Isaac Pietersz van de Caab, SV/PROG

Die eerste Vryswartes van Stellenbosch 1670-1720, deur Prof. J.L. Hattingh

CJ 5 Oorspronklike regsrolle en notule, fol. 57. ,Landdros Stellenbosch contra Isaac Pieters. 23 September 1713

'n Ander vryswart, ISAAC PIETERSZ, was in 1713 aangekla van "diverse quaataardigheeden en . . . het steelen van wijn". Dit is eintlik eersgenoemde klag wat in die geval ons aandag verg.

Tydens die hofsaak is daar ook heelwat gesinspeel op Isaac Pietersz se opvoeding en karaktertrekke. So is daar genoem dat hy as kind, "sijnde een swart jongh", deur die vrou van die burger Matthjis Diedriks aangeneem, opgepas en opgevoed is. Vir nege jaar sou sy probeer om hom goeie deugde aan te leer, maar hy het hulle huishouding verlaat om te "vagebondeeren". Toe reeds was hy, volgens Diedriks, ongehoorsaam en kon hy "met reg 'n deugniet" genoem word.

Vir 'n tydlank het Isaac Pietersz sy intrek by GERRIT WILLEMSZ van Leeuwarden geneem. Die laaste vier jaar daarvan, het laasgenoemde getuig, het Isaac Pietersz hom in sy eie huis "aangesteld als meester en voogt, 't geen . . . hem ondragelijk geweest te zijn". Op 'n keer het Pietersz hom selfs aan die hare uit sy eie huis gesleep en toe sy vrou oorgeneem, met wie hy in elk geval "seer groote familiaritijt" gehad het. Uit hierdie verhouding is toe "twee onegte Bruijne kinderen" gebore. As gevolg van hierdie uitsmytery moes Gerrit Willemsz van Leeuwaarden sedertdien rondswerf om sy lewensonderhoud by ander koloniste te gaan soek.

Ook Andries Voormeester, 'n man van hoë ouderdom, het verklaar hoe Isaac Pietersz hom eenkeer gegryp en in die vuur gegooi het, net omdat hy nie wyn aan hom wou gee nie. ... Dit was eers nadat hy wyn by die landbouer Richardus Adolphus probeer steel het, dat hulle hom onder die bed van die vrou van Gerrit Willemsz van Leeuwaarden gevind het."

In die daaropvolgende ondervraging deur landdros Nicolaas van der Heuvel het Pietersz te kenne gegee dat hy reeds 29 jaar oud was en dat hy as kind vrygestel is by die afsterwe van Leendert van Gijselen. ... Willemsz se vrou, by wie Isaac twee "bruin" kinders gehad het, was dus nie ook swart nie.

Rough Translation by Sharon Doubell Mar 2017: The first Free Blacks OF Stellenbosch 1670-1720, Prof. JL Hattingh

CJ 5 Original legal roles and minutes, fol. 57., Magistrate Bosch against Isaac Pieters. 23 September 1713

"Another free black, ISAAC Pietersz, was charged in 1713 with" various bad behaviours and... stealing of wine " It is actually the former complaint in the case that requires our attention.

During the trial there is a lot hinted at about Isaac Pietersz's education and characteristics. It was stated that, as a child, "sijnde a black Jongh", he was adopted by the wife of the burgher, Matthjis Diedriks, & fed and educated. For nine years she would try to teach him good virtues, but he left their household to become a vagabond. Even then, he was, according Diedriks, disobedient and "truly a scoundrel".

For a time, Isaac Pietersz took up residence at Gerrit Willemsz of Leeuwarden. The last four years it has been witnessed that the latter, Isaac Pietersz appointed himself as as master in Gerrit's own house and in the employ of noone. To be with him had become unbearable.[presumably, Gerrit had said]. On one occassion, Pietersz even drew Gerrit up by the hair & threw him out of his own house and then took his wife, with whom he [Gerrit?] had in any case a large family. From this relationship two illegitimate brown children were born. As a result of this eviction Gerrit Willemsz of Leeuwaarden has since had to wander around to look for subsistence from other colonists."

Also Andries Voormeester, a man of advanced age, stated how Isaac Pietersz once grabbed him and threw him into the fire, just because he did not want to give him wine. ... It was only after he tried to steal wine at the farmer, Richardus Adolphus, that they found him under the bed of the wife of Gerrit Willemsz of Leeuwaarden. "

In the subsequent interrogation given by magistrate Nicholas van der Heuvel Pietersz told him that he was already 29 years old and he had been released from slavery as a child at the death of Leendert van Gijselen. ( ... so Willemsz's wife, with whom Isaac had two "brown" had children, was not black) http://www.stamouers.com/stamouers/surnames-v-z/626-willemse-gerrit

See also Mansell Upham's article: "The peculiar cirmcumstances pertaining to Gerrit Willemse’s forced removal from his own house, shed more light on Gerrit Nieuwoudt’s biological paternity. The year 1713 not only brought the devastating smallpox epidemic, but also further trials and tribulations to Gerrit Willemse and his unfaithful wife. The marriage of Gerrit Willemse to the Capeborn halfslagh Maria Cornelisse appears to have been stable until the appearance of the free black Isaak Pieters van de Caeb. Maria Cornelisse came from an extremely troublesome Cape family. Her father was a white man Cornelis Claesz (from Utrecht). Known in de wandeling as Kees de Boer, he has a reputation for hob-nobbing with the slave women. Her mother was the formidable matriach and freed slave Catharina van Malabar (also found as Catharina van Coromandel and Catharina van Bengale). Before having their union blessed by the church, her parents not only had voorkinders together, but also separately. Their genealogical contribution to the early Cape’s colonial populace is phenomenal.2 Wine belonging to his wife’s sister, Cornelia Cornelisse and her second husband Richard Adolphus (from Tønder in Slesvig, Jutland, Denmark) had been stolen by his cheating wife’s unruly black lover. There appears to have been more than one scuffle at the time as old man Andries Voormeester - his wife’s stepfather - stated at the trial that the accused had grabbed him and thrown him into the fire merely because he had refused to give him wine.3 Pietersz, when arrested, even broke free from the restraining grip of two judicial officers. It was only after he had stolen the wine that they found him again, this time under the bed of Maria, his houvrou who was legal wife to Gerrit Willemse. This was the final nail in the coffin for a bully who terrorised everyone around him. For four years already he had moved into Maria’s home, usurping the place of her husband and appropriating his wife with whom he had had a seer groote familiaritijt. On one occasion Pietersz had even dragged Willemse by the hair out of his own home. Willemse testified that Isaac Pietersz had appointed himself … als meester en voogt, ‘t geen … hem ondragelijk geweest te zijn … and that … twe onegte Bruijne kinderen … had been born out of the intruder’s relationship with his wife. Isaac Pietersz’s social dysfunctionality dominated the trial. The landdrost Nicolaas van der Heuvel had to hear that this 29-year old man had been freed from slavery as a child following the death of the free-burgher Leendert van Gijselen. Thereafter, he had been brought up in the household of his deceased owner’s concubine, Maria Willemsz (from Hamburg) who subsequently had become the wife of the free-burgher Matthias Diedriks. After 9 years, however, Pietersz, left her house to vagabondeeren. At that stage he was already rebellious and she could … met reg … call him a deugniet. Charged with … diverse quaataardigheeden en … het steelen van wijn …, Pietersz was found guilty and sentenced to be tied to a pole and flogged. Thereafter, he was banished to Robben Island to be put to work but without being in chains.4" http://www.e-family.co.za/ffy/exhibits/was-gerrit-nieuwoudt-really-...