P H J Morkel and M G Freislich By C. J. (Jak) van den Bergh and André T. Morkel (ATM) My (Jak) grandmother, f3 M. J. L. (Maggie) Morkel (1872 - 1948) married C. E. (Fiets) Brink of Johannesburg in 1896. Ouma (grandma) Maggie is fondly remembered in our family as a stately and gentle lady. She was a superb cook with deep love for family. She was born on a portion of the Morkel farm Die Bos, the daughter of e7 Philip Morkel and Maria Goudrica Freislich, where our story commences. Philip Morkel and Maria Freislich e7 Philip Hendrik Johannes Morkel (1841 - 1910) married Maria Goudrica Freislich (1846 - 1937 ) daughter of Carolus Freislich, postmaster at Franschhoek and Margaretha Jacoba Jurgens. The Morkel family lived on The Lodge, a portion of the old Morkel farm Die Bos, close to The Strand. Oumagrootjie (great grandma) Freislich was loved for her gentle and generous nature. A story in the family refers to her providing food for Leander Starr Jameson who were hiding in the bush at The Lodge. From base in Rhodesia, Jameson led a failed raid seeking to topple President Kruger’s government in the Transvaal in 1895. He was apprehended and delivered to the British Colonial Government for trial and sentencing. He had escaped custody and was hiding near the Strand when Oumagrootjie took pity on him and gave him food. The Transvaal family did not approve. Understandably they had a less benign view of Jameson and horrors of the war that followed bore them out. It is unlikely that Jameson hid in the bush on The Lodge. The farm as well culitvated and the only trees were on the sides of paddocks as windbreaks. It is more likely that Jameson did not meet Maria Freislich by chance, but actively sought out the family for shelter. Their son Carolus was in the Pioneers Column led by Jameson. It was formed by Cecil John Rhodes to establish a colony in Mashonaland, which became South Rhodesia. Jameson would thus have known Carolus and where he came from. Philip and Maria had ten children off whom six reached adulthood. They were f2 Carolus *1870, f3 Margaretha (Maggie) *1872, f4 Philip Hendrik *1874, f5 Michiel Jurgens, f6 Adriaan (Baby) *1890 and f8 Bertie *1887. Oumagrootjie Freislich lived to a ripe old age of 91. After her husband’s death she fell, broke her hip and was confined to a wheelchair for the remainder of her life. Her husband Philip had passed and she went to live with her daughter, ouma Maggie in Ermelo. !1 Philip Hendrik Johannes MORKEL married to Maria Goudrica FREISLICH Family photo Vredehoek, old Smuts farm, now a suburb of Capetown. Home of MG Freislich’s grandmother, Maria Goudrica Smuts !2 a1 Philip MORKEL * 27 Feb 1677 (?) Germany † 12 Apr 1735 xx Catharina PASMAN * 1691 Stellenbosch † 1764 b3 Willem MORKEL * 1718 Overwacht † 1788 xx Helena Catharina MALAN * 1736 Morgenster, †1825 c6 Daniel Johannes MORKEL * 17 Aug 1764 † 15 Aug 1825 xx 5 Sep 1793 Maria Dorothea LOUW * 1775 † 1807 d7 Hendrik Johannes MORKEL * 1798 Onverwacht †1859 xx c5d2e9 Esther Elizabeth MORKEL * Abt.1813 † 31 Dec 1880 e7 Philip Hendrik Johannes MORKEL * 21 Sep 1841 † 18 Jun 1910 x 29 Nov 1866 Maria Goudrica FREISLICH * 1 Mar 1846 † 15 Apr 1937 f1 Hendrik Johannes Louw MORKEL • 2 Sep 1867 † 9 May 1889 (aged 11) f2 Carolus Frederik MORKEL * 1870 †1924 x Bessie Hesketh Rhyley SOUTHALL*1882 f3 Margaretha (Maggie) Jacoba Leonora MORKEL *1872 † 30 Sep 1948 x1896 Cornelis Egbert BRINK f4 Philip Hendrik MORKEL * 4 Dec 1874 d 27 Mar 1912 (aged 37) f5 Michiel Jurgens Freislich MORKEL * 29 Aug 1877 † 6 Feb 1900 during Anglo Boer War (aged 22) f6 Adriaan (Baby) MORKEL * 15 Mar 1880, † 29 Feb 1940 x Jacoba (Polly) Elizabeth DE LA REY f7 Esther Elizabeth MORKEL * 6 May 1884 † 17 Jul 1895 (aged 11) f7 Johannes (Bertie) Gysbertus Borcherds Freislich MORKEL * 10 Sep 1887 † 13 Apr 1953 x Hepsibah Ada CLOTHER * 1901 †1970 f8 Hendrik Johannes Louw MORKEL b: 30 Oct 1890 † 12 Sep 1891 (aged 10 months) P H J and Maria Goudrica MORKEL. ca 1896 PHJ and MG are flanked by sons Carolus and Philip Hendrik Maggie at the back are flanked by Adriaan and Michiel Jurgens (unsure exactly who is who). Bertie lying in front. Family photo !3 Carolus and Phil Morkel f2 Carolus Morkel went to school at Bishops in Cape Town. In December 1888, aged 18 years, went to the Transvaal Goldfields. Two years later he joined the Pioneer Column in 1890. When the first Matabele War broke out in 1892 he was appointed a sergeant, and when the rebellion followed in 1896, rose to commissioned rank. He qualified as a mining engineer and played rugby for the Kimberley Team, including against the first British touring team. During the Anglo-Boer War he joined the Witwatersrand Rifles and became officer in charge of transport, with the rank captain. He was awarded the Queen’s war medal in addition to two Matabele war medals. Carolus thus fought on one side (British) while his younger brother, f5 Michiel Jurgens Morkel (1870 - 1900) joined the Boer forces. Sadly Michiel Jurgens was killed in action at the battle of Tugela River on 8th February 1900 . Carolus Morkel belonged to the original Diggers Football (rugby) Club in Johannesburg in the 1880’s and served on its first committee. He was married to Bessie Southall. At one stage they were neighbours to Fiets and Maggie Brink at Ermelo, on their farm Bescarlands. Carolus and Bessie sent their son, g3 Philip William Morkel *1907, to University to study medicine. Phil however abandoned his studies and became a salesman for Prices Candles. One evening in the pub, he expanded on his dream to start a furniture shop to the person sitting next to him. The man said he would lend him money for his venture and asked what security he could offer. Phil had only his car that he drove with to the pub, to offer. That was accepted and Phil was on his way. He expanded the business into a chain of Phil Morkel shops right around South Africa. He joined with the music retailer R. Muller and the company continued to grow. Eventually it was taken over by Federale Volksbeleggings and the IDC and later other commercial interests took over. It is still trading under the Morkel name. Phil would have been a rare early example of business success at a time when very few of Afrikaner origin were in business. Phil became interested in the family and through his connections with the Cape Archives, he commissioned research into the family history, dating back to Philip Morkel who arrived at the Cape in 1708. He published his book and genealogy of the Morkel family in 1961. The photo shows Phil presenting his book to the Cape Archives. I (ATM) met him at that time and we kept in contact over the years. He encouraged me to continue his research and many years later, in retirement, I carried on where he left off. f2 Carolus Frederik MORKEL *1870 †1924 x 1900 Lusaka, North Rhodesia Bessie Hesketh Rhyley SOUTHALL *1882 g1 Annie Taylor Somerset MORKEL *26 Aug 1901 x 8 Aug 1922 Edward James SHORTEN m: 08 Aug 1922 in Ermelo g2 Maria Mavis MORKEL *28 Jan 1905 x 12 Jan 1946 Rene Alexandre BERTRAND g3 Philip William MORKEL *17 Jun 1907 x 11 Feb 1942 Eva LISSKE *20 Jun 1909 Germany h1 Evan Philip MORKEL *10 Feb 1944 Sea Point h2 Neil Peter MORKEL *21 Oct 1945 Sea Point g4 Carolus Frederik Raymond Hugh MORKEL *1 Oct 1913 † 22 Sep 1929 Stellenbosch g5 Bessie Florence MORKEL * 26 May 1915 Ermelo x 2 Aug 1937 Andrew Robert Douglas McINTOSH !4 Phil Morkel (right) presenting his book to the Cape Archives in 1961. Source: P.W. Morkel Rand Pioneer’s Certificate awarded to Carolus Frederick Morkel. He arrived on the Gold Fields in December Maggie and Fiets Brink f3 Margaretha (Maggie) Jacoba Leonora MORKEL married Cornelis Egbert (Fiets) BRINK in 1896. He was a champion cyclist with many trophies and medals and the family knew him as ‘Fiets’ (bicycle) Brink. Like Maggie, Fiets also grew up in Somerset West. He went to Kimberley and arrived in Johannesburg1886 where he became a dairy farmer. By 1910 they moved to the farm, Waterval near Ermelo, as a dairy and fruit producing farm. Maggie had a lovely gentle nature and was known for cooking and food preparation skills. They had five children: • Jacob Andries (Koekie, Japie) Brink. Obtained MSc Agric at U.S. Died 1 Dec 1924 in accident at Firgrove. • Philip Hendrik Vrede Brink (Vrede (peace). He was born the day after the ABO peace was declared) x Beatrice Rogers. • Maria (Meraai) Goudrika Brink x CW Bezuidenhout. • Johanna (Joey) Helena Brink x J.W. van der Merwe. • Esther (Essie) Leonora Brink x B.J.P. van den Bergh. My (Jak) mother, Esther (Essie) Leonora Brink *1913 married Barend (Berrie) Jacobus Petrus van den Bergh in 1937. Berrie, Voortrekker descended, came from Western Transvaal. They farmed on the farm Zandfontein near Boons. He studied law (BA LLB) at Witwatersrand University and practised as a solicitor (prokureur) in Johannesburg. I (Jak) *1942 studied medicine at Pretoria (MPrax.Med. FCGP(SA)) and was Hospital Superintendent in Rustenburg Transvaal. I am married to Gerda Nel *1948 and we have four children. !5 M J C Brink An older Maggie nee´ Morkel Brink C E (Fiets) Brink Cycling trophy won by Fiets Brink Family photo Family photo My grandmother Maggie f3 Margaretha (Maggie) Jacoba Leonora MORKEL *30 Oct 1872 † 30 Sep 1948 x 28 Sep 1896 Cornelis Egbert (Fiets) BRINK *28 Sep 1864 Somerset West † 2 Jul 1944 Waterval Ermelo My mother Essie Esther Leonora (Essie) BRINK *12 Oct 1913 Ermelo † 29 Mar 1994 x 2 Oct 1937 Barend Jacobus Petrus (Berrie) VAN DEN BERGH.