Pieter Bekker, SV/PROG

(from Königsberg, Prussia)

Daar bestaan enige verwarring oor die herkoms plek van Peter Becker. Tydens sy aanstelling as soldaat by die VOC word vermeld dat hy uit Deventer (Nederland) gekom het.

BECKER Pieter - van Deventer, soldaat, 1694 Source: Nationaal Archief: VOC Volume: 1.04.02 (VOC 1602-1811), Inventarisnummer: 5414, Folio: 151

Later word vermeld dat hy van Königsberg gekom het. Sou interessant wees om te weet of tydens sy aanstelling in die Kaap 1695 'n geboorteplek aangegee word. Hierdie dokument moet nog beoordeel word: KAB, CJ, 2872 Ref 59, Pieter Bekker. Soldaat. Kontrakte 1695.

Tydens sy vonnis in 1701 word hy wel von Koningsberg afkomstig bestempel: KAB, CJ, 781, Ref. 21, Bekker, Pieter. Van Coningbergen. Vonnis. 1701

Page 3 “Genealogical Institute of SA, Stellenbosch, 2011 SAF CD v3”

Pieter BEKKER is in circa 1673 gebore. Hy was van Köningsberg en land aan die Kaap in 1695. Hy trou met Johanna DE KLERK/Jannetie DE CLERCQ, die weduwee van Andries Gous. Aangesien Johanna baie kort na Gous se dood met Bekker getrou het, het 'n storie die rondte gedoen dat Bekker vir Gous vermoor het, maar dit is nooit bewys nie. Johanna was die suster van Abraham de Klerk en die dogter van Pieter le Clercq en Sara Cochet.

Cape Muster Roll of 1713

http://www.eggsa.org/sarecords/index.php/muster-rolls/cape-archives...

Page 278

Johanna de Clercq, wede. Pieter Bekker

http://www.stamouers.com===

"In 1702 kry Hercule en Francois du Pré en Pieter Becker dit met hom (Daniel Hugot) aan die stok. Daar het rusie ontstaan oor 'n Hottentotskraal naby sy wingerd en skade verrig deur die vee. Dit loop uit op "slaagen" hom toegedien deur Becker." In J.L.M. Franken, Die Hugenote aan die Kaap (Argiefjaarboek van Suid-Afrikaanse Geskiedenis, 1978) p. 165.

In 1701 word Pieter na Mauritius verban omdat hy Jan Stevensz Botma aangerand het. Voordat hy weggestuur is, vlug hy die binneland in. Hy moes redelik naby aan sy huis geskuil het, want sy vrou het gereeld kinders van hom gehad.

In 1710 word hy vir die uiters wrede mishandeling van sy slavin, Maria van Ceylon, gevang. Maria word net na die Paastyd vir drie dae lank deur Pieter en sy vrou, Johanna, gemartel "om het niet wel schoon maken van een pan". Op die eerste dag is Maria op 'n leer vasgebind en vir ure lank met 'n kweperlat geslaan. Die aand het Bekker, sy vrou en sy kneg, Matthijs Craal, kaart gespeel en saam wyn gedrink. Daarna het Bekker sy degen uitgehaal, dit op die tafel neergesit en aan Maria gesê: "Ik moet mijn plaisier nogh wat met jou nemen". Hierna het hy met elke teug wyn wat hy geneem het, haar terselfdertyd met die degen 'n hou op haar lyf gegee.

Nadat haar liggaam met 'n mengsel van uriene en sout gewas is, is sy gedwing om vuur in die vuurherd te maak. Daarna het Bekker 'n waketting, waaraan 'n stuk houtblok was, om haar nek gedraai. Die res van die ketting is styf om haar lyf vasgetrek en die punt is aan die ketting wat in die vuurherd gehang het, geheg. Die hitte het later so intens geword dat "als de baas en de Hottentot (waarskynlik die Khoi, Jochem) haar't lighaam waschte een stuk vleijs van haar bil [boud] afviel". Maria het die stuk vleis opgetel, waarop Johanna aan haar gevra het: "Wat wil je daar me[e] doen? Kom, vreet het nu". Maria is hierna gedwing om 'n lang ruk daaraan te kou en toe dit na Johanna se mening lank genoeg geduur het, het sy vir Maria beveel om dit in die vuur te spuug. Hierna het die Hottentot op bevel van Bekker 'n tang geneem, en verdere stukkies vleis wat los gehang het, van haar liggaam afgetrek. Die res van Maria se verklaring sal liewer nie hier aangehaal word nie.

Op die tweede dag is sy vir twee uur lank om die beurt deur Becker, sy vrou, die kneg en die Khoi, Jochem, gegesel. Op die derde dag vir nog 'n kwartuur lank. (Later het Bekker beweer dat die mengsel waarmee sy gewas was, as 'n genesingsmiddel bedoel was). Bekker het gereken dat hy alle mag oor Maria gehad het, en het hy haar selfs na haar verskriklike ondervinding, saam met hom na 'n ander boer geneem. Daar aangekom "kon zij nauwelijks lopen, stond bevend met gebogen knieën en stonk zo erg dat 'sij na oogenschijn haast de waereld soude moeten verlaten". Gelukkig het Bekker se mede-vryburgers nie met hierdie verfoeilike dade verlief geneem nie, en nadat dit onder die aandag van die landdros gebring is, is Bekker voor die Raad van Justitie gedaag. As vonnis word Bekker 'n straf vir 'n periode van vier jaar dwangarbeid in kettings op Robbeneiland opgelê. Na die verstryking van die vonnis, is hy as verdere straf uit die Kaapse vestigingingskolonie verban.

In 1715, terug van Robbeneiland, daag Pieter Bekker sy vrou, Jannetie de Clerq, voor die Raad van Justitie. Hy beskuldig haar daarvan dat sy in sy afwesigheid (hoewel hy intieme besoeke van haar op die eiland ontvang het) in owerspel met die korporaal van die Land van Waveren geleef het, en dat sy selfs 'n kind van hom gehad het. Aangesien Johanna boonop nie saam met hom na Europa wou gaan nie, het Bekker die ontbinding van hulle huwelik ge-eis. Johanna het nie die eis teengestaan nie, en die huwelik is deur die Raad van Justitie ontbind. So eenvoudig was die uitslag van die saak egter ook nie. Bekker kry toestemming om weer in die huwelik te tree, en Johanna (as gevolg van haar owerspel) ontvang 'n swaar boete van 100 Rijksdaalders, en word boonop gelas om al Bekker se goedere wat sy in haar besit gehad het, aan hom terug te gee.

Hierop verlaat Bekker die Kaap om sy vonnis as banneling uit te dien, maar dit wil voorkom asof hy ook hiervoor raad gehad het. Hy sluit as 'n soldaat by die VOC aan, en in 1717 bevind hy hom weer aan die Kaap. Hy word egter binne die eerste jaar in hegtenis geneem en na Robbeneiland verban.

Sy gewese vrou ontvang in 1731 die plaas, Straatskerk, over Roodesand.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Pieter Bekker was born about 1673. He was from Köningsberg and landed at the Cape in 1695. He married Johanna de Klerk / Jannetie De Clercq, the widow of Andries Gous. As Johanna married Gous very soon after the death of Bekker, it was rumoured that Bekker murdered Gous, but it was never proven. Johanna was the sister of Abraham de Klerk and the daughter of Peter le Clercq and Sara Cochet.

"In 1702 and get Hercule Francois du Pré and Peter Becker with him (Daniel Hugot) to the pole. A quarrel arose over a Hottentotskraal near his vineyard and damage done by livestock. This leads to" slaagen "he applied by Becker. " In J.L.M. Franks, the Huguenots to the Cape (Archives Yearbook of South African History, 1978) p. 165.

In 1701 Pieter Bekker was banished to Mauritius because he assaulted Jan Stevensz Botma. Before he was sent away, he fled into the interior. He was hiding pretty close to home as his wife had children by him during this time.

In 1710 he was arrested for brutally abusing his maid, Mary of Ceylon. Mary was tortured for three days by Peter and his wife, Johanna, just after Easter for not cleaning a pan well. On the first day Mary was tied to a ladder for hours and beaten with a kweperlat. That evening Bekker, his wife and his servant, Matthijs Craal, played card games and drank wine together. Bekker took his sword out and put it on the kitchen table and said to Mary: "Ik moet mijn plaisier nogh wat met jou nemen." Then he hit her with the sword with each sip of wine he took.

After her body was washed with a mixture of urine and salt, she was forced to make a fire in the fireplace. Bekker wrapped a "waketting" to which a piece of wood block was attached, around her neck. The rest of the chain was wrapped tightly around her body and the end of the chain was hung in the fireplace. The heat later became so intense that "als de baas en de Hottentot (waarskynlik die Khoi, Jochem) haar't lighaam waschte een stuk vleijs van haar bil [boud] afviel". Maria picked up the piece of meat, and Johanna asked her, "What would you have me do? Come, eat it now." Maria was then forced to chew it for a long time and then when it was considered by Johanna to have lasted long enough, she ordered Maria to spit it into the fire. Then the Hottentot on the orders of Bekker on took some pliers and tore off loose pieces of meat that hung from her body. The rest of Maria's statement would rather not be quoted here.

On the second day she was flogged for two hours in turn by Becker, his wife, the servant and the Khoi, Jochem, and on the third day for another quarter hour. (Later, Bekker argued that the mixture that she was washed with was intended to be a healing balm). Bekker believed that he had sole rights over Maria and he took her after her terrible experience to another farmer. When they arrived "kon zij nauwelijks lopen, stond bevend met gebogen knieën en stonk zo erg dat 'sij na oogenschijn haast de waereld soude moeten verlaten". Fortunately Bekker's fellow freemen did not support these heinous actions, and after they were brought to the attention of the magistrate Bekker was summoned to the Judicial Council. The judgment was that Bekker served four years hard labor in chains on Robben Island. At the end of the sentence, he was banned from the Cape as further punishment.

In 1715, when he returned from Robben Island, Pieter Bekker challenged his wife, Jannetie Clerq before the Council of Justice, accusing her of being in an adulterous relationship with the corporal of the Land of Waveren in his absence (although he had intimate visits from her on the island) and that she had a child by him. As Johanna would not go with him to Europe, Bekker demanded a dissolution of their marriage. Johanna did not oppose the charge, and the marriage was dissolved by the Judicial Council. So eenvoudig was die uitslag van die saak egter ook nie. Bekker kry toestemming om weer in die huwelik te tree, en Johanna (as gevolg van haar owerspel) ontvang 'n swaar boete van 100 Rijksdaalders, en word boonop gelas om al Bekker se goedere wat sy in haar besit gehad het, aan hom terug te gee.

Upon this Bekker left the Cape to serve his sentence of exile, but he joined the VOC as a soldier, and in 1717 was again at the Cape. He was arrested in the first year and banished to Robben Island.

His ex-wife received the farm Straatskerk, Roodesand in 1731.

Becker joins the VOC again on the 19 Jan 1717. He sails on board the Ship Loosdrecht which departed on the same day. He is a sailor on this ship. The ship arrives in Cape Town on the 20th June 1717.

http://vocopvarenden.nationaalarchief.nl/detail.aspx?ID=1404041

Alternative search: http://www.gahetna.nl/collectie/index/nt00444/d8b1d38c-c864-11e6-9d...

Detailgegevens
Gegevens van Pieter Beeke uit Coningsberge
Datum indiensttreding: 19-01-1717 Datum uit dienst: 25-08-1745 Functie bij indiensttreding: Matroos Reden uit dienst: Overleden Uitgevaren met het schip: Loosdrecht Waar uit dienst: Azie Maandbrief: Nee Schuldbrief: Ja

Gegevens van de vaart Schip: Loosdrecht Vertrek: 19-01-1717 Kamer: Amsterdam Kaap: 20-06-1717 11-08-1717 Inventarisnummer: 5695 Folio: 44 Aankomst: 27-10-1717 Ceylon DAS- en reisnr.: 2295.2

Ook Peter Becker

Emigration: as soldier, 1695, Konigsberg, Germany.

Died: Between 1742 and 1747, Robben Island, Cape Town

http://www.mypeoplepuzzle.co.za/cornel_viljoen_research/3804.htm

Arrived at the Cape from Texel on board the Voetboog on 16 April 1695 Ernst Friedrich Walter hired Pieter Becker from the Company on 13 July 1695 to work on his farm Lubeck, Simondium, Drakenstein, at a rate of ƒ10 per month of which Becker received ƒ5.5 along with his food, drink and accommodation. ƒ4.5 went to the Company.

Pieter Becker became a burgher on 18 May 1697 after serving as a soldier, and other employement, of the VOC. Unlike the Huguenot refugees, who were brought to the Cape specifically to farm, and were burghers from the time of their arrival.

On 26 February 1698 André Gauch was murdered at his homestead, most likely in the Drakenstein district. He was struck three mortal blows to the head. The murderer was never officially identified, but circumstantial evidence suggests that Pieter Becker may have been responsible. He later married André Gauch' widow, Jannetje de Clercq.

Pieter Becker was to be banished to Mauritius in terms of a sentence passed by the Council of Justice on 10 November 1701 for assaulting the cornet of the burgher-dragoons, Jan Stevensz Botma de Jonge. On 1 October 1701 Pieter Becker refused to fall in under the cornet of the burgher-dragoons at Drakenstein. Olof Bergh, the Captain, struck him with a cane, and Bekker then threatened to behead Bergh with his sword; he followed this threat by firing at the tent causing sand to fly into it. On 10 November 1701 at de Caep de Goede Hoop Pieter Becker was convicted on a range of charges following the events the previous month. He was sentenced to ten years banishment in Mauritius and ordered detained on Robben Island until he could be shipped there.

This was detailed in a letter, from Willem Adriaan van der Stel and the Council of Policy to Roelof Diodati Commander for Mauritius and his council, dated 16 June 1702. However, Becker escaped before he could be shipped to Mauritius. 

Before 25 April 1710 Pieter Becker brutally assaulted his slave Maria van Ceylon over a period of three days.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Becker-1317#_note-text-305

• Reference: WikiTree Genealogy - SmartCopy: May 28 2021, 17:16:36 UTC