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.