BETHLEHEM FARM 153 DWARS RIVER VALLEY, DRAKENSTEIN HISTORICAL SURVEY OF ITS OWNERS & THE EARLY FRENCH CONGREGATION JANUARY 2009 VIEW TOWARDS BETHLEHEM FARMYARD (BOSCHENDAL CATALOGUE) Prepared for BOSCHENDAL ESTATE Drakenstein HENNIE VOS Historical Archaeologist and Consultant ARCape Consultancy PO Box 379 Stellenbosch (082-217-0036 Fax 021-889-8956) 2 CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 2 2. GOALS 2 3. DESCRIPTION OF THE FARM 4 4. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: DRAKENSTEIN >1680 4.1 Dutch farmers 1680-1687 12 4.2 Dutch farmers >1687 16 4.3 French farmers >1687-1689 18 4.4 Condition of farmers 1680-1710 21 5. BUILDINGS OF THE PIONEER SETTLERS 5.1 Cape Town 24 5.2 Stellenbosch 24 5.3 French Refugees: Berg river Pioneers 1687-1710 26 5.3.1 Early conditions 26 5.3.2 Labour force 26 5.3.3 Knechten 29 5.4 Structures: Pioneer Period 30 5.4.1 General: Cape & Simondium 30 5.4.2 Bergen Henegouwen (Donkerhoek) 31 5.4.3 Fredericksberg & La Motte 32 5.4.4 Conclusion 35 6. DRAKENSTEIN CONGREGATION 6.1 Farmyard Period 1687-1694 37 6.1.1 Placement of religious worship: Farmyard church 37 6.1.2 Simond versus De Savoye feuds 42 6.1.3 Simond argues for a Church Council 44 6.1.4 Simond offended De Savoye at baptismal ceremony 45 6.1.5 Government positions of Church and State 46 6.1.6 Simond and De Savoye as businessmen 46 6.1.7 Paul Roux: Voorleser and Krankebezoeker 50 6.2 Early burials 1688-1694 55 6.3 Schoolmeesters 1694-1720 55 6.4 Summary Pioneer period within Frontier Model 61 3 7. BETHLEHEM: OWNERS 7.1 Pierre Simond 1688 – 1702 65 7.1.1 Origin and family 65 7.1.2 Allocation of farms 66 7.2 Simond settled at Bethlehem 70 7.2.1 Lodgings and structures 70 7.2.2 Main house: Pastorie 72 7.2.3 Naming of farms 74 7.2.4 Bethlehem 75 7.3 Agricultural activities 76 7.3.1 Free Knechten 76 7.3.2 Mererust (Meerrust) versus Zandvliet 77 7.3.3 Labourers 81 7.4 Church activities 85 7.4.1 General 85 7.4.2 The “Babilons Tooren” Barn-church 1694 85 7.4.3 Simond & the church members 88 7.5 Simond prepares to leave 89 7.6 Sale of properties and possessions 90 7.7 Simond and his descendants overseas 91 7.8 Contribution of Simond 93 8. SECUNDE SAMUEL ELSEVIER 1702 – 1707 8.1 General 95 8.2 Elsenburg and Bethlehem 95 9. CLAAS VAN DE WESTHUIZEN 1707 – 1719 9.1 Background 97 9.2 Farming conditions 99 10. LANDDROST NICOLAAS VAN DEN HEUVEL 1719 – 1735 10.1 Background 102 10.2 Farming conditions 103 11. OLOF DE WET 1735 – 1756 11.1 Family background 104 11.2 Early Zilver-mining exploits >1685 106 11.3 Zilvermine complex >1740 107 11.4 Muller’s marriage and death of spouse 110 11.5 Dissolvement of mining company 111 4 12. EDUARD CHRISTIAAN HAUMAN 1756 – 1758 12.1 Background 112 12.2 Interlude at Bethlehem 113 12.3 Return to Simondium 114 12.4 Character of Eduard Hauman 114 13. HENDRIK C. VAN NIEUWKERKEN 1758 – 1775 13.1 Background 116 13.2 Farming activities 116 14. ANDRIES STEPHANUS DU TOIT 1775 – 1790 118 15. JACOB DANIEL DE VILLIERS 1790 – 1804 15.1 Background 121 15.2 Farming activities 121 16. JOHANNES JOSUA MIN(N)AAR 1804 – 1829 121 17. JACOB HENDRIK DE VILLIERS J.D. son 1829 – 1840 127 18. THE HAUPT OWNERS 1840 – 1886 18.1 Carel Albrecht Haupt jr 1840 – 1853 130 18.2 Petrus Johannes Haupt, Carel’s son 1853 – 1875 133 18.3 Carel Albrecht Haupt, Philip son 1875 – 1878 133 18.4 Anna Carolina Haupt (born Haupt) 1878 – 1886 134 19. LATER INDIVIDUAL FARMERS 1886 – 1950 19.1 Walter Herbert Mills 1886 – 1893 137 19.2 Joseph James Hill 1893 – 1919 137 19.3 Percival Ross Frames, Trustee 1919 – 1950 137 20. FINAL INVESTORS 1950 – 2008 20.1 Bridport Investment Co. (Pty) Ltd 1950 – 1960 139 20.2 From Bridges to Boschendal Estate 1958 – 2003 140 21. SIGNIFICANCE OF BETHLEHEM 141 22. RECOMMENDATIONS 145 23. REFERENCES 146 5 ADDENDA ADD.1 Text of Bethlehem by Fransen & Cook 1965:123. ADD.2 Francois Leguat, 1698 at the Cape (New voyages to the east, 1703) (Raven-Hart II 1971:426-438. Pages copied: 431/2. ADD.3 Paul Roux 1660-1723. SABW III: 1961:743 (A.M. Hugo). ADD.4 Grant of Bethlehem to Petrus Simond 28.3.1696 (SGD 5/1696). ADD.5 Bethlehem Diagram (SGD 5/1696), resurveyed by C.D. Wentzel with his annotated subscript of c.1754 (transcription by A. Crzesinski) (Boschendal Catalogue). ADD.6 Conditions in respect of Pierre Simond’s employment (RPR III: 195/6). ADD.7 Extract from Mentzel’s Description of the Cape in respect to French refugees. (Mentzel 1785, Vol I. Published 1921:66-68). ADD.8 Letter extract of 15.6.1689 by Simond in context of Khoi on his farm (Franken1978:197). ADD.9 Zilvermine c.1688, Zorgvliet (owner J. Mulder) (Kolbe I 1727:118). ADD.10 Zilvermine, Request in 1743 by Olof de Wet (Leibbrandt I 1906:374/5). ADD.11 Bethlehem Inventory 19.8.1777, Johanna M. le Roes. ADD.12 Bethlehem Inventory 18.9.1777, Johanna M. le Roes. ADD.13 Bethlehem: Perpetual Quitrent 6, 12 (SGD 212 / 1822). TABLES TABLE 1 Slaves owned by Petrus Simond 1690-1702 82 TABLE 2 Origin of slaves owned by P. Simond 83 TABLE 3 Owners of Bethlehem, Drakenstein 1690-1840 86 TABLE 4 Tax-returns of owners of Bethlehem, 18th century 96 TABLE 5 Genealogical layout of the early families involved with Bethlehem 100 TABLE 6 Owners of Bethlehem, Drakenstein 1840-2000 129 ABBREVIATIONS RPR - Resolusies van die Politieke Raad SABW - SA Biografiese Woordeboek SABD - SA Biographical Dictionary CA - Cape Archives L&H - Landdrost & Heemrade m - morgen DV&P - De Villiers & Pama ƒ - gulden PS - Pierre (Petrus) Simond Rxd - Rixdaalder DS - De Savoye PQ - Perpetual Quitrent DO - Deeds Office OSF - Old Stellenbosch Freehold T. - Transport SGD - Surveyor General Diagram 6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The farm Bethlehem (1688) is situated in the Bangehoek, Dwars River Valley flood plain, adjacent to Kylemore village, but off the beaten track. Its secluded location has protected it from upscale developments, but its rundown state requires urgent conservation measures. Bethlehem is significant for a number of reasons, ranging from perspectives of historic, spiritual, personality, slavery, Khoi empowerment strategies, and archaeological potential values. Bethlehem is one of the rare Biblical names in the Cape, and the only farm that served as a Pastorie during the French refugee congregation period. Pierre or Petrus Simond (wife & 5 children) was as an exemplary leader and mediator with the authorities, and guided his flock of sheep (and goats) remarkably well during his pastorship (1688 – 1702). Simond’s two publications in the Netherlands (Psalms of David 1700 and a sermon 1697), both sourced to Bethlehem, are the earliest published SA literature (early 1700). Simondium village and school are the only reminders of his heritage today. The Barn-church at Simondium was the centre of gravity for all the French settlers for more than two decades (1694-1716). When the church and its activities moved to Paarl, Bethlehem was spiritually side-tracked to obscurity. Bethlehem is the only farm of 60 morgen that was partitioned in 3 oblong strips of land, cultivated primarily by two French free-servants (knechten) with Simond sharing in one third of the crop profits. No other farm in Drakenstein or Stellenbosch exhibits these characteristics (see Ch. 7.8, p.93: Contribution of Simond). Bethlehem is the only farm with a building erected by the VOC, the other structures built by its successive owners since 1688. Two racial issues are of particular relevance, viz. the practice of bought labour (slavery), in contrast to the wage employment of the free Khoi. Bethlehem, on the borderline of civilization, was actually the focal point of land rights that were not utilized and an opportunity that slipped by the Khoi in the late 17th century. Various well-known personalities followed after Simond, e.g. the Company official, Secunde Samuel Elsevier of Elsenburg, and ex-landdrost Nicholaas van den Heuvel, managed the cereal and vine farm between 1702 and 1719. Olof de Wet, owner for 20 years, was responsible for the Zilver mining operations and Director of the Cape’s worst financial fiasco, fleecing its highest officials during the 1740s. Afterwards, Bethlehem was owned by some rich men, but high mortgages and the economic slump of the 19th century brought the farm a few times to bankruptcy. During the 1950s speculative subdivisions into 15 Portions came to naught and by 1958 Rhodes Fruit Farms obtained the properties. Since then the farm has never really played a significant role in any way (see Ch.21, p.141: Significance of Bethlehem). The heritage value of the farmyard, the conservation of its 8 buildings and the archaeological potential of the scattered ruins need to be seriously considered and addressed. Bethlehem could become integrated into various tourist related issues of today (see Ch.22, p.145: Recommendations). 7 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my appreciation to the following for assisting with material, without which this report would be much poorer in content. 1. Sara Winter of Bauman & Winter Consultants. 2. Consultant Sally Titlestad for access to the Boschendal Estate Catalogue of historical images and evidence (2008). 3. Consultant Mariane Gertenbach for select photographs and material. 4. Franschhoek Museum for genealogical information.