1718 Anthonij van Mallabaar
In this case the slave Anthonij van Mallabaar brought an accusation to the fiscal that his owner had murdered his fellow slave, Januarij van Mallabaar.1 Murder of a slave by an owner was a punishable offence and Anthonij clearly knew this.2 The court dismissed Anthonij’s claim and he was beaten, branded and sent back to his owner for making a false accusation. Usually a surgeon’s report was made on the body of a slave who had died in unknown or suspicious circumstances, but there is no reference to such a report in this case.3
A paragraph in the sententie is crossed out. It indicates that Anthonij confessed that he had brought the accusation to avenge himself on his owner, who had maltreated him. It is unclear why this was deleted, possibly because it played no role in the deliberation of the case, which was about Anthonij’s false complaint against his owner, not about what his owner did or did not do.
Christina Strang
Footnotes
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Further documentation for this case consists of the eijsch en conclusie and the testimonies of Hendrik Rodenburg, Januarij van Bengalen and Abraham van Ceijlon (CJ 322, documents 77 and 79-81). ↩
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For another case in which slaves informed on their masters to the fiscal, see 1763 ↩
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When slaves had died under unnatural or unusual circumstances, burghers were required by law to inform the authorities, who were then required to inspect the corpses. A plakkaatplakkaatAn ordinance or decree of the Council of Policy read in public places and posted on buildings. The name is derived from the seal, a ‘placaat’, which was impressed on the document containing an ordinance. of 1731 specifically mentioned this as a safeguard against owner maltreatment of slaves, Kaapse Plakkaatboek II: 149-50. See also 1750 David van Bengalen. ↩
CJ 322 Criminele Process Stukken, 1718, document 78.
Questions on which, on the requisition of the landdrost Jacob Voet, are to be heard and examined the slave Anthoni van Mallebaar, belonging to the famer Hendrick Moel.
There appears before the undersigned deputised members from the honourable Council of Justice of this government, the here-named slave Anthoni van Mallebaar, who answered on the questions below as is noted besides each.
Article 1: The prisoner’s name, place of birth and age.
Answer: Anthoni van Mallebaar, 24 years old at a guess.
Article 2: When the prisoner came to report to the honourable fiscal that his master had supposedly beaten to death a slave?
Answer: About a month ago.
Article 3: If the prisoner meant with this Januarij van Malabaer, at that time a cattle herder on his master’s post?
Answer: Yes.
Article 4: If three cattle of his master had gone missing shortly one after the other, while the prisoner had still been at the post, and if this had been the result of the said Januarij’s negligence?
Answer: Yes.
Article 5: If the said Januarij then fled, and was brought home to his master, after some days, by the farmer Jan Steenkamp?
Answer: That two jongensjongensLiterally ‘boy.’ In Dutch it was common to use this word also to refer to male servants, irrespective of age. At the Cape, however, this usage was extended to slaves and then became exclusive, so that jongen (also in the deflected form jong) came to mean ‘male slave’, such that Afrikaans lost the use of the word to mean ‘boy’ and instead uses seun (from Dutch zoon) for both ‘boy’ and ‘son.’ In this primary meaning, the word has become obsolete in modern Afrikaans, except for the archaic terms tuinjong (‘garden boy’) and plaasjong (‘farm boy’), in the sense of male workers of colour. of Jan Steenkamp brought Januarij home, and that Steenkamp also came there shortly thereafter.
Article 6: If it had been at this time that Januarij on the order of his master was chastised by the other jongensjongensLiterally ‘boy.’ In Dutch it was common to use this word also to refer to male servants, irrespective of age. At the Cape, however, this usage was extended to slaves and then became exclusive, so that jongen (also in the deflected form jong) came to mean ‘male slave’, such that Afrikaans lost the use of the word to mean ‘boy’ and instead uses seun (from Dutch zoon) for both ‘boy’ and ‘son.’ In this primary meaning, the word has become obsolete in modern Afrikaans, except for the archaic terms tuinjong (‘garden boy’) and plaasjong (‘farm boy’), in the sense of male workers of colour.? Answer: Yes.
Article 7: If this jongenjongenLiterally ‘boy.’ In Dutch it was common to use this word also to refer to male servants, irrespective of age. At the Cape, however, this usage was extended to slaves and then became exclusive, so that jongen (also in the deflected form jong) came to mean ‘male slave’, such that Afrikaans lost the use of the word to mean ‘boy’ and instead uses seun (from Dutch zoon) for both ‘boy’ and ‘son.’ In this primary meaning, the word has become obsolete in modern Afrikaans, except for the archaic terms tuinjong (‘garden boy’) and plaasjong (‘farm boy’), in the sense of male workers of colour. ran away again afterwards, and was again brought home by the said Steenkamp and Coenraad Boom, and absented himself that very same evening for the third time?
Answer: That after the punishment he received, this jongenjongenLiterally ‘boy.’ In Dutch it was common to use this word also to refer to male servants, irrespective of age. At the Cape, however, this usage was extended to slaves and then became exclusive, so that jongen (also in the deflected form jong) came to mean ‘male slave’, such that Afrikaans lost the use of the word to mean ‘boy’ and instead uses seun (from Dutch zoon) for both ‘boy’ and ‘son.’ In this primary meaning, the word has become obsolete in modern Afrikaans, except for the archaic terms tuinjong (‘garden boy’) and plaasjong (‘farm boy’), in the sense of male workers of colour., because he could not move well, went to lie down in the bushes, and was found there by Jan Steenkamp and Coenraad Boom and brought home.
Article 8: Where the prisoner found Januarij [lying] for dead, and who else was present and saw this?
Answer: That on the same day that the jongenjongenLiterally ‘boy.’ In Dutch it was common to use this word also to refer to male servants, irrespective of age. At the Cape, however, this usage was extended to slaves and then became exclusive, so that jongen (also in the deflected form jong) came to mean ‘male slave’, such that Afrikaans lost the use of the word to mean ‘boy’ and instead uses seun (from Dutch zoon) for both ‘boy’ and ‘son.’ In this primary meaning, the word has become obsolete in modern Afrikaans, except for the archaic terms tuinjong (‘garden boy’) and plaasjong (‘farm boy’), in the sense of male workers of colour. had been brought home by Steenkamp and Boom, the baasbaasIn seventeenth-century Dutch this was used both in the sense of ‘head’ (e.g. ‘head carpenter’) and ‘master’. In South Africa the second meaning developed further, and thus baas came to be a synonym for meester (‘master’). It was the form that slaves (and Khoikhoi) would use to address male Europeans. had put him to work, and, while working, had yet again beaten this jongenjongenLiterally ‘boy.’ In Dutch it was common to use this word also to refer to male servants, irrespective of age. At the Cape, however, this usage was extended to slaves and then became exclusive, so that jongen (also in the deflected form jong) came to mean ‘male slave’, such that Afrikaans lost the use of the word to mean ‘boy’ and instead uses seun (from Dutch zoon) for both ‘boy’ and ‘son.’ In this primary meaning, the word has become obsolete in modern Afrikaans, except for the archaic terms tuinjong (‘garden boy’) and plaasjong (‘farm boy’), in the sense of male workers of colour. with a sjambok and kicked him until the jongenjongenLiterally ‘boy.’ In Dutch it was common to use this word also to refer to male servants, irrespective of age. At the Cape, however, this usage was extended to slaves and then became exclusive, so that jongen (also in the deflected form jong) came to mean ‘male slave’, such that Afrikaans lost the use of the word to mean ‘boy’ and instead uses seun (from Dutch zoon) for both ‘boy’ and ‘son.’ In this primary meaning, the word has become obsolete in modern Afrikaans, except for the archaic terms tuinjong (‘garden boy’) and plaasjong (‘farm boy’), in the sense of male workers of colour. fell to the ground, which is when he, on the order of his master, picked up this jongenjongenLiterally ‘boy.’ In Dutch it was common to use this word also to refer to male servants, irrespective of age. At the Cape, however, this usage was extended to slaves and then became exclusive, so that jongen (also in the deflected form jong) came to mean ‘male slave’, such that Afrikaans lost the use of the word to mean ‘boy’ and instead uses seun (from Dutch zoon) for both ‘boy’ and ‘son.’ In this primary meaning, the word has become obsolete in modern Afrikaans, except for the archaic terms tuinjong (‘garden boy’) and plaasjong (‘farm boy’), in the sense of male workers of colour. and took him to a little hut. That after they had milked in the evening, the shepherd Januari van Bengalen found this beaten Januarij dead, and told all the slaves that he had found the jongenjongenLiterally ‘boy.’ In Dutch it was common to use this word also to refer to male servants, irrespective of age. At the Cape, however, this usage was extended to slaves and then became exclusive, so that jongen (also in the deflected form jong) came to mean ‘male slave’, such that Afrikaans lost the use of the word to mean ‘boy’ and instead uses seun (from Dutch zoon) for both ‘boy’ and ‘son.’ In this primary meaning, the word has become obsolete in modern Afrikaans, except for the archaic terms tuinjong (‘garden boy’) and plaasjong (‘farm boy’), in the sense of male workers of colour. dead, and that nobody had seen him dead, except for the aforesaid Janarij who had told them this.
Article 9: If he had given this report to the honourable fiscal of his own volition, or if he had been incited by somebody, and who that was?
Answer: They, the slaves, amongst themselves.
Article 10: Where Januarij was buried and by whom? Answer: It was not done by the slaves, it must have been done by the baasbaasIn seventeenth-century Dutch this was used both in the sense of ‘head’ (e.g. ‘head carpenter’) and ‘master’. In South Africa the second meaning developed further, and thus baas came to be a synonym for meester (‘master’). It was the form that slaves (and Khoikhoi) would use to address male Europeans., that they had sought long for the place but could not find it.
Article 11: What excuse he could offer for this, his sham?
Answer: Not being able to give any excuse except for what he had said before.
Thus done and answered, and thus interpreted into the Dutch as well as the Portuguese languages, at the Cape of Good Hope on 30 September 1718.
These marks XXX were made by Anthoni van Mallebaar.
As delegates, [signed] G. v. Baarsenburg; Fk. Russouw.
In my presence, [signed] Dl. Thibault, secretary.
Verification
There appears before the undersigned deputised members from the honourable Council of Justice of this government, the aforementioned slave Anthonij van Mallebaar, who, after the answers he gave to the questions put to him had been read out word by word, clearly and plainly, declares to fully persist by them, not desiring that anything more be added or taken from them, except that Januarij did not run away for the third time, as he was asked in article 7; moreover, on article 8, that he had been the first to have found the late Januarij van Mallabaar dead, but that he did not make any of this known to the other slaves, until in the end Januarij van Bengalen had discovered the death of the aforesaid Januarij and made it known.
Thus verified in the Portuguese language, as well as being interpreted into the Dutch, in the Castle of Good Hope on 12 October 1718.
This mark X was set down by Anthoni van Mallebaar.
As delegates, [signed] Jn. Alders; Hk. Donker.
In my presence, [signed] Dl. Thibault, secretary.
Vraagpointen [sic], omme daarop, ter requisitie van den landdrost Jacob Voet, gehoort en g’examineert te worden, den slaav Anthoni van Mallebaar, toebehoorende de landbouwer Hendrick Moel.
Compareerde voor de ondergeteekende gecommitteerde leeden uijt den agtbaaren Raad van Justitie deeses gouvernements, den slaaf Anthoni van Mallebaar, hierneevens genoemt, dewelke op de onderstaanden vragen sodanig heeft geantwoord als ter zijde van een ieder staat aangeteekent.
Articul 1: Des gevangens naam, geboorteplaats en ouderdom.
Antwoort: Anthoni van Mallebaar, oud naar gissingh 24 jaaren.
Articul 2: Wanneer hij gevangen aen den heer Fiscael heeft komen aengeven dat zijn meester een slaav dootgeslaegen zoude hebben?
Antwoort: Omtrent een maand verleeden.
Articul 3: Ofte hij gevangen daer meede niet gemeent heeft Januarij van Malabaer, alsdoen beestewagter op zijn meesters post?
Antwoort: Ja.
Articul 4: Ofte zijn meester kort naer den andre geen 3 beesten gemist heeft, als wanneer hij gevangen nog op de post was, en sulx door versuijm van gemelde Januarij is toegekomen?
Antwoort: Ja.
Articul 5: Ofte gemelde Januarij zig alsdoen niet fugatief gestelt heeft en naer eenige dagen door den landbouwer Jan Steenkamp aen zijn meester t’ huijs gebragt is.
Antwoort: Dat twee jongens van Jan Steenkamp, Januarij hebben t’ huijs gebragt, en Steenkamp kort daarop ook aldaar gekomen is.
Articul 6: Ofte het ter dier teijd niet is geweest dat hij Januarij uijt last van zijn meester door de andre jongens gekastijd is geworden?
Antwoort: Ja.
Articul 7: Ofte die jongen vervolgens andermael niet is opgedrost; en wederom door gezeijde Steenkamp en Coenraad Boom t’ huijs gebragt, en dien eijgenste avond sig ten derdemael g’absenteert heeft?
Antwoort: Dat die jonge, naar de ontfangene straffe niet wel kunnende gaan, in de bosjes is gaan leggen, en aldaar door Jan Steenkamp en Coenraad Boom is gevonden en t’ huijs gebragt.
Articul 8: Waer hij gevangen hem Januarij zedert doot gevonden heeft, en wie daer meer bij geweest zijn en sulx gesien hebben?
Antwoort: Dat dien selven dagh wanneer de jonge door Steenkamp en Boom was thuijs gebragt, de baas hem aan ’t werk heeft gestelt, en onder ’t werken deselve jonge nogmaals heeft geslagen met een sjambok en getrapt totdat de jonge op de grond neder viel, als wanneer hij op ordre van zijn meester die jonge heeft opgenomen en in een hutje gebragt. Dat na zij ’s avonds gemelkt hadden, de schaapwagter Januari [sic] van Bengalen deese geslagene Januarij heeft dood gevonden, en teegen al de slaven gezegt dat de jonge dood gevonden en dat niemand1 hem dood gesien heeft als de voorzeijde Januarij dewelke het haar toegeroepen heeft.
Articul 9: Ofte hij door zijn eijge beweging dien aengeving aen de heer Fiscael heeft gedaen, ofte door imand [sic] daertoe aengeset, en wie dat geweest is?
Antwoort: Zij slaven onder malkanderen.
Articul 10: Waar hij Januarij begraven is en door wien?
Antwoort: Door de slaven is het niet geschiet, het moet door de baas geschiet zijn, dat zij lange naar de plaats hebben gezogt maar niet kunnen vinden.
Articul 11: Welke opening dat hij van dit zijn voorgeeven kan te berde brengen?
Antwoort: Geen opening meer te kunnen geeven als hij hier vooren heeft gezegt.
Aldus gedaan en geantwoord, en soo in de Nederduijtsche als Portugeesche taale te verstaan gegeven, zijnde aan Cabo de Goede Hoop, den 30e September 1718.
Dese merken XXX zijn door Anthoni van Mallebaar gestelt.
Als gecommitteerdens, [get.] G. v. Baarsenburg; Fk. Russouw.
Mij praesent, [get.] Dl. Thibault, secretaris.
Recollement
Compareerde voor de ondergeteekende gecommitteerde leeden uijt den agtbaaren Raad van Justitie deses gouvernements den slaaf Anthonij van Mallabaar, hier vooren genaamt, dewelke zijne gegeeven antwoorden op de gedane vragen van woorden tot woorden klaar en duijdelijk voorgeleesen sijnde, verklaarde daarbij volkomen te persisteeren, niet begeerende datter iets meer bijgevoegt ofte van gedaan werden sal, als dat Januarij voor de derde maal niet weggeloopen is, gelijk hem op articul 7 is gevraagt, wijders op articul 8, dat hij d’ eerste is geweest die den overleedene Januarij van Mallabaar heeft dood gevonden, maar daarvan niets aan d’ andere slaven bekent gemaakt, totdat eindelijk Januarij van Bengalen de dood van den voorzeijde Januarij hadde ontwaart en bekent gemaakt.
Aldus gerecolleert, en in de Portugeesche taale soo wel als de Nederduijtsche te verstaan gegeven zijnde, in ’t Casteel de Goede Hoop, den 12e October 1718.
Dit X merk heeft Anthoni van Mallabaar gestelt.
Als gecommitteerdens, [get.] Jn. Aldersz, Hk. Donker.
Mij praesent, [get.] Dl. Thibault, secretaris.
Footnotes
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Underlining in the original. ↩
CJ 784 Sententiën, 1717-1725, ff. 81-4.
Since Anthonij van Mallabaar, 24 years old at a guess, bondsman of the farmer Hendrik Moel, currently their honours’ prisoner, has voluntarily and freely confessed, without torture or coercion of bonds, of irons, or any threat of suchlike; and also since it has appeared evident to the honourable Council of Justice of this government:
How the prisoner, in the month of August this year, did not scruple nor hesitate to go from his master’s farm to the honourable independent fiscal, Cornelis van Beaumont, and to falsely accuse his aforesaid master of having beaten to death a certain slave by the name of Januarij van Mallabaar.
<That the prisoner, had done this on his own accord, solely to avenge himself in this wicked way on his said master, because (as the prisoner asserts) the same beats and torments him daily.>1
That the prisoner had been the first to have found lying dead the aforesaid slave Anthonij,2 without being able to produce anything further as verification for his false accusation, nor to prove his claim.
All of which are matters of the most evil consequences, which may under no circumstances be tolerated in a country where justice is administered properly, but should be averted and punished most severely as an example and deterrent to all such villains.
Therefore, the honourable Council of Justice of this government, serving today, having seen and read the written crimineelen eijsch en conclusie, produced by the honourable landdrost Jacob Voet in his official capacity, as also the prisoner’s voluntary confession, properly verified in court, with the other documents bearing upon the case, further having pondered with attention everything that could possibly serve the case and could have moved their honours, practising justice in the name and on behalf of the high and mighty Lords States General of the free United Netherlands, having judged the prisoner, is sentencing him with this: to be taken to the place where criminal sentences are usually executed here and there to be handed over to the executioner and to be tied to a stake, to be scourged on the bare back with rods and to be branded, afterwards to be sent home to his master, provided the same pays the costs and expenditure of justice.3
Thus done and sentenced in the Castle of Good Hope on 1 December 1718.
Pronounced and executed on the 3rd thereupon.
[signed] M.P. Chavonnes, A. Cranendronk, K.J. Slotsboo, Jan de la Fontaine, Jn. Aldersz, Clis. Barentsz, C. Valk, G. v. Baarsenburg, Hk. Donker, Hk. Möller, Fk. Russouw.
In my presence, [signed] Dl. Thibault, secretary.
Footnotes
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The paragraph between angled brackets is crossed out lightly in the original (but remains perfectly legible). ↩
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This is clearly a mistake by the scribe. The dead slave was Januarij; Anthonij was the accused. ↩
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This sentence was also recorded in the regtsrollenregtsrollenLiterally ‘rolls of justice’, the minutes of the proceedings of the Council of Justice. CJ 7 [1718], ff. 59-60. ↩
Alzoo Anthoni van Mallabaar, oud naar gissing 24 jaaren, lijfeijgen van den landbouwer Hendrik Moel, althans ’s heeren gevangen, buijten pijn of dwang van banden, van ijsers, ofte eenige bedrijging van dien, liber en vrij beleeden heeft, mitsgaders den agtbaaren Raad van Justitie deeses gouvernements volkomen gebleeken is:
Hoedat hij gevangen zig niet ontsien, nog geschroomt heeft, in de maand Augustus deeses jaars van zijn meesters plaats te begeeven naar den heer Independent Fiscaal, Cornelis van Beaumont, en zijn meester voorseijde valschelijk te beschuldigen, dat denselve seekere zijn slaaf, met naame Januarij van Mallabaar, zoude hebben dood geslagen.
<Dat hij gevangen sulx uijt eijgene beweeging hadde gedaan, enkelijk omme zig op deese boosaardige weijse over gemelde zijn meester te wreeken om reedenen (zoo hij gevange voorgeeft) dat deselve hem dagelijks sloegh en plaagde.>1
Dat hij gevange de eerste is geweest die voornoemde slaaf Anthonij2 dood heeft vinden leggen, sonder verder iets tot verificatie van zijn leugenagtige beschuldiging voort te kunnen brengen, nog den regten te beweijsen.
Alle ’twelke zijnde zaaken van zeer quaade gevolgen, dewelke in een land daar men de justitie zuijver administreert, geensints mogen gedult, maar ten spiegel en afschrik van alsulke booswigten op ’t seveerste moeten geweert ende gepunieert werden.
Overzulx den agtbaaren Raad van Justitie deeses gouvernements, ten dage dienende, gezien en geresumeert hebbende den schriftelijken crimineelen eijsch en conclusie bij den edele landdrost Jacob Voet ex officio overgelegt, beneevens de libre confessie van den gevangen, in judicio behoorlijk gerecolleert, met de verdere stucken daartoe specteerende, weijders met aandagt gepondereert alle ’tgeene ter materie eenigsints dienende was en haar Agtbaarens deede moveeren, doende regt in den naam ende van weegen de hoogmogende Heeren Staaten Generaal der vrije Vereenigde Neederlanden, den gevangen hebben gecondemneert, gelijk hem condemneeren bij deesen: omme gebragt te werden ter plaatse daar men alhier gewoon is crimineele sententiën te executeeren, en aldaar den scherpregter overgeleevert en aan een paal gebonden zijnde, met roeden op de bloote rugge gegeesselt en gebrandmerkt te werden, vervolgens zijn meester thuijs gezonden, mits deselve betaalende de costen en mise van justitie.
Aldus gedaan en gesententieert in ’t Casteel de Goede Hoop, den 1e December 1718.
Gepronuncieert en g’executeert den 3e daaraanvolgende.
[get.] M.P. Chavonnes, A. Cranendronk, K.J. Slotsboo, Jan de la Fontaine, Jn. Aldersz, Clis. Barentsz, C. Valk, G. v. Baarsenburg, Hk. Donker, Hk. Möller, Fk. Russouw.
Mij praesent, [get.] Dl. Thibault, secretaris.