Magdalena Johanna de Wet

REGISTER VAN VOORTREKKERSTAMMOEDERS

(Uit: Visagie, J.C. 2000. Voortrekkerstamouers, 1835-1845. Universiteit van Suid-Afrika, Pretoria)

Opgedra aan ons stammoeders

De Wet, M J (wed J C Greyling), vrou van P Retief

Jan Christoffel Greyling en Piet Retief het as jong mans by haar gekuier. Sy kies Jan Christoffel Greyling by wie sy nege kinders gehad het. Drie is egter by geboorte dood.

Na Jan Christoffel Greyling se dood trou sy met Piet Retief wat toe nog ongetroud was. Al die Greyling kinders het Piet Retief na Natal gevolg. Hy het hulle beskryf as bruikbare en dapper kinders en hulle het die hoogste agting vir hom gehad.

Pietermaritzburg is na Piet Retief en Gerrit Maritz vernoem. Lenie Greyling is na haar man se dood met Piet Retief getroud. Greylingstraat in Pietermaritzburg is na haar kinders vernoem.

Lenie se bynaam / noemnaam - Vrou van smarte.
The poet Totius referred to her as the “Al-lydensmoeder” (All suffering mother).

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/De_Wet-732
Magdelena Retief, widow of the Trekker leader Piet Retief, in 1840 sent her brother-in-law Gideon an account of her family:
'Dear Brother, at your request I shall write to you how many children I have had and how many I still have. Of the late Jan Greijling I had nine children, three died in infancy, six I have brought to maturity; of these my Gertruijda was dead in childbed, my second daughter Maria had heart palpitations, both were married, and my son Jan was murdered by the Kaffirs. He and his late father had to lose their lives there in the interior and their bodies had to be left to the wild animals . . . and here again I had to give the bodies of my brave husband Retief, my youngest son Pieter and my eldest son Abraham Greijling to the wild animals, because of the savage Dingaan . . . Of Retief's children, two others died in infancy, of Greijling's children I have still alive Piet and Barent, and of Retief's, Jacobus Francois—his wife and children are also dead—Debora, Jacoba— her husband and children also dead. And then I have Magdalena Margareta—her children are also dead; so I have of my fifteen children five still left.' [3][4]
Death
Date: 31 augustus 1855 [2]
Place: Potchefstroom, Zuid Afrikaanse Republiek [2]
Age: 73 [2]

Lenie was born on the 30th of May 1782 at Zwarteberg, Swellendam, baptised at Cape Town on the 29th of September 1782, and married to b11c2 Jan Christoffel Greyling at Stellenbosch on the 9th of August 1796 (Women’s Day!). Jan was born on the 11th of March 1778 and baptised at Graaff Reinet on the 5th of September 1779. He was field cornet at Swagershoek, Graaff Reinet. Jan was killed at the age of 33 during colonel Graham’s campaign against the Xhosa as were landdrost Anders Stockenström and eleven other burghers on the 29th of December 1811 at Doringnek, Zuurberg. After a marriage of 15 years the widow Lenie Greyling was left with four young children: Abraham 12, Pieter (blind) 10, Jan 7 and Maria 4. Two months after her husband Jan’s death baby Barend was born. Strong-mindedly Lenie continued farming all by herself for three years. Lenie remarried b4c7d4 Pieter Retief at Graaff Reinet on the 4th of July 1814. Piet was born at Soetendal, Wellington, on the 12th of November 1780. Piet en Lenie resided at Mooimeisiesfontein, Riebeeck East and later at Post Retief near the Winter Berg. During the Sixth Frontier War (1834-35) Retief was appointed provisional field commandant of Albany district. Piet and Lenie had six children of whom two died as infants. Retief, leader of the Great Trek to Natal, negotiated with Dingaan at Mgungundhlovu about territory. While signing the agreement, Piet Retief (58), Piet and Lenie’s eldest son, Abraham Greyling (39) and their youngest, Pieter (12) and their 97 companions were treacherously murdered by Dingaan’s impi on Hlomo Amabutho (Kwa Matiwane) on the 6th of February 1838. Within ten days, early morning of the 17th of February 1838, 40 men, 56 women, 185 children and 200 servants were cruelly murdered by the Zulus in the laagers along the Tugela, Bloukrans and Bushmans Rivers. Lenie was a quiet, dignified woman who soundly supported and inspired Retief, initially as field commandant and later as governor of the Voortrekkers. Notwithstanding her own disastrous misfortunes, grief and sorrow she was sympathetic towards the fellow trekkers, no wonder that the poet Totius referred to her as the “Al-lydensmoeder” (All suffering mother). Following the tragic death of reverend Erasmus Smit’s son, he wrote “maakte Mevrou Retief een oversterfhemd, halskraag, muts en aangezichtskroondeksel voor mijn gestorven Salomon.” (Mrs.Retief made a death shirt, collar, cap and facial cover for my deceased Salomon.) Today it is difficult to conceive the bitter grief that this stalwart Voortrekker woman had to endure. Following the atrocious murder of Retief and his fellows, Lenie lived close to her surviving children at Pietermaritzburg for years. Later she relocated to Potchefstroom where she lived in abject poverty, even after the Transvaal Volksraad (Parliament) granted her an inadequate pension of 10 rixdollars (R1,50) in 1852. She had to supplement this by baking and selling delicacies. J Stuart, author of De Hollandse Afrikanen en hun Republiek, (The Dutch Afrikaners and their Republic) visited her and described her as ”een waardige en deftige vrouw”. (a dignified and elegant woman) Two years and five months after the Mgungundhlovu murders, on the 7th of July 1840, Lenie wrote a pitiable letter to her brother in law, Piet’s brother Gideon. Take special note of the closing sentence which clearly indicates her positive attitude: To the Gentleman Gideon Retief, J.A. son Wagon Makers Valley At the Colony of Port Natal named Pieter Maritz Burg the 7 July 1840 My dear and never forgotten Brothers and Sisters Retiefs and Herholt, besides Mother if she is still alive. At this opportunity I cannot forbear to inform you that my few children are hale and hearty by the grace of God, we hope the same from you. As far as news is concerned, I do not have much to report, other than we are fine beyond expectation and beyond merit. Concerning our enemy, we still live in peace with him; he has compensated our damages by means of cattle and loot, and further more we live on our plots and farms, build and plant and sow abundantly – but this year we have a great shortage due to the blight which was so bad last year, but then again the beautiful gardens had plentiful maize and pumpkins and meat, it is said that the most beef is from the native cattle that are with us. As far as our form of government is concerned, here we now have a proper state, for some time there were problems among the leaders, but now there is peace again. Our farms have been inspected, the old gentleman Smit is still our minister, we are also busy building our new church. Furthermore we can buy nearly anything here. But it is scarce and expensive as our voortrekkers have to start from scratch again, of whom I am one, we are so divested of life and property, firstly by our cruel enemy who deprived us of husbands and children, and the measles deprived me of grandchildren and of a brave son-in-law, my Debora’s husband. Beloved Brother as you requested I will write how many children I had and how many are still alive. Of deceased Jan Greyling I had 9 children, 3 died as infants, 6 I have raised, of whom my Gertruida died in childbirth, my second daughter Maria died of palpitation of the heart, both were married, and my son Jan was murdered by the natives, he and his deceased father Jan Greyling lost their lives in the interior and their bodies were left there to the scavengers, and here I also lost my brave husband Retief, and my youngest son, Pieter Retief, and my eldest son Abraham Greyling, whose bodies were also left to scavengers, at the hand of the cruel Dingaan. Dear brother, my disasters are nearly too much to fully report to you. You can well imagine 2 husbands and 3 children I lost without being able to give them a proper burial. Of Retief 2 died in infancy, of Jan Greyling I still have in life Piet and Barent and of Retief, Jacobus Francois – his wife and children are also deceased. And then Debora Johanna, her husband and children also dead. And then I still have Magda-lena Margareta, her children are dead too; of my 15 children I now have just 5. Dear Brother, please send me a little box of saplings, I will pay the transport, I also would like to know if B. Hendrik Herholt had received my letter. Now I will close and greet you with sincere love. Your well-wishing Sister and Daughter, Magdalena Johanna de Wet Widow Pieter Retief Although this woman is heart-broken and destitute in her old age, she still has hope. She wants to plant trees, and for that you need hope, hope to see your dreams come true and the saplings become huge trees. EGGSA. BRONNE: Albertyn, CF: Ensiklopedie van die Wêreld: 1, p.88; 3, p.447, 506; 5, p.70; 6, p.612; 8, p. 452; 10, p. 395 Beyers, CJ: SABW 2, p.601; 4, p.211 Boëseken AJ: Die Nuusbode Carstens, R & Grobbelaar, PW: Vootrekkerlewe Gledhill, E & J: In the Steps of Piet Retief Heese, JA: SAG 2, p. 543; 9, p. 366; 16, p.234 Potgieter, : SESA 5, p. 332; 8, pp. 423, 558; 9, pp. 305/6; 11, p. 291 Preller, GS: Piet Retief Pretorius, F: Geskiedenis van Suid-Afrika van voortye tot vandag Scannell, JP: Afrikaanse Kernensiklopedie Schoon, HF, ed: The Diary of Erasmus Smit Stockenström, E: Die Afrikaanse Vrou Van der Merwe, CP: Die Vrou, 1, p. 421 Venter, C: Die Groot Trek Venter, EA: Ons Geskiedenis Album Visagie, JC: Voortrekkerstamouers 1835 - 1845.

Notas:
Haar man:
Saam met landdrost Stockenstrom vermoor deur Xhosas, Kaap. Vermoed deel van Slagtersnek geskiedenis. Na Jan Christoffel se dood is Magdalena Johanna met trekleier Piet Retief getroud.