Mattheus Gerhardus Willemse

Marriage to Cornelia Steyn

Hermanus STEYN: President van die Onafhanklike Republiek van Swellendam

a) Hermanus STEYN was born on the farm Bruintjiesrivier of his father, Hermanus STEYN d'Oude
Bruintjiesrivier - South Africa.

b) When he was about nine years old, the family moved to the farm Doornfontein adjacent to the
Sondagsrivier.

c) For fifteen years they lived there, facing the rigours of living to the east of the Cape.

d) In 1789 he return back to the Cape and settled on the farm Jan Harmansgat. Jan Harmsgat is between
Ashton and Swellendam

e) In addition to farming, he also did some Trustee work and sat on the District Council of Swellendam.

f) Hermanus Steyn lies buried on the farm, Jan Harmsgat, in a small plot marked by a granite gravestone.

g) Jan Harmsgat:-

Today Jan Harmsgat is a country house on the outskirts of Swellendam. The house was originally slave quarters. Lady Anne Barnard stayed there and wrote in her diary about Jan Harman’s schat (treasure). Johannes Harman Jansz Potgieter was born.in 1674 on a farm near the Langeberg Mountains. He was married in 1714, and the farm appears on the grant of 1723 as Jan Harmansz Schat (treasure). He was gored to death by a buffalo and later found in an aardvark hole.

In 1731 the grazing rights were granted to Jacobus Botha, a well-known hunter whose career was brought to an end a few years later, when he shot a lion, and the lioness (which he had not seen) attacked and mauled him. He recovered but was not able to hunt again, and in 1734 Governor de la Fontaine made a freehold grant to him, for services rendered, of the farm Jan Harmans Gat which he was then occupying. The farm was described as "vier uur te perd van die dorp Swellendam". Botha lived to the age of 90, dying in 1782, and his 12 sons gave him 190 grandchildren.

In 1789 the farm was owned by Hermanus Steyn de Jonge. In 1765 he married the widow Margaretha van Staden. In addition to farming, he also sat on the District Council of Swellendam. In 1795 the farmers rebelled against the Dutch and declared themselves independent of the Cape Government. Hermanus Steyn was chosen as the president of the new Republic of Swellendam, which lasted for 3 months before the British assumed control of the Cape Colony. He is buried on the farm in a small plot marked by a granite gravestone.

F.J.van Eeden, a member of the Legislature and grandson of Gideon van Zyl, inherited the farm and changed the name to Nooitgedacht. One day, while in a Legislature meetig, he became so angry about a proposed excise duty, that he had all the vineyards cut down, and planted orange trees in their place. Four giant old orange trees which had been planted by Hermanus Steyn, produced wagon loads of oranges for 150 years, but were then cut down by van Eeden, and 5 dozen orangewood chairs made from the timber.

In 1988, Judi Rebstein (maiden name van Eeden) came across the dilapidated farm and recognised it from old photographs as the farm once owned by her great-great-grandmother. After working in theatre and film production, Judi settled at Jan Harmsgat with her husband Brin. They restored the old slave quarters and the old wine cellar. The wine cellar contains the old wine tank where Hermanus Steyn once made wine enjoyed by the Swellendam rebels.

h. Hermanus STEYN and the Swellendam Republic:

Du Plessis was further informed that Mr. Faure would be sent back as landdrost and that the past acts of the nationals would be buried in oblivion if they would submit to the British authorities. This mode of proceeding had the desired effect.

Mr. Faure called a special meeting of the heemraden for the 4th of November and invited the members of the national assembly to be present. The heemraden Hillegard Mulder(Voorouer Ds. MG Müller), Pieter Pienaar, Pieter du Pre and Hermanus Steyn—the last named the landdrost under the nationals and the members of the national assembly, Jacobus Steyn, Ernst du Toit, and Anthonie van Yollenhoven, attended. Mr. Faure read the instructions which he had received, when all who were present gave in their submission, and took the oath required by the British commanders. Mr. Steyn transferred the drostdy, and thereafter took his seat with the heemraden.

A few months later a man of marked ability, named Andries Stockenstrom was appointed secretary of the district of Swellendam. He was by birth a Swede, but had entered the Dutch East India Company’s service, and in 1786 became a clerk in an office in Cape Town. The great difference between the ideas of those days and our own is exemplified by this man—who in later years was known as a philanthropist—having been for some time employed as the supercargo of a vessel engaged in transporting slaves from Madagascar to the Cape. It was he who purchased the negroes and collected them together for embarkation. But only a century ago it was regarded rather as a meritorious than as a sinful act to remove savages to a country where they would be within the influence of Christianity.

Stockenstrom was next appointed bookkeeper of the naval establishment, and performed the duties of that office until the surrender of the colony. In March 1796 he was selected by General Craig to fill the post of secretary of Swellendam. The oath which was required to be taken by all the officials and generally by the burghers of the Cape, Stellenbosch and Swellendam districts was the following: “I swear to be true and faithful to his Majesty George the third, by God’s grace king of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, defender of the faith, for so long a time as his Majesty shall remain in possession of this colony.”

i. History:

i. The first republic in the country’s history, was declared at Swellendam during 1795. ii. In those days, the Overberg was very thinly populated. The Dutch East India Company (DEIC) ruled the Cape and had outposts, commandos, and magistrates in various places. iii. They agreed to buy the farmers’ grain at a fixed price for fifteen years. iv. When the DEIC introduced toll gates and taxes, farmers struggled, and to increase their distress, the DEIC grain stores were closed to farmers. v. The unsafe situation for farmers on the eastern border with the Xhosa tribes, as well as mismanagement and economic suppression by the DEIC, caused the pot to boil over. vi. While the court at Swellendam was in session on 17 June 1795, nine armed men appeared and ordered the heemraad (council) to leave the Drostdy court building. vii. Officials were dismissed and DEIC rule rejected. An independent republic was declared with a National Assembly and Hermanus Steyn as president. viii. It was a momentous event, but within no time, they were called on to assist in a battle against a British army attacking the Cape. The republicans refused initially, but a commando of 70 soon left for the Cape. ix. This first Republican commando left for Muizenberg in the Cape and fought well. x. It was however an uneven fight which ended on 4 November 1795 when the British occupied the Cape. xi. British rulers tried everything to appease the Swellendam people. No more taxes were imposed and after a short 4½ months the Swellendam Republic was ended. xii. It took quite a while until peace reigned in the Swellendam district. xiii. The two leaders of the revolt, Delport and Pisani were arrested and deported to Holland. xiv. In 1776 is hy tot heemraad van Swellendam verkies en het die boere van die oosgrens in die hoedanigheid verteenwoordig. I xv. n 1789 het hy egter na Swellendam teruggekeer waar hy sy boerdery op die plaas Janharmansgat (tans Nooitgedacht) voortgesit en saam met die boere van die omgewing finansieel moeilike tye beleef het vanweë die besuinigingsmaatreëls van die bankrot VOC. xvi. Die militêre poste in die distrik is onder meer afgeskaf en die koring depot op Mosselbaai gesluit. xvii. Die boere het landdros A.A. Faure en sy amptenare as die sondebokke uitgesonder in in Junie 1795 het die uitbarsting gekom. xviii. Burgers, veral van die oosgrens, het onder leiding van P.J. Delport en A.L.A. Pisany opgeruk na die drosdy, waar die hof van landdros en heemrade op 17 Junie sou vergader. xix. By die vergadering (wat nie deur Hermanus bygewoon is nie) is 'n brief van goewerneur A. J. Sluysken waarin die burgers gemaan is om niks met die ekstremiste van die oosgrens te doen te hê nie, behandel. xx. Net voor die vergadering sou verdaag, het Paul Fouché met agt gewapende mans die vertrek binnegekom en die lede van die 'collegie' beveel om Swellendam nie te verlaat voordat die klagtes van die ontevredenes aangehoor is nie. xxi. Faure het ingestem en 'n vergadering vir 18 Junie belê ten einde die klagtes van die burgers aan te hoor. By hierdie vergadering was Hermanus wel teenwoordig. Die segsmanne van die opstandige burgers het geëis dat Faure en sy apmptnare hul betrekkings moet neerlê en dat alle dokumente, registers en geld aan Hermanus, wat tot 'praesident' dit wil sê voorsiteer van die nuwe 'collegie' (die Nasionale Vergadering) en 'nasionale landdros' gekies is, oorhandig moet word. xxii. Nuwe heemrade is ook aangestel, aangesien die oues hulle nie by die nuwe bedeling wou inskakel nie, en op 17 Julie het die nuwe liggaam onder Hermanus vergader. xxiii. Die vernaamste taak was om 'n manifes op te stel. Die dokument wat deur die Italiaan Pisany opgestel is en waarvan Hermanus die hoofondertekenaar was, getuig volgens G.D. Scholtz van die 'besonder klein geestelike wêreld' van die opstellers en dat hul 'politieke denke nie verder (gegaan het) as hul daaglikse boerderybedrywighede nie'. xxiv. Uit hierdie en daaropvolgende gebeurtenisse blyk dat Hermanus geen sterk figuur was nie en eintlik maar net as die gewillige houtpop van die opstandelinge opgetree het. Sy vader was egter 'n gesiene heemraad. xxv. Hierdie gebeure in Swellendam het met die eerste aanval van die Britte op die Kaap in 1795 saamgeval en ofskoon die rebelle teen die bewind van die VOC was, het Delport met sewentig Swellendammers vertrek om die Kaap te help verdedig. Skaars het hulle Swellendam verlaat, of Pisany het sy kans waargeneem en homself as kommandant aangestel terwyk Hermanus die nuwe wending van sake maar gelate aanvaar het. xxvi. Na die oorgawe van die Kaap op 16.9.1795 het Hermanus hom aan die nuwe bewind onderwerp en sy kantoor aan Faure wat deur die Britte as landdros herbenoem is, oorhandig. Hy het die daaropvolgende vergadering wat op 4.11.1795 deur Faure belê is, bygewoon en voor die afsluiting die eed van getrouheid aan koning George III afgelê. Hiermee het hy uit die openbare lewe getree. xxvii. British rulers tried everything to appease the Swellendam people. xxviii. No more taxes were imposed and after a short 4½ months the Swellendam Republic was ended. xxix. It took quite a while until peace reigned in the Swellendam district. xxx. The two leaders of the revolt, Delport and Pisani were arrested and deported to Holland

Gebeurtenisse:

Douw Gerbrand Willemse se Familie Agtergrond:

                                                        Harmen Jansz Potgieter, SV/PROG x Beeltjie (Isabella) Fredericks

                                                                              V                            V .         .                                Jacobus Steyn x Maria Potgieter    Hans Jurgen Potgieter x Cornelia Botha  

                                .         ‘                                                         Se agterkleinseun was                     .      .                                                          .                                                                                                    Kommandant Generaaal Andries Hendrik Potgieter 

V V . . Hermanus d'Oude Steyn (Neef x Niggie) Martha Potgieter . . Hermanus d'Oude was the father of . . President Hermanus Steyn (Hermanus d'Jonge) . . of the Swellendamse Republiek. . He was also the 2nd Great Grand Father of . . . President Paul Kruger, . . as well as the Great Granduncle of . . President M T Steyn.
V Mattheus "Willemsen de ouden" Gerhardus Willemse x Cornelia Steyn-Broer-Hermanus d' Jonge Steyn, . Staatspresident Onafhanklike Republiek Swellendam

                         v Douw Gerbrand Willemse x Jacoba Margaretha Lourens

                        V Matthys Johannes Willemse x Geertruide Johanna Gildenhuys

                        V Jan Christiaan Willemse x Catharina Petronella Munnik

                        V  Anna Margaretha Willemze x Matthys Gerhardus Otto 

                        V 

Catharina Petronella Johanna Otto x Daniël Benjamin Müller

                     V Ds. Matthys Gerhardus Müller