Kmdt Gideon Daniel Joubert

d6 Petrus Jacobus = Paarl 13.6.1756 † Graaff-Reinet c. 1817 x Adriana SMIT * Kaapstad c. 1756 † 13.6.1840 (Francois-dg)

e3 Gideon Daniel * 26.4.1795 = Swartland 9.8.1795 † Hebron, Colesberg 26.4.1858, kommandant en lid v.d. Kaapse Wetgewende Raad x Graaff-Reinet 30.10.1815 Aletta Sophia VENTER † Hebron 15.11.1876 d.v. Jan Adriaan Venter en Aletta Sophia Bezuidenhout (sien SABW V)

f1 Petrus Jacobus * 22.2.1817 = Graaff-Reinet 7.7.1817 † 5.12.1892 x Graaff-Reinet 22.3.1836 Elizabeth Johanna Cecilia VISAGIE * 25.9.1817 † Hanover 7.3.1887

f2 Aletta Sophia * 3.8.1819 = Cradock 3.4.1820 x huwelikshof, Colesberg 13.8.1837 Henning Johannes VAN ASWEGEN xx Burgersdorp 14.2.1857 Douw Gerbrand STEYN

f3 Jan Johannes * 10.8.1821 = Graaff-Reinet 8.10.1821 x Colesberg 14.3.1842 Catharina Susanna VAN DEN HEEVER

f4 Gideon Daniel * 14.8.1823 = Graaff-Reinet 11.9.1823 x Sara Margaretha CILLIERS

f5 Adriana Margaretha * 14.8.1825 = Colesberg 2.10.1825 x Johannes Jacobus PIENAAR

f6 Francois Jacobus * 29.12.1827 = Graaff-Reinet x Pietermaritzburg 22.4.1847 Margaretha Louisa BOSHOF * 8.11.1828 = Graaff-Reinet 26.12.1828 d.v. Jacobus Nicolaas Boshof, president v.d. OVS

f7 Margaretha Johanna * 4.7.1830 = Colesberg 17.10.1830 † voor 1858

f8 Martha Louisa * 29.5.1832 = Colesberg 9.9.1832 x Christiaan Mauritz BOTHA

f9 Maria Magdalena * 23.10.1835 = Colesberg 10.1.1836 x Burgersdorp 25.4.1853 Roelof Ockert Daniel OOSTHUIZEN (Roelof-sn)

f10 Jotham * c. 1841 † Burgersdorp 1.9.1903 x Burgersdorp 14.7.1862 Martha Magdalena Jacomina OOSTHUIZEN

http://genealogy.amay.co.uk/main.php?p=FF3-3-JoubertFamilyConnection

Gideon Daniel Joubert was the fourth child and third son of Petrus Jacobus Joubert and Adriana Joubert nee Smit. He was born in the Malmesbury district on 12th April, 1795 and baptised on 26th.April, 1795. Presumably he received some early education there or in the Tulbach district where his parents lived until he was ten years old. Not much is known of his childhood but at that age (in 1805) they moved to the Seekoei River field cornetcy in the Graaf Reinet district and it would appear that he had some formal education judging by the numerous letters and reports he wrote as an adult. In fact, it is claimed that he attended Cambridge University. However, he never became very proficient in the English language and although he expressed himself well, his handwriting was always difficult to read.

At the age of twenty, he married 14 year old, Aletta Sophia Venter on 29th October, 1815.  She was born on 19th.March, 1801 and was the daughter of Jan Adriaan Venter and Aletta Sophia Venter nee Bezuidenhout.  He died on 26.4.1858 and she died on 15.11.1876, both at Hebron, Hantam, district of Colesberg.  He became a Field Cornet in1838 when he was sent on commission to investigate the conditions of the former slaves.  Gideon Daniel Joubert became a landowner and was a prosperous farmer on his farm 'Hebron' at Hantam, north-east of Colesberg until his death on 26th.April, 1858.  During his lifetime he owned several farms in the southern part of Transorangia as well as a small house in Colesberg.  He was always a respected member of the community and was also a founder member of the Colesberg N. G. Congregation.

After his appointment first as provisional field-cornet of the New Hantam area in 1822 and, later, as field-cornet and commandant, he never hesitated to speak up for the farmers on the northern frontier or bring their problems to the attention of the authorities.

1835 was a critical year for Southern Africa. For the preceding sixty years or so, there had been no radical changes in the borders of the Cape Colony. Since the 1770's the black tribes had checked the Boer drift to the east but by 1835 the internal pressures had come to a head and culminated in consolidation of the causes of the Great Trek. The first parties of what would eventually amount to some 14,000 Boers sold up their homesteads, packed their possessions into their ox wagons and moved away from British rule, taking their families and animals with them. They crossed the Orange River, skirted Basutuland, veering inland toward the central plateau that had been depopulated by the Mfecane, finally coming up against Mzilikazi and his Matabiele warriors, whom they overcame, forcing their retreat north over the Matapo Range. Thereafter, some of the Voortrekkers crossed the Vaal River, moving as far north as the Limpopo River, while others turned east and descended into Natal through the passes of the Drakensberg. In less than a year the boundaries of European settlement had broken but the Trekkers failed to escape the British administration, which slowly but surely eventually encompassed all the areas they had opened up.

Gideon Daniel Joubert was a loyal supporter of the British Colonial administration and clearly stated this on several occasions, but he was never blind to the shortcomings of the British and did not hesitate to criticise the government or the missionaries, if he felt this was justified. Nevertheless, official opinion of him was always favourable.

He sympathised with the difficulties and hardships of the Trekkers in the southern Transorangia, but he openly opposed the Great Trek because he feared for the material, spiritual and cultural welfare of the Trek farmers if they should venture into the interior. He was not able to accept the fact that the Voortrekkers were prepared to reject the authority of the lawful Colonial Government.

On 2nd.June, 1837, a report came to hand concerning the kidnapping of Bushmen children by the Boers and, to quote: "Mr Rawstone sent the famous Gideon Joubert, who had been employed to go to Natal to investigate the slave question, to enquire into the truth of this matter. He returned with the report that it was correct. An attempt was made to arrest those concerned, but it was unsuccessful."

In 1838 he decided to visit the Voortrekkers in Natal in order to try to persuade them to return to the Colony. Cory (in Vol.IV) describes the mission thus: 'April, 1838. Two interesting visitors appeared at Maritz's camp at the Bushman's River. They were Gideon Joubert a well-to-do farmer of the Colesberg district and Jacobus Nicholas Boshoff first clerk to the civil Commissioner of Graaf Reinet - a gentleman who afterwards played an important part in the history of the Orange Free State.

News of the terrible disasters, which had befallen the Natal Boers, as well as the distressed condition of the survivors [Piet Retief presented his document to Dingaan and the Chief made his mark on it on 4th February, 1838 and he and his companions were murdered on 6th.February, 1838] had become known in the Colony. Sympathy for them took the practical form of subscriptions being collected for their relief.

Messrs. Joubert and Boshaoff set out from the Colesberg district with this help. Joubert had gone unofficially with a view to inducing the Boers to return to the Colony.

In addition, he and a Mnr. van der Walt prepared a report after they were sent on a mission to the emigrant farmers and their recommendations were that the Boers should be taken under British protection, but Sir George Napier was not in favour of this and gave a negative, albeit a long-winded, reply.

Very soon after this Gideon Joubert made a second journey to Natal, having been sent by Governor G. T. Napier, in October, 1838 with instructions to bring back the slaves whom the Government believed the Voortrekkers had forced to leave the Colony with them. December 1st. was approaching and on that day all 'apprentices' (i.e. erstwhile slaves) were to be liberated and the last traces of slavery were to disappear from South Africa. To recover these and to give them the full benefit of the Abolition Act was now the object of Sir George Napier.

To put this into effect no more fitting officer than G. D. Joubert could have been appointed as he was a loyal Government official; Field-Cornet of Colesberg and 'persona-grata' with the Boers. In addition, the knowledge of the whereabouts of all the Natal Boers that he had recently acquired was of great value. Instructions for his procedure were issued to him by the Governor 'as a public functionary who rightly possessed his full confidence' on 16th October, so on 22nd October, he set off on his mission to Natal in the style befitting his official position with "two wagons, 24 wagon horses, 26 saddle horses, and accompanied by eight Burgers, two coachmen and four achterryers,[sic] in all 16 men and 50 horses." He travelled from one Boer camp to the next and met with no difficulty in carrying out his commission. His honest report after his return from this mission convinced the Government that their concern was unfounded. Both Governor G. T. Napier and Lord Glenelg had to admit that there was no justification for the belief that former slaves had been forcibly removed from the Colony or were being held against their wishes. Of the 150 'apprentices' who lived with the Trekkers in Natal only about 40 chose to return with Gideon Joubert to the Cape Colony.

Then, in July, 1840, in order to be supplied with the information which was necessary before any further action could be taken in connection with [the claims of] Moshesh, the Governor issued confidential instructions to the famous Commandant, Gideon Joubert, to make a tour through the hardly known country and to learn all he could about the boundaries claimed by the different Chiefs and the number of Boers settled in different parts of the country, such as Basutuland." Gideon Joubert's opinion of Moshesh was that he was not to be trusted; that he would be found to be a troublesome and tiresome person - a prognostication which later history amply confirmed.

In June 1842, he was one of the signatories to a petition sent to Sir George Napier requesting that the boundary of the Colony should be extended so as to include the present districts of Aliwal North, Albert and Wodehouse, but this was not granted. On September 3rd he attended a conference with Sir Andries Stockenstroom and Chief Kreli.

On 29th.July, 1846 "in the attack upon Tyumie forests, Sir Andreis relied upon the assistance of 1200 Burgers and Kat River Hottentots under Commandant Joubert from Shiloh." And also, in July, 1848, Sir Harry Smith "accompanied by that accomplished Boer negotiator, Commandant Gideon Joubert, moved off to Winberg on their way to Natal".He was actively involved in the Fifth (1818-19); Sixth (1834-5); the Seventh (1846-7) and Eighth (1850-53) Frontier Wars. When the Government was slow to protect the north eastern boundary against the Thembu during the Eighth Frontier War, he called up a Commando on his own initiative to go to the aid of the farmers.

Gideon Joubert was always involved in events in Transorangia and from 1842 he advocated annexation of the area by the British to ensure protection for the farmers. He pointed out the dangers to peace there to the Government because he was certain that the Whites would never accept treaties with Blacks, which would leave them under the authority of the native chiefs. After the annexation of Natal in 1842, he hoped that the British would take similar steps in the Transorangia and therefore submitted several proposals to the authorities for administrative arrangements there. It is therefore reasonable to accept that he would have supported Sir Harry Smith's preconceived plan to annex Transorangia when he accompanied Sir Harry Smith to Natal in 1848.

In 1854, Gideon Joubert was elected a member of the Legislative Council of the first representative parliament of the Cape Colony as the first M.P. for Burgersdorp. His broken English and poor health contributed to the fact that he had little influence as a parliamentarian and early in 1855 he resigned from this position. After a long illness, he died of a stroke on his farm on 26th.April, 1858. His widow, Aletta Sophia Joubert, also died there, 18 years later, on 15th.November, 1876.

[It may be of passing interest to note that the historically declared monument of Paul Kruger's home in Rustenberg is said to be after the style of Gideon Joubert's house at Helbron, Colesberg.]They had eleven children

Lived on farm Kleine Hondebosje Malmesbury? and farm Hebron at Colesberg

Artikel wat sy ondersoeke na slawerny bespreek:

C Venter. Die Voortrekkers en die ingeboekte slawe wat die Groot Trek meegemaak het, 1835- 1838. Historia, Volume 36, Issue 1, May 1991, p. 14 – 29 https://journals.co.za/docserver/fulltext/hist/36/1/895.pdf?expires...