroffe from:
Bonded Labour and Debt in the Indian Ocean World
Edited by Gwyn Cambell and Alessandro Stanzianni
Page 68

It appears as if Anna Rebecca may have arrived in the Cape in around 1720 as there is a record for an Anna Rebecca who was accepted for church membership through confession of faith or affidavit. After having shown her affidavit on the 24 June 1720 she is granted membership.

Anna may have been a slave of Juffrouw Van Thiel (Anna Maria Thiel's mother- with whom Anna Rebecca remains in correspondence until her death) and Otto van Thiel.

Anna Rebecca of Bengal was around 49 in 1731 when she married the 34 year old Arnoldus Koevoet.
In 1724 she had made a will stating she had no parents or friend to whom she could leave her estate.

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Just before her marriage, as was the practice at the time, Anna Rebecca drew up a will.

DEPOT KAB
SOURCE MOOC
TYPE LEER
VOLUME_NO 7/1/4
SYSTEM 01
REFERENCE 159
PART 1
DESCRIPTION ANNA REBECCA, VAN BENGALEN. WILL.
STARTING 17310000
ENDING 17310000
REMARKS FILED 1734.

This will likely gave the conditions below which were executed when her husband died a year after her:

Reference no.: MOOC8/5.136
Testator(s):
Arnoldus Coevoet
21 December 1735
De volgende goederen door Rebecca van Bengalen, overledene vrouw van Arnoldus Coevoet sijn p:r testament vermaakt aan Johanna van de Caab, minderjarige dogter van de vrijswart Johannnes van Ceijlon, te weten
1 ketting goude stenen
2 stricken met stenen
2 goude ringen
1 silvere beugel
1 silvere tuijgje
1 silvere kalkdoosje

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Cape Town Marriages 1731
Written by transcribed by Corney Keller. Posted in Cape Town Marriages 1713 to 1756

https://eggsa.org/sarecords/index.php/church-registers/cape-town-ma...

Page 23

Den 2 7ber:

Arnoldus Coevoet, van de Caeb, met Anna Rebekka
van Bengalen

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From:

Cape Slaves in the Paper Empire of the VOC

NIGEL WORDEN
University of Cape Town

Page 38

Summarised by Michele Woodroffe

Arnoldus Koevoet and Anna Rebecca were literate and a collection of personal letters from and to Arnoldus and his wife, Anna Rebecca of Bengal,was found in Arnoldus and Anna Rebecca's estate papers. Susan Newton-King has studied the remarkable collection and other letters/documents of slaves and freed slaves. The collection suggests literacy was far more common amongst Cape slaves and freed slaves than previously recognised.

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1733 Cape Muster Roll:
https://www.nationaalarchief.nl/onderzoeken/archief/1.04.02/invnr/4...
In 1733 Arnoldus Coevoet and wife Anna rebecca are recorded with 3 male slaves, 2 female slaves and 3 female slave children

1734 Cape Muster Roll:
https://www.nationaalarchief.nl/onderzoeken/archief/1.04.02/invnr/4...
In 1734 arnoldus Coevoet [sic] and wife anna rebecca are recorded with 3 male slaves, 2 female slaves, 1 male slave child and 2 female slave children