Johannes Jacobus Janse van Rensburg

GREAT TREK LEADER - 'Lang Hans' VAN RENSBURG

Lang Hans van Rensburg married at Cape Town on 28 November 1802 Sara BRONKHORST,she was baptised 21 October 1787.

Children

• f1 Martha *19 Apr 1806, = Graaff-Reinet 29 May 1808, died July 1836, X Beaufort West 4 Jan 1824 Petrus Johannes VILJOEN (s.o. Henning Johannes Viljoen and Elizabeth Johanna Liebenberg)
• f2 Sophia Susara *28 Nov 1811, = Graaff-Reinet 26 Dec 1811. This may be the only child who did not accompany the trek and thus survived.
• f3 Maria Aletta *30 Aug 1815, baptised George 2 Nov 1815, died Jul 1836, X Cradock 4 Jul 1831 Frederik Hermanus VAN WYK
• f4 Sara Geertruyda *20 Jan 1818, = Paarl 11 Oct 1818. Died July 1836
• f5 Johannes Jacobus * 21 Jul 1820, = Beaufort West 1 Apr 1821, died young
• f6 Gysbert Sybrand Johannes *7 Aug 1824, baptised Beaufort West 6 Feb 1825. Died Jul 1836
• f7 Alida Magdalena Petronella *24 Sep 1828, baptised Beaufort West 31 May 1829. Died Jul 1836
• f8 Jacobus Johannes *25 Sep 1830, *baptised Cradock 4 Jul 1831. Died Jul 1836

Up and until 1815 they lived in the Graaff-Reinet district, at Khoup also know as Nieuweveld. During the eighteen twenties they lived in the Nieuweveld, Beaufort district. In 1830 he trekked to Zevenfontein, on the Caledon river (later the Paris Evangelical Society was to set up their mission station Beersheba here). There they sowed and planted crops. During this time they had their children baptized at the Cradock church. After the Sixth Frontier War late in 1835 they set out for the Gariep river (Orange river). There were about 49 whites in this group led by Van Rensburg. Van Rensburg party had 450 cattle, 3,000 sheep and 30 horses. At the same time Louis TRICHARDT also left with a group of trekkers, the TRICHARDT party had 925 head of cattle, 50 horses, and 6,000 sheep. The two parties kept in touch with one another. One can understand why the Van Rensburg Trek would have been able to trek faster due to the smaller number of animals.

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The Great Trek by Oliver Ransford, issued 1972. Great Britain.

Page 32

POTGIETER dispatched two seperate family groups to blaze a trail to the Zoutpansberg. There they were to seek out suitable land to settle, and while waiting for the main body of POTGIETER's trek, attempt to open communications with the Portuguese at either Lourenco Marques lying on Delagoa Bay, Inhambane or Sofala. As leaders of the 'voorste mense' - the 'people in front' of the Great Trek - POTGIETER chose his cousin, Johannes VAN RENSBURG, and a prosperous farmer named Louis TREGARDT.

Added by Y. DROST, 21 APRIL 2015

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