Slaves at the Slaves Cape at the o you want to explore slave roots – the slave roots o f a com- munity or a family, perhaps your own? Do you want to find Dout about the lives of slaves at the Cape? Are you interested in what we have inherited from the time of slavery – the cultural her- Cape itage of Cape slavery? If so, this book is for you. You don’t need any previous training in research or any special qualifications and it doesn’t matter at all if you never did history at school. This book will guide you through how to begin your research, what sources you can use and where A Guidebook you can look for them. It will also tell you about how many other people – community researchers, historians, archaeologists and genealogists – have discovered stories about slaves. Please display this book in your library or resource centre, museum or tourist information office. Please show it to teachers, ministers, for Beginner librarians, school and university students or anyone else who might want to find out more about the lives of slaves at the Cape. Researchers ISBN 0-62026-641-4 Second Edition 9 780620 266413 Carohn Cornell Thanks This book draws on published research and on conversations with the following people. Thank you to all who contributed information and ideas for this book, and an apology for mistakes and omissions. Mr Ramzie Abrahams, formerly education officer, Old Slave Lodge Mr Stanley John Abrahams, lay preacher and leader, Central Methodist Mission, Cape Town Dr Gabeba Abrahams-Braybrook, archaeologist, Old Slave Lodge This Guidebook was first published in 2000. When we decided to print a second, Ms Elizabeth Adams, writer and family researcher updated edition in 2005 we wanted to keep costs as low as possible. There were Mr Mohammed Adhikari, UCT History Department Ms Amanda Barrett, head of the African Studies Library, UCT many small changes we needed to make – phone numbers, names of contact people Dr Jim Armstrong, historian, Library of Congress and so on – but it’s expensive to make changes on many pages. That is why we have Mr Samuel Baatjes, education officer, Mission Museum put all the changes into one section at the end: Section 12, Updating the information Dr Isaac Balie, curator, Mission Museum, Genadendal Dr Andrew Bank, UWC History Department in this Guidebook. Please refer to the last section of the book for all contact details – Ds David Pieter Botha, formerly head of the SA Sendinggestig Museum ignore the contact details given in the earlier sections which may be out of date. Ms Joey Burger, SA Sendinggestig Museum Mrs Margaret Cairns, genealogist, Cape Town Ms Lucy Campbell, formerly information officer, Groot Constantia Museum Special thanks to Maurits van Bever Donker, Antonia Malan and Nigel Worden for Rev. G.J.Cloete, Moravian minister and archivist, Moravian Church Archive, Heideveld Ms Elinor Damon, Pniel community researcher and guide help with the second edition. Mrs Zainab Pattie Davidson, curator, Heritage Museum, Amlay House, Simon’s Town Mr Garth Erasmus, musician and teacher Dr Sean Field, director, Centre for Popular History, UCT Mr Marius Fortune, photographic section, National Library Ms Marian George, head of the archives repository, Cape Town Archives Dr Muhammed Haron, formerly lecturer in Arabic Studies, UWC Ms Lesley Hart, head, manuscripts and archives, UCT Libraries Dr Hans Heese, archivist, University of Stellenbosch Archives Ms Najwa Hendrickse, acting head of reference and research, National Library Ms Jolanda Hogg, archivist and community outreach officer, Cape Town Archives Mr William Jackson and Mrs Pam Jackson, Vergelegen Dr Shamil Jeppie, UCT History Department To give comments, corrections and ideas for improving the book, contact Carohn Cornell, Mr Michael Jonas, Western Cape Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology Ms Farieda Khan, independent researcher phone 021-7889388 or e-mail [email protected] Dr Chris Loff, archivist, Institute for Historical Research Mr Nazeem Lowe, H.O.D. Education and Public Programmes, IZIKO To order copies of the book, contact Historical Studies Department, University of Cape Town, Mr Makgolo Makgolo, department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism phone 021-6502742, fax 021-6897581 Dr Antonia Malan, Historical Archaeology Research Group, UCT Mr Tizzie Mangiagalli, curator, Swellendam Museum Mr Ebrahiem Dea Malela Manuel, Simonstown community historian First published by the Slavery and Heritage Project, History Department, University of the Professor John Edwin Mason, Corcoran Department of History, University of Virginia Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville 7535, November 2000 Ms Helen Meintjies, researcher Ms Lalou Meltzer, curator, William Fehr Collection Mr Colin Miller, formerly researcher, District Six Museum Sound Archive Second Edition published June 2005 with financial assistance from the TESPC Project funded Ms Laura Mitchell, researcher, University of California through the Consulate General of the Netherlands, Cape Town Ms Lueen Conning Ndlovu, poet and performance artist Dr Susan Newton-King, UWC History Department Ms Shareen Parker, convenor, tourism sub-committee, Unesco Slave Route Project SA Chapter Copyright: Historical Studies Department, UCT Mr Sadeck Ryan, assistant librarian, SA Heritage Resources Agency Professor Robert Shell, Professor Extraordinary of Statistics, UWC You are welcome to reproduce any part of this book for educational purposes on condition: Mr Nazeem Safter, principal deeds controller, Deeds Office • that it is not sold for profit Rev. Luke Stubbs, formerly parish priest, St Philip’s, District Six Professor Abdulkader Tayob, UCT Department of Religious Studies • that the source is acknowledged Mr Mansell Upham, editor, Capensis Mr J.F. van der Merwe, principal archivist, Cape Town Archives Design and DTP by Peter Stuckey Mr Cedric van Dyk, formerly history teacher, Cape Town High Ms Annelie van Wyk, archivist, Cape Town Archives Printed by Hansa Reproprint, Cape Town Mr Patrick van Wyk, manager, Dutch Reformed Church Archives Ms Helene Vollgraaff, professional officer, Old Slave Lodge ISBN 0-62026-641-4 Rev. Michael Weeder, parish priest, St Philips, District Six Ms Sarah Winter, heritage consultant Professor Nigel Worden, UCT History Department Slaves Cape at the Carohn Cornell A Guidebook for Beginner Researchers Starting to read about Cape slavery Echoes of Slavery: Voices from South Africa’s Past Since this Guidebook was written in 2000, a new book has come out which offers a superb introduction to anyone interested in the lives of slaves at the Cape. Echoes of Slavery: Voices from South Africa’s Past by Jackie Loos was published by David Philip in 2004. The fascinating book is a collection of true stories from the second British Occupation of the Cape in 1806 to the proclamation of freedom in 1834. Many of the descriptions in the book first appeared as “The Way We Were”, a popular weekly column in the Cape Argus. The writer chose to concentrate on this period “because it places the least distance between Cape slaves and their modern descendants”. British slavery has been seen as a period of erosion, but the hardship and loss of dignity endured by those in bondage changed little between 1658 and 1834. “Although some of the incidents are well known, others are trivial enough to allow us to catch a glimpse of the everyday realities of the past. Chrisje of the Cape’s horror at the prospect of having her hair cut as a punishment in 1831 is easier to comprehend than the probable state of Valentijn of Madagascar’s mind when he was sold for 80 wagon loads of firewood in 1689.” (Writer’s Preface) Sources: The book draws on many previously untapped primary and secondary sources in the Cape Town Archives and the National Library - contradicting the common impression that apart from the criminal records, very few slave and free black stories survived. “Slaves may have been powerless but they were certainly not silent. Hundreds of illiterate slaves and ex-slaves found ways to address the authorities on subjects of vital interest. Their words – translated into English from the Cape Dutch vernacular and re-worded in accordance with the official phraseology – still throb with barely suppressed indignation, anxiety or remorse. (Back cover of book) CONTENTS 1. Slaves at the Cape 1 2. “Let the forgotten people be heard at last” 4 3. Introducing this book: a guidebook for beginners 5 4. Sources of information about Cape slaves 7 4.1 Oral traditions 4.2 The slave legacy in our culture and surroundings: Language, music, cooking, religious and other customs 4.3 Written/Documentary sources 4.4 Historical archaeology and slave artifacts 5. Starting to read about Cape slavery 15 5.1 The first stage: getting a general idea, getting interested 5.2 The second stage: going into detail 6. Deciding what you want to research 19 6.1 Topics/Questions to research? 6.2 What time and place/community do you want to research? 6.3 Tracing family histories 7. Looking at stories of slaves 25 Living traditions 7.1 Imam Ismail Dea Malela of Pemangong, Sumbawa, first imam of Simon’s Town 7.2 Lydia Williams, emancipated slave, founder member, St Philip’s Church, District Six 7.3 “Ou Naaldje” Dina, emancipated slave Stories from research from the British colonial period 7.4 “Juvenile desperadoes” in Caledon Square, 1829 7.5 Hendrik Albertus and his ex-slave Mey, 1825 Stories from research into the Dutch colonial period 7.6 Dina van Rio de la Goa, runaway slave, 1737 7.7 Rangton of Bali, 1673-1720 7.8 Armosyn Claasz