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The de Smidt family in South Africa were originally from Middelburg in Zeeland. Forebears were:- Gerhard de Smidt, Commander of the Ten Heyden fortress, 1520-1806, Gilles de Smidt, painted by Adriaan Kay in 1575, with his 7 children. The painting was in the Antwerp Gallery pre-war, as was a painting of Maria de Decker who was married to Gilles, (Second wife) and bore him a daughter, Beatrice. Willem de Smidt was made Baron of Baarland on 22 June 1612. He married Catherine van der Heyden. Their son Leonardus married Sara Immens, and she bore Jacob de Smidt, who married Johanna Kuypers, the mother of Abraham de Smidt, Stamvader of the South African family, born 17 June 1755 in Middelburg. Abraham trained as a seaman and became Chief Lieutenant in 1780. He joined the ship Middelburg and was Mate on the voyage to Batavia, returning to the Cape in 1781. There they were advised that England was at war with the Netherlands and Governor van Plettenberg ordered them to shelter in Saldanha Bay as a British fleet was approaching. Unfortunately a Portugese ship had spotted this and sailed on, advising the British fleet of their plan. The 8 vessels of the VOC fleet, commanded by van Axeland, were found by the British and 7 were captured, but Abraham was aboard Middelburg and saw the danger, and managed to blow her magazine up, sinking her (approximately where the Iron Ore harbour wall is). He escaped to Cape Town, where he married Widow Seigt,(Christine Elsabe Vlok) who died childless in 1788. He then married Sara Maria Muller, daughter of the Burgomaster, and they had 9 sons and 2 daughters. Sara died in 1851, but Abraham lived only to 1809, aged 54.