Catharina Brits, b5c3d21

In both the primary genealogical sources of JA Heese & RTJ Lombard: SA Geneaiogies. vol A-C, and CC de Villiers & C Parna: Geneaiogies of old South African families, voI I, the entry of Catharina Brits ≈ 3.12.1797 is given as the daughter of Hans Jacob Brits xx Aletta Claasen.

However, the daughter born to them immediately four years prior to this Catharina was another Catharina Susanna ≈ 9.2.1794 (who lived to marry AA APPELGREIN), both carrying the name Catharina. This prompted further research:

Firstly, the 1797 Catharina's baptism in the Graaff Reinet NGK baptism register in 1797 gives her name as Catrina and her father as Hans Jacob Brits and her mother as Cornelia Aletta CLAASEN (Hans Jacob Brits' wife was Aletta Claasen). Because of this entry Catharina (1797) has been assumed to be Hans' daughter.

Secondly, Catharina Brits (1797) x 9.12.1817 Marthinus Staneslaus JEWASKIEWITZ in Uitenhage. His name is given as Anthonie Sevaskowitz and filed under 'S' in the Uitenhage DRC marriage register. He later also used the forename of Johannes to confuse matters further. Catharina (1797) named her children not after her supposed father Hans' family, but after Hans' son Johannes Jacob Brits' family names. In the above Heese & Lombard SA Genealogies, Johannes Jacob Brits (b5c3d9) * 23.7.1774 is given as Catharina's brother and as being mar-ried (x 14.5.1797) to Cornelia Aletta CLAASEN.

Thirdly, the opgaafrolle J115 for Graaff Reinet 1798 gives Johannes Jacob Britz (son of Hans Jacob) and Cornelia Aletta Claasen as married and living with their one daughter on Rudolf Britz's woonplaats in 1798.

According to the above Genealogies their first child, a boy, was baptised on 15.3.1801. This daughter is most probably Catharina (3.12.1797), the child of Johannes and Cornelia and not of Hans.

The Johannes Jacob verbally became Hans Jacob at the baptism and later recorded as such by the scribe. The mother of Catharina was cor-rectly given as Cornelia Aletta Claasen, the wife of Johannes Jacob Brits, in the Graaff-Reinet baptism register. Catharina Brits' birth date is given as 13 October in the register and can be assumed to be 1797, because the scribe appears to have omitted the year figure as a custom whenever the birth was in the same year as the year of baptism, but added it for births in prior years. This means that the correct record should read: (b5c3d9el) Catharina Brits *13.10.1797 ≈ 3.12.1797 and x 9.12.1817 (Anthonie Johannes) Marthinus Staneslaus Jewaskiewitz.

Source: White M D , 2001, Catharina Brits (1797), Familia 38/1, 46-47.