1736 Table Valley Slaves
On 12 March 1736 a fire, which broke out in a Cape Town tannery, spread to five nearby houses and was only brought under control with difficulty. This and two other suspected arson cases in the town in the preceding few months alarmed the authorities. Here, the fiscal complains twice to the Council of Justice about the unruliness of slaves in Table Valley, and in particular in the gardens, or small vegetable plots, in and around the Cape Town settlement. In particular, he inveighed against owners who left their slaves without supervision, resulting in dangers ranging from desertion to theft and unattended household fires (the apparent cause of the recent conflagration). His warnings reveal the relative independence that could exist for urban slaves, but also the paranoia that the authorities had about unsupervised and uncontrolled slaves who were assumed to be plotting ‘villainous deeds’. The suspicion that the Cape Town fire might have been deliberately caused by slaves was proved in the following months, when a number of runaways from the deserter community at Hangklip were captured.1
Numerous laws were passed to try and control the movement and independence of urban slaves, the frequency of which suggest that none were particularly effective.2
Footnotes
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Ross 1983: 54 and 137 n.3. On the same day as the first document, 22 March, six Cape Town slaves were sentenced to a whipping and returned to their owners to work for a year in chains for ‘saamenrotting en gepleegde disorders’ (banding together and committing disorder), CJ 18, ff. 18-20, while on 26 April, the date of the second document, five other urban slaves were brought to court for ‘des nagts te vagabondeeren’ (roaming around at night), although they claimed that they had set out at 5 p.m., well before the curfew, and were searching for their owners’ pigs, CJ 18, ff. 32-4. There is no other documentation for this case and it appears that they were not sentenced. A regulation regarding accidental fires always formed part of the generale plakkaten which were periodically renewed. These cases happened shortly after the promulgation of 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. specifically aimed at preventing this sort of accident, on 3 January 1736, see Kaapse Plakkaatboek II: 160-61 (cf. similar plakkatenplakkatenAn 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. in 1715, pp. 62-3 and in 1742, pp. 204-5). ↩
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Most notably in the ‘slave code’of 1754, Kaapse Plakkaatboek III: 1-7 (1754). For others during this period, see article 51 of the general 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 1727 (Kaapse Plakkaatboek II: 119). There was also a specific 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. in 1708 to control the gathering together of slaves in the town, Kaapse Plakkaatboek II: 10-11. See also 1738 Pieter Coridon, n. 1. ↩
CJ 340 Criminele Process Stukken, 1736, ff. 97-103 [modern pagination].
Dictum ter rolle
Honourable Lords,
As the unruliness, desertion and plotting of slaves are growing daily by such a number, the eijsscher considered it necessary to bring this case to the ears of your honours, so that, if possible, these dregs can be kept in check by an exemplary and heavier-than-usual punishment, and in order to stop an insidious evil in this way, even more so as these rogues had their gathering places in the gardens of this Table Valley, which are just above the houses of this settlement, as a result of which, no doubt, sad accidents of fire could yet again have been caused. Since these rogues were sitting there at night, gambling and tippling away, they could easily have got drunk and fallen asleep, and thus fire could have been caused by them, especially as neither masters nor their knechtenknechtenLiterally ‘male servant,’ but because most European knechten at the Cape were used as slave overseers, this original meaning gradually eroded and the word ended up meaning primarily (as in modern Afrikaans), ‘farm foreman.’ are to be found at night in most of the gardens in that vicinity and, for this reason, these people could play the master as they please. These crooks were this time taken prisoner after midnight, in the garden of the burgher Jan Uijltjes van Laer, by the burgerwacht1 (warned by the former adjutant Lambregts) who, after they had found the front door locked but the windows open, went to the back door, which also stood open, which is when some 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., upon hearing the noise of this watch, got suspicious and, after they had first snuffed out all the candles, fled through the back windows. However, the former adjutant and burgher Michiel Smuts, who in the meantime had gone to the kitchen, caught there the six crooks and prisoners in this case, finding some of them sitting and eating, others playing, while also finding there a pot of rice, one with meat and curry, and a can of arack; so that they were thus banqueting lustily with one another there at their masters’ expense; and who knows if they might not even have been twenty persons strong, and all from the gardens there in the vicinity. These rogues now also make all these gardens unsafe, each stealing at every opportunity all the fruit and vegetables which they can get, which they, or their mates who bring vegetables for sale to the Cape on the orders of their masters, could easily also sell on the side, without their owners ever coming to find out.
Moreover, this plotting at night is also highly hazardous and dangerous, both with regard to the wicked agreements which these dregs reach there with one another and, at times, act out; as also, because of this, all these gardens, which, as said, are looked after only by slaves, are totally exposed to thievery, plundering and still worse misfortunes, since, seeing that nobody is there, the runaways who live in groups on the mountain can do there everything that they please. What is more, these rogues go out and have no thought to take care of the fires in their houses, but leave everything the way it is, as a result of which accidents could easily happen. Besides, one must fear that, unless it is stopped, one only needs to have an evil 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. in your house to receive visits such as these at night, and thereby to be exposed to murder and thievery.
Since nothing good can be expected from such plotting at night – in the opinion of the eijsscher the owners of these 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. should also look after the same and their gardens more carefully, either by placing a European there, or to heed these rogues and take away their opportunities for walking around freely at night to go vagabonding and to form plots in other people’s houses – for the reasons which were cited above, and to prevent such an inveterate evil, as well as to deter all other similar crooks, the eijsscher presumes with good reason to demand, as he does with this:
Demanding that all six defendants, with certain judgment by your honours, be sentenced to be severely whipped by the cafferscaffersTerm for the slaves and bandieten used as assistants of the executioner and who also acted as the ‘police force’ of the town under the leadership of the geweldiger. Both the function and word derived from Batavia., further to be put into chains and to serve thus, without wages, on the Company’s public works for a period of three successive years, with the costs, or to any similar end as your honours would deem fitting.
Exhibit in court, 22 March 1736.
[signed] D. van den Henghel.
CJ 340 Criminele Process Stukken, 1736, ff. 223-25 [modern pagination].
Dictum ter rolle
Honourable Lords,
As the desertion, crowding together and vagabonding of the slaves of people who have gardens in this Table Valley are still not coming to an end, the eijsscher finds himself obliged, yet again, to address your honours and to show how, on the 15th of this month, when the burgerwacht, while patrolling above the gardens, heard some noise in the little house of the flagman,2 they went there and, entering, found sitting there deep in the night, the five prisoners with the flag people, where they were busy drinking coffee. The four 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 the burgher councillor Daniel Pfeil gave as excuse that they were out looking for pigs (which were lost), while the other [slave said] nothing; however, this cannot be excused, as 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. who went out with them during the day to look for these pigs, came home at the proper time, so that these people, by plotting in this way during the night at such places, could not have anything in mind but to commit villainous deeds, and to perform great irregularities should the opportunity arise.
Which is why the eijsscher (as he has recently once more had the honour to demonstrate to your honours), in order to prevent such irregularities, presumes to demand, as he does with this:
Demanding that all five prisoners and defendants, with certain judgment by your honours, be sentenced to be whipped by the cafferscaffersTerm for the slaves and bandieten used as assistants of the executioner and who also acted as the ‘police force’ of the town under the leadership of the geweldiger. Both the function and word derived from Batavia., and to be put into chains for one year, to be sent home thus to their master, with the costs, or to any similar end as your honours would deem fitting.
Exhibit in court, 26 April 1736.
[signed] D. van den Henghel.
.
Footnotes
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On the function and composition of this body, see 1738 Pieter Coridon, n. 2. ↩
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Or linesman. Vlaggeman usually means the commander of a squadron but here is meant the house (or even just hut) of the person(s) responsible for giving warning of approaching ships. According to Haafner (1992: 70), the hut was about two-thirds of the way up Lion’s Head. There was another ‘flagman’ at Signal Hill (Worden et al. 1998: 53). ↩
Dictum ter rolle1
Edelachtbaere Heeren,
De onordentlijkheeden, drossen en complotteeren der slaven daegelijks met dies getal aengroejende; so heeft den eijsser nodig g’oordeelt deese saek onder de oogen van U Edel Achtbaarens te brengen, om, was het moogelijk, door een exemplaere en swaerder dan particuliere straffe dat schuijm in toom te houden, en sodaenig een inkruypent kwaet te stuijten, te meer nademael deese gauwdieven haer versaemel plaets in de tuijne van deese Tafelvaleij hebben gehad, en sulks maer even boven de huijsen van deese plaets, waer door altemit alweeder droevige ongelukken van brand soude konnen werden veroorsaekt, nademael dien gauwdieven, des nagts sitten te dobbelen en te suijpen, ligtelijk konnen dronken raeken, en in slaep vallen, en dus door haer brand werden veroorsaekt, voornamentlijk om dat in de meeste tuijnen daer rondom, nog meester, nog knegt, sig des nagts ophouden, en sijlieden derhalven den baes naer haer sin speelen. Deese gauwdieven nu sijn door de burgerwagt (gewaerschouwt van den geweesen adjudant Lambregts) gevangen genoomen naer middernagt in de tuijn van den burger Jan Uijltjes van Laer, dewelke, naer dat de voordeur geslooten, dog de vensters open gevonden hadden, sig naer de agterdeur heeft begeeven, dewelke mede open stond, wanneer eenige jongens door het hooren van ’t gerugt dier wagt, de snuf in de neus hebben gekreegen, en de agtervensters uijtgevlugt zijn, naer dat sijlieden alle kaersen hadden uijtgeblust. Dog, den geweesen adjundant en den burger Michiel Smuts sig ondertussen naer de combuijs begeevende, hebben aldaer de ses gauwdieven en gevangene in deese geattrappeert, sittende sommige te speelen en sommige te eeten, hebbende aldaer ook gevonden de laeste [sic] eene pot met rijst, een met vlees kerrij, en een fles met arrak, sodat sijlieden malkander aldaer op haer meesters onkosten wakker gegastereert hebben, en wie weet of sijlieden niet wel twintig sterk sijn geweest, en alle van de daer omleggende tuijnen. Deese gauwdieven nu maeken bovendien al die tuijnen onvrij, steelende elk bij occatie alle groente en fruijten die sijlieden kunnen bekoomen, ’twelk sijlieden, of haer makkers die uijt laste van haer meesters groente aen de Caep te koop brengen, makkelijk meede komen vercoopen, sonder dat hun lijfheeren daer ooijt konnen agter coomen.
Bovensdien sijn die nagt complotten ten hoogste gevaerlijk en dangereus, so ten opsigte van de quaede besluijten die het schuijm aldaer met den anderen formeeren, en bij occagie ten uijtvoer brengen, alsmede omdat daer door alle die thuijnen, dewelke meest, als gesegt is, door slaeven alleen bewaart werden, ganschelijk geëxponeert worden aen dievereij, plondering en nog swaerder ongelukken, dewijl niemand daerin sijnde, de drosters, die sig bij troepen aen den berg onthouden, daerin alles konne uijtvoeren, wat sy willen, bovendien gaen die gauwdieven uijt, en hebben wijnig gedagten om het vuur in haer huijs te versorgen, maer laeten alles maer so staen, waerdoor mede ongelukken soude konnen ontstaen. Bovensdien is het te dugten dat, indien dit niet gestuyt word, wanneer men maer eene eene [sic] quaede jongen in huijs heeft, dat men dan des nagts ook diergelijke visites in sijn huijs sal ontfangen, en derhalve bloot gestelt worden aen moord en dievereij.
Nademaal van sulke nagt complotten niets beeter te wagten is, volgens sustenue van den eijsser behoorden de lijfheeren dier jongens ook wat beeter op deselve en haer tuijnen te passen, of door het leggen van een Europeër aldaer, of om nauwer reguardt op die gauwdieven te neemen en haerlieden de occasie af te snijden van dus lieber des nagts te loopen vagabondeeren, en in een andermans huys complotten te formeeren, om welke boven geallegeerde reedenen, en tot stuijting van dusdanig inkankerent quaad, alsmeede tot afschrik van alle andere diergelijke gauwdieven, vermeijn den eijsser met goet regt te moogen en moeten concludeeren gelijk doet bij deesen:
Concludeert dat alle ses de gedaagdens door diffinitive vonnisse van U Edel Achtbaarens moogen werden gecondemneert om door de caffers strengelijk te werden gelaerst, voorts in de ketting geklonken sijn, daerinne den tijd van drie agtereenvolgende jaeren sonder loon aen ’s Compagnies gemeene werken t’ arbeijden, met de kosten, ofte tot alsulken fine als ’t U Edel Achtbaarens sullen vinde te behooren.
Exhibitum in judicio, 22 Maart 1736.
[get.] D. van den Henghel.
CJ 340 Criminele Process Stukken, 1736, ff. 223-25 [modern pagination].
Dictum ter rolle
Edelachtbare Heeren,
Het drossen, samenrotten en het vagebondeeren der slaeven van menschen dewelke tuijnen in deese Tafelvaleij hebben, als nog geen eijndt neemende, so vind den eijscher sig wederom genoodsaekt om sig aen U Edel Achtbaarens te addresseeren en aen te toonen:
Hoe op den 15 deeser maend, de burgerwagt, boven die tuijnen om patrouljeerende, eenig geraes hebben gehoord in het vlaggemans huijsje, waerop sijlieden daer na toe sijn gegaen en, binnen komende, vonden sijlieden aldaer de vijf gevangene, in het diepste van de nagt bij de vlaggelieden sitten, alwaer sijlieden beesig waeren om coffij te drinken, geevende de vier jongens van den burgerraad Daniel Pfeil tot haer onschult te kennen dat sijlieden varkens (dewelke verlooren waeren) sijn op gaen soeken, en den ander niets, dog sulks kan haer niet verschoonen, nademael de andere jongens die bij dag waeren uijtgegaen met haer om die varkens te soeken, op haer ordentelijke tijdt waeren thuijs gekoomen, sodat sijlieden door dusdaenige nagt complotten op sulke plaetsen niet anders in de sin hebben als schelmstukken te pleegen, en groote disorders bij occagie te bedrijven.
Waerom den eijscher (gelijk onlangs nogmaels de eer heeft gehad aen U Edel Achtbaarens te demonstreeren) tot weering van dusdanige onordentlijkheeden, vermeijnt te moogen concludeeren, gelijk doet bij deesen:
Concludeert dat alle vijf de gevangens, en <door diffinitive vonnisse van UEd. Achtbr.>2 gedaagdens mogen werden gecondemneert om door de caffers te werden gelaerst en voor een jaer in de ketting geklonken te werden, en dusdanig haer meesters thuijs gesonden te werden, met de kosten, ofte tot alsulke fine als ’t U Edel Achtbaarens sullen vinden te behooren.
Exhibitum in judicio, 26 April 1736.
[get.] D. van den Henghel.
Footnotes
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The dictum ter rolle was a summary and recommendation of sentence by the fiscal, which replaced an eijscheijschLiterally ‘claim’ or ‘demand.’ This is strictly speaking the eijsch ende conclusie without the final part about sentencing, but the term is often used as a shorthand for the whole document., but had less reference to legal authorities. ↩
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The clause between angled brackets was inserted here above the line, but is obviously at the wrong place in the sentence. ↩