1737 Januarij van Tutocorijn
Januarij van Tutocorijn1 was maltreated by his owner, the widow Van der Spuij, for failing to bring home sufficient koeli geld.2 He was beaten and sent out again without being fed, and so secretly slept over in the house of another burgher, being discovered there by the slaves and sent to the authorities.
Two issues are striking in this case. One is the expectation of urban owners that their slaves must earn money for them, or in Januarij’s case could be maltreated when they did not (Van der Spuij’s cruelty was attested by the other slaves in her household). But also notable is the response of the fiscal. Despite no evidence that Januarij was doing anything more than seeking shelter for the night away from a vindictive owner, the fiscal assumed that he was up to no good. He commented that a houseowner would be legally entitled to kill a strange ‘swarte jongen’ whom he found in his house at night. This was in the year of a general panic by the authorities that slaves in and around Cape Town were getting out of control, which might explain the fiscal’s concern.3 Widow Van der Spuij’s maltreatment was, in his opinion, irrelevant. The court was, however, more merciful and imposed a lesser sentence.
Footnotes
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Modern Tuticorin in South India. The VOC had a trading post there which was under the aegis of the Ceylon government. ↩
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See 1718 Doulat van Balij, n. 5 on the koeli geld system. Maria van der Poel was the widow of Melt van der Spuij, one of the most important and successful alcohol pachters of the 1720s. She was therefore left quite well off, which puts her actions in this case in an interesting light. ↩
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See 1736 Table Valley slaves, for his insistence on stricter controls over slaves in the town. There appears to have been a general scare in and around the town about illicit slave activities in the mid-1730s (see also 1735 Company slaves and 1737 Aron van Madagascar). Certainly the fiscal, Daniel van den Henghel, was particularly earnest about the need to assert tighter control over them. ↩
CJ 341 Criminele Process Stukken, 1737, ff. 397-98.
There appears before us, the undersigned delegates from the honourable Council of Justice of the Castle of Good Hope, Januarij van Tutocorijn, slave of the widow of Melt van der Spuij, 20 years old at a guess, who, on requisition of the honourable independent fiscal, Meester Daniel van den Henghel, confesses it to be true:
That more than a few days ago, without being able to tell the correct date, the confessant, returning home in the evening without having been able to earn koeli geld, was miserably beaten by his owner and afterwards sent out, without getting his meal, to earn his koeli geld. However, since he was beaten and starving, he secretly crawled into the house of the burgher Nicolaas Cochelius, and, after having taken there a piece of bread and eaten it, went to the attic and, having obtained there from the others a blanket with some bedding, then lay down to rest since he did not dare to return home. During the night he was roused by a 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 a meijdmeijdLiterally ‘girl.’ This word developed among the same lines as jongen, the word coming to mean ‘female slave.’ However, its trajectory diverged from that of jongen in that it eventually was used more widely to refer to indigenous women, so that meid still survives in modern Afrikaans as a pejorative term for women of colour. As with jongen, the word was no longer available to refer to European girls, but instead of the difference between girl and daughter disappearing, the diminutive form, meijsje (Afrikaans, meisie), came to be used for ‘girl.’ of the house, and delivered into the hands of justice.
Thus confessed at the Cape of Good Hope on 2 September 1737 before the honourables J. T. Rhenius and Jan de Wit, members of the aforementioned honourable Council of Justice, who have properly signed the original of this, together with the confessant and me, the secretary.
Verification
There appears before us, the undersigned delegates from the honourable Council of Justice of the Castle of Good Hope, the slave Januarij van Tutocorijn, who, after this, his given confession, had been read out word by word, clearly and plainly, declares to fully persist with it, therefore having no desire that anything further be added to or taken from it.
Thus verified at the Cape of Good Hope on 4 September 1737 in the Dutch language, which the confessant speaks and understands reasonably well, before the honourables J.T. Rhenius and Jan de Wit, members from the aforementioned honourable Council, who have properly signed the original of this, together with the confessant and me, the secretary.
Which I declare, [signed] Js. de Grandpreez, secretary.
CJ 341 Criminele Process Stukken, 1737, ff. 394-96.
Dictum ter rolle
Honourable Lord and Lords,
To prove this dictum with a few words, the eijsscher only produces the verified confession of the defendant, from which it would come to appear to your honours:
How in the evening, some days ago, the prisoner went, according to what he says, to his owner’s house without being able to bring with him his appointed koeli geld. Because he did not bring in this said money, he was at once beaten miserably by his owner, the widow Van der Spuij, and afterwards was sent out at once, without his meal, in order to find that money. Yet, as he says, being so miserably beaten and starved, and therefore incapable of looking for coeli [sic], he secretly sneaked into the house of the burgher Nicolaas Cochelius during the evening, stealing and eating there the bread that he found, and quietly went upstairs to the attic and, covering himself with a blanket, lay down to sleep, since he did not dare go home. However, surely because he made a noise in the night and was discovered by the slaves of the house, he was brought, on the order of the said burgher Cochelius, to the prison at four o’clock in the morning, together with a blanket and some old pillows which were lying by and on top of his body. And even though this rogue now denies having stolen anything in the house, or having sneaked into that house with wicked intent, and brings as excuse that he gets lots of beatings and little to eat from his owner; this business is nevertheless of many evil consequences – and is even more punishable in this crook, as he has now been caught in this fashion at night for the third time already, then in this one’s and then in that one’s house – because nobody could be imagined sneaking like this into another man’s house at night and remaining there, and it not being to an evil end, namely to either steal, murder, or even to commit arson. Apart from this, if the master of a house would find an unknown black 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. at night in his house, he could, and totally in accordance with the law, stab to death or shoot the same; above and beyond that, such a crook could cause fatal trouble and disturbance to the woman and children in houses where there is no man in the house. Therefore, a case which is dangerous in every way and therefore punishable.
Now, whether the excuse of 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. – namely that he was continually being beaten by his owner when he did not produce his appointed koeli geld, and besides got very little to eat – could give rise to any remission, the eijsscher wants to leave solely to the judgment of your honours, adding only to it that all of the 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 had been brought to prison of the said woman, sing the same lamentations to the eijsscher; however, whatever the truth of that may be, this crook is nevertheless punishable.
Which is why the eijsscher, to check all similar nightly visitations and to prevent all accidents which could come as a result of it, presumes with good reason to demand, as he does with this:
Demanding that the prisoner and defendant mentioned in the heading of this, with certain judgment by your honours, be sentenced to be tied to a stake, 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., and further to be riveted in chains, in which to serve for nothing on the honourable Company’s public works for a period of 18 successive months, with the costs, or to any similar end as your honours deem fitting.1
Exhibit in court, 12 September 1737.
[signed] D. van den Henghel.
Footnotes
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In fact Januarij was 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. but then to be returned to his owner with costs, without having to work for the Company, CJ 19, ff. 119-20. ↩
Compareerde voor ons, ondergetekende gecommitteerdens uijt den edelagtbare Raad van Justitie des Casteels de Goede Hoop, Januarij van Tutocorijn, slaaff van de weduwe Melt van der Spuij, oud naer gissing 20 jaeren, dewelke, ter requisitie van den heer Independent Fiscaal, meester Daniel van den Henghel, confesseeerde hoe waer is:
Dat over wijnige dagen geleeden, sonder den juijsten datum te kunnen seggen, hij confessant des avonds terugge koomende sonder coeli geld te kunnen brengen, daerom door sijn lijfvrouw deerlijk geslaegen wierd en vervolgens, sonder eeten te kreijgen, uijtgesonden om coeli geld te winnen, dog hij geslaegen en uijtgehongert sijnde, is hij stilletjes in ’t huijs van den burger Nicolaas Cochelius gekroopen en, naer aldaer een stuk brood genoomen en gegeeten te hebben, is hij op solder gegaen en, daer een combaers met wat slaap goed bij den anderen gekreegen hebbende, heeft hij, alsoo niet thuijs dorst terugge keeren, sig daerop te rust begeven, werdende in de nagt door een jonge en een meijd van ’t huijs wacker gemaekt en in handen van de Justitie overgelevert.
Aldus geconfesseert aen Cabo de Goede Hoop, den 2e September 1737, voor d’ edele J.T. Rhenius en Jan de Wit, leeden uijt den edelagtbare Raed van Justitie, voornoemt, die de minute deeses, benevens den conffessant ende mij, secretaris, meede behoorlijk hebben onderteekent.
Recollement
Compareerde voor ons, ondergetekende gecommitteerdens uijt den edelagtbare Raad van Justitie des Casteel de Goede Hoop, den slaef Januarij van Tutocorijn, dewelke deese, zijne gegeevene confessie, van woord tot woord, klaer en duijdelijk, voorgeleesen sijnde, verclaerde daerbij volkoomen te persisteeren, niet begeerende oversulx datter iets meer bijgevoegt ofte van gedaen werden sal.
Aldus gerecolleert aan Cabo de Goede Hoop, in de Neederduijtsche tael, die den confessant reedelijk wel spreekt ende verstaet, den 4e September 1737, voor d’ edele J.T. Rhenius en Jan de Wit, leeden uijt welopgemelde edelagtbare Raed, die de minute deeses, beneeevens de confessant ende mij, secretaris, meede behoorlijk hebben onderteekent.
’Twelk ik getuijge, [get.] Js. de Grandpreez, secretaris.
CJ 341 Criminele Process Stukken, 1737, ff. 394-96.
Dictum ter rolle
Edelachtbare Heer en Heeren,
Om dit dictum met korte woorden te bewaarheden, soo legt den eijsscher eenlijk over de gerecolleerde confessie van den gedaagde, waaruijt U Edel Achtbaarens sal koomen te blijken:
Hoe den gevangen eenige dagen geledene, volgens sijn seggen, des avonds sonder sijn opgelegt koeli geld te kunne meede brengen, sig naar sijn lijffvrouws huijs heeft begeven, werdende aanstonds, omdat gemelde geld niet opbracht, door sijn lijffvrouw, de weduwe Van der Spuij, deerlijk geslagen en vervolgens, om dat geld te soeken, weder opstond sonder eeten uijtgesonden, dog, soo segt, deerlijk geslagen en uijtgehongert sijnde, en gevolglijk niet in staat om coelij [sic] te soeken, is hij stilletjes des avonds geslopen in het huijs van den burger Nicolaas Cochelius, steelende en eetende aldaar het brood dat vond, soo is hij stilletjes naar boven op de solder gegaan, en sig met een combaars toedekkende, is hij alsoo niet dorst t’ huijs koomen, maar gaan leggen slaapen, dog sekerlijk omdat gerugt maakte, in de nag gehoort en, door de slaave van het huijs ontdekt sijnde, is hij des ogtens [sic] om vier uuren uijt order van gemelde burger Cochelius naar de tronk gebragt, nevens een combaars en eenige slegte hooftkussens, die bij en op sijn lijff laagen. En schoon nu deese gaauwdieff ontkent aldaar in huijs iets te hebben gestoolen off met een quaad insigt in dat huijs geslopen te sijn, en tot sijn onschult bijbrengt dat van sijn lijffvrouw veel slaagen en weijnig eeten krijgt, soo is egter dit gedoente van veel quaade gevolgen en is te meer strafbaar in deese gaauwdieff naar dien hij al voor de derde reijs dus des nagts, dan in den een en dan in den anderen, sijn huijs op die wijs is geatrappeert geworden, want niemant kan vermoet werde in een ander mans huijs dus bij nagt in te sluijpen en sig op te houde, als tot een quaad eijnde, namentlijk om, off te steelen, te moorden, off selvs wel brand te stigten, buijten dat soude den heer van een huijs, des nagts een vreemde swarte jongen in sijn huijs vindende, denselve, en gantsch met de regte overeen komende, doot konne steeke off schieten, buijten en behalve dat soo een gaauwdieff aan vrouw en kinderen, daar geen man in huijs is, dodelijke alteratie en ongemakken soude konnen veroorsaken, derhalven een saak in allen deele gevaarlijk en derhalve strafbaar.
Off nu de voorwending dier jongen, dat door sijn lijffvrouw continueel geslagen word wanneer sijn opgelegde coeli geld niet opbrengt, en bovensdien seer weijnig te eeten krijgt, den gevangen eenige verligting kan baaren, wil den eijsscher eenlijk overlaaten aan het oordeel van U Edel Achtbaarens, daar eenlijk bijvoegende dat alle jongens die van de gemelde vrouw in de tronk sijn gebragt, deselvde klaagliederen aen den eijsscher singen dog, het sij daar meede soo het wil, die gaauwdieff is egter straffbaar.
Waarom den eijsscher tot weeringe van alle diergelijke nagtbesoeken, en tot voorkooming van alle ongelukken die daaruijt soude konnen voortvloeijen, met goed regt vermeijnt te mogen en moeten concludeeren, gelijk doet bij deesen:
Concludeert dat de gevangen en gedaagden in den hoofde deeses gemeldt, bij diffinitive vonnisse van U Edel Achtbaarens, mag werden gecondemneert: omme aan een paal gebonden sijnde, door de caffers strengelijk te werden gelaarst, en voorts in de ketting geklonken zijnde, daarinne den tijd van agtien agtereenvolgende maanden voor niet aan ’s edele Compagnies gemeene werken te arbeijden, met de kosten, ofte tot alsulken fine als ’t U Edel Achtbaarens sullen bevinden te behooren.
Exhibitum in judicio, den 12e September 1737.
[get.] D. van den Henghel.