*
This essay is based on the thesis by Anna Maria Rugarli,
"Slavery at the Cape Colony from Acquisition to the
Process of Creolization, c. 1790-1830", presented at the
Faculty of Political Sciences of the Universita' degli
Studi, Milan, Italy on November 18th, 1998. The
supervisor was Prof. Itala Vivan, and the discussant
Prof. Maurizio Antonioli. For a background on slavery and
the process of creolization at the Cape of Good Hope
Colony, please see the previous issues of Culture
(1999: 75-96) and (2000: 115-131).
1 This did not mean that slave trade ceased but
rather that slaves were obtained through different
(illegal) means.
2 Previously only slaves belonging to the
Vereenigde Oost-IndischeCompagnie (VOC, the Ducth East
India Company) were registered. The VOC started the Cape
colony and had rights on its management, including the
acquisition of slaves.
3 Prize Negroes were individuals captured and
seized by the British after the abolition of the slave
trade (by the British only) in 1808. Destined to be
slaves, Prize Negroes were captured either on French or
Portuguese vessels and then apprenticed for fourteen
years. Usually from Mozambique, they ended up staying at
the Cape and mix with the local slave
population.
4 In 1828 the Office of Registrar and Guardian of
Slaves was divided into two separate bodies, each
responsible for a particular province and with its own
Guardian of Slaves. In 1831 the Registrars and Guardians
of Slaves were replaced by two Protector of
Slaves.
5 The Guardian of Slaves forwarded five cases to
the Court of Justice, urging its intervention in support
of the women. See CA, SO Book of Complaints 4/2 nr. 11
and 50, 52, 71, and 97.
6 CA, SO 4/2, cases nr. 9 (18th August 1826), 10
(18th August 1826), 15 (23rd August 1826), 52 (18th
January 1827), 71 (8th May 1827), and 117 (10th December
1827).
7 CA, SO 4/2, cases nr. 11 (19th August 1826), 50
(8th January 1827), and 97 (9th Octpber
1927).
9 CA, SO respectively 4/5 (1826-1827), 5/1
(1826-1829), and 2/11 (1826-1830).
10 CA, SO 4/2, respectively cases nr. 9, 10, 15,
52, 71 and 117.
11 Respectively CA, SO 6/28, Register for Cape
Town and Simonstown district, R., f.158,
1816-1833 SO 6/22,
Cape Town and Simonstown, H., f. 101,
1816-1834 SO 6/13,
Cape Town and Simonstown, B., f. 100,
1816-1834 SO 6/15,
Cape Town and Simonstown, C., f. 6,
1816-1834 SO 6/34,
Cape Town and Simonstown, W., f. 66,
1826-1834 SO 6/26,
Cape Town and Simonstown, N., f. 9,
1816-1834
12 CA, SO 4/2, nr. 9. Fredrica was registered as
the property of Johan Philip Reinhardt in SO 6/28,
ibidem. She was a housemaid born in the Cape
Colony and had been registered on the 23rd November 1824
when she was about thirty-two years.
16 CA, SO 4/2, nr. 10. Janna was registered on the
19th May 1825 as the property of Stephanus Johannes
Hofmeyr Jan's son (minor) in SO 6/22. She was a housemaid
of about fifty-three and 1/3 years and she was born in
Bengal.
17 Mr van Balen was an officer living in the
Castle, the first fort built by the Dutch when the Colony
was established in 1652.
18 CA, SO 6/22, widow of the late Johannes
Mattheus Hertzog born Verwey.
20 CA, SO 4/2 case nr.15. Lucy was registered in
SO 6/13 and belonged to Petrus Michiel Brink C.'s son.
She was a washmaid/sempstress born in Malabar, and was
forty-three and 1/4 year (at the time she was registered
in 1824). Marie's
owner was Gerardus Johannes Hendricus Croeser, and
registered her on the 17th May 1816 in SO 6/17 when she
was fifty. She was a servant maid born in
Ceylon. Betje
and Grietje were respectively owned by Johannes Hendrik
Hurter, CA, SO 6/43 (1822-1833), H., folio 26, Cradock
district. He registered Betje, born in the Cape Colony,
on the 12th July 1825 when she was already about
seventeen and 3/4 years of age; and by Johannes Wilhelmus
Wessels, Jan's son, SO 6/121, W., folio 38, Swellendam
district. Grietje, also born in the Cape Colony, had been
registered on the 22nd January 1821 when she was about
twelve.
26 CA, SO 4/2 case nr. 71, 8th May 1827. Mina was
registered as the property of Fredrik Wilhelm in S0 6/34.
Born in Batavia, Mina was about tewnty-nine when
registered on the 5th June 1820 as a
laundress.
28 CA, SO Letter Book 2/11, p. 98 case nr. 97, 2nd
June 1827 and p. 185, case nr.206, 22nd December
1827.
29 CA, SO 4/2 case nr. 117, 10th December 1827.
Marietje was registered as a housemaid belonging to Maria
Elisabeth Nothling in SO 6/26. She was born in Ceylon and
was registered when about thirty-seven years old on the
16th June 1816.
31 CA, SO 4/2 p. 218, case nr. 117: "That the
captain being about to leave gave appearer (Jansen) his
hand, & whilst holding it appearer asked him "Well
captain how is it in respect to Marietje, is she now
free?". To which he answered "Yes Master do not trouble
yourself any more about it. She is free".
32 CA, SO 4/2 p. 218: "whilst captn van Wymeren
was here she was daily with him".
33 As it has already been asserted, the variegated
and mixed slave population of the Cape Colony consisted
mostly of individuals imported from Madagascar, India,
East Indies, the East African coast, and eventually from
Mozambique.
34 Though this is also true of other imported
slaves, for instance those brought to the Cape in the
1790s, the last main period of slave imports, and those
illegally imported after 1808.
35 CA, SO 4/2 cases nr. 11 Samila (or Samida, 19th
August 1826) and nr.50 Caatje (8th January 1827). For the
above mentioned reasons it will be treated in particular
Caatje's case.
37 CA, SO 4/2 case nr. 11 and 50. Respectively
Samila was owned by the widow of Jacob van der Merwe,
Hendrik's son, SO 6/94 (1816-1835), M., folio 13,
district of Stellenbosch. She was born in Bengal and was
a housemaid of about forty-seven and 1/4 years when
registered on the 7th July 1819. Caatje was registered as
property of the widow Andries Willem Beck, (and since the
4th October 1821 his widow Maria Cecilia van der Merwe)
SO 6/13 (1816-1834), B., folio 40, Cape Town and
Simonstown district. She was registered on the 16th June
1816 when about forty as a housemaid born in
Ceylon. The
vessel was the Hof ter Linde, captained by one
Pylhard.
40 Adolph probably remembered just the sound of
the man's surname as Marthese, but from here onwards his
name has been spelled as Matthezer in
documents.
41 CA, SO 4/5 case nr. 50, p. 73, 12th January
1827. Spadille's owner was Egbertus Bergh, SO 6/13
(1616-1834), B., folio 142, Cape Town and Simonstown
district. He registered him on the 22nd February 1822. He
was born in Macassar and was a house servant of
forty-five and 1/2 year.
42 CA, SO 4/5 case nr. 50, p. 77. 17th January
1827. Marje was not mentioned by Samila as witness, so
she allegedly went to the Guardian's office only on
Caatje's behalf.
45 CA, SO 4/2, case nr. 97, 9th October 1827. Dela
of the widow Maria de Melander born Kotzé, S0
6/10/1 (1816-1834), M., folio 36, Cape Town and
Simonstown district. Dela was a housemaid of about
twenty-two years, born in the Cape Colony and registered
on the 18th June 1816.
46 CA, SO 5/1, Day Book, case nr. 97, p. 297, 12th
October 1827.
47 CA, SO 4/5 case nr. 97, p. 167, 17th October
1827 and 5/1, p.298 same day, Mrs Robert Row born Helena
Aspeling. SO 4/5, p.168, 20th October 1827 and 5/1, p.303
same day, Mrs Kincaid. In his
letter the captain mentioned also the surname de Melander
because he knew that Mrs Kotzé was going to marry
Mr de Melander but did not know when she could receive
it.
50 CA, SO 2/11 Letter Book (1826-1830), p.186,
case nr. 208 (in this book the cases' numbering did not
respect that of the other books). The Secretary to the
Court of Justice, 22nd December 1827.
51 CA, SO 4/2, case nr. 63, 31st March 1827 and SO
4/5, p. 128, 10th April 1827.
52 CA, SO 6/34 (1816-1834), Anna Margaretha
Winterbach, W., folio 119, Cape Town and Simonstown
district. Sanna, a housemaid of forty-five and 2/3 years
born in the Cape Colony, was registered on the 28th March
1818. Her mother Julenda, a housemaid born in Bengal, was
registered when she was sixty-one and 3/4 year old, on
the 26th February 1824.
53 A transfer was a document stating the
acquisition of a slave.
54 CA, SO 2/11, p. 189, nr. 73, Half Yearly Report
of Registrar and Guardian of Slaves, 31st December
1827.
55 Ibidem p. 191: "the Establishment of Guardian
for the Slaves has had the most beneficial influence as
well as relates to the protection of the slaves as with
respect also to their conduct towards their owners; and
notwithstanding the hostility at first shown by the
Inhabitants to this institution, there are I believe but
a few who are not now convinced of its general
utility. That
slaves being in confidence in the Guardian are for the
most part easily persuaded by him to do what is right and
are satisfied with his decisions, they also have the
benefit of his advice when they come to make complaints
of any imagined acts of Injustice towards them, &
which are often founded in misconception, and as the true
state of their case is fully laid open to them, and all
the circumstances for & against them carefully and
clearly explained to them, they are generally induced to
return contentedly to the service of their
Masters".
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