1749 Jan Lategaan
Jan Lategaan ordered his slave Julij van Bengalen to whip his female slave Regina van Ternaten for absenteeism. She later disappeared and her body was found in the veld. This tragic case is an example of the cruelty that slaves could experience from their owners: both the physical violence which led to Regina’s death, and the psychological impact on Julij who was ordered to carry out the whipping but who tried to care for Regina afterwards.
The fiscal recommended that, since some of the evidence was uncertain, Lategaan could only be fined, although he also stated that Julij van Bengalen should be sold and never again be permitted to come under Lategaan or his family’s ownership.1
Footnotes
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CJ 357, f. 462. The evidence given to the Stellenbosh landdrost was sent to the Council of Justice, including that printed here, as well as the testimony of Jacob Pienaar and a post-mortem report on Regina’s body, CJ 357, ff. 460-69. The regstrollen recorded the recommendations of the 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. and ordered that Julij van Bengalen be sold under these terms, but there is no record of any further punishment for Jan Lategaan, CJ 31, ff. 106-8. Fines were the usual punishment for owners who severely maltreated their slaves (for example, 1729 Jan Botma). ↩
1/STB 3/10 Criminele Verklaringen, 1749-1758, unpaginated.
Today, 29 November 1749, there appears before me, Jean Benjamin d’Aillij, secretary of Stellenbosch and Drakenstein, in the presence of the witnesses named below, the slave Julij van Bengalen, being of competent age, bondsman of the farmer Jan Lategaan, living on the same’s farm situated in the Wagenmakersvallei, who, on the requisition of the honourable landdrost, Adriaan van Schoor, declares it to be true:
That a month or two ago now, without knowing the exact day or date, when the deponent was busy working in the garden during the afternoon, he was called by his owner to come to the house and that when he came into the house, he, on the order of his master, had to carry his child on his arm. While doing this, he saw his aforementioned master in the kitchen, tying together the hands of his woman slave, Regina van Ternaten, on her back with a riemriemA thin strip of leather. It was commonly used at the Cape due to the expense and a shortage of ropes., which is when the deponent, on the order of his 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., gave the said woman slave some lashes with the sjamboksjambokThis word entered seventeenth-century Dutch via Malay (tjambok) or Javanese (sambok) from Persian (châbuk). It is a whip cut from thick animal skin, usually hippopotamus or rhinoceros, and was already known in the Dutch East Indies as an instrument for punishing slaves. At the Cape it was also used to beat draught animals with. on her buttocks. Lategaan then also beat the aforementioned Regina with the sjamboksjambokThis word entered seventeenth-century Dutch via Malay (tjambok) or Javanese (sambok) from Persian (châbuk). It is a whip cut from thick animal skin, usually hippopotamus or rhinoceros, and was already known in the Dutch East Indies as an instrument for punishing slaves. At the Cape it was also used to beat draught animals with., both on her back and on her buttocks, while in the meantime the deponent was sent by his owner to work in the garden, whither he indeed went. The farmer Jacob Pienaar then arrived at his owner’s farm, when the deponent was called home again by his owner, and also went thither, and was told by his master that he should lay the abovementioned 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.’, who was in the room, by the fire. Yet, when the deponent came into the room, he noticed that the said Regina was cold in the face and not saying a word, and when the deponent warned his aforesaid owner about this, he answered that the 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.’ was just pretending. Some time after this, the deponent again repaired to his work.
That afterwards, when the aforesaid Jacob Pienaar had ridden off, and the deponent had finished his work by evening and had gone to the house, he, on the order of his owner, made a bed for the said woman slave in the voorhuijsvoorhuijsLiterally the ‘front house’, this referred to the first area entered from the main door or stoep (porch). In most houses this was a room, although in the later design of some Cape houses it referred to a narrower passage (like a hall or vestibule) flanked by one or more front rooms., after which he took her from the room into the voorhuijsvoorhuijsLiterally the ‘front house’, this referred to the first area entered from the main door or stoep (porch). In most houses this was a room, although in the later design of some Cape houses it referred to a narrower passage (like a hall or vestibule) flanked by one or more front rooms., holding her under the arms, and laid her down on the said bed. That the deponent warmed some food for himself and ate, and then went to sleep in the kitchen, being roused early in the morning by his owner and ordered to light something, which the deponent indeed did, and then saw that the aforesaid woman slave was no longer there, although her bed was still in the voorhuijsvoorhuijsLiterally the ‘front house’, this referred to the first area entered from the main door or stoep (porch). In most houses this was a room, although in the later design of some Cape houses it referred to a narrower passage (like a hall or vestibule) flanked by one or more front rooms.. The deponent’s owner then asked him where the aforementioned Regina was, to which the deponent answered that he did not know.
That some days after this, when the Hottentot woman Catrijn, who looks after the cattle herd of his owner,1 came home in the evening, she told him that, going past a porcupine hole on the mountain above the farm of the deponent’s owner, she became aware of a great stench, and that she was of the opinion that a dead human being must be lying in there. It occurred then to the deponent that it could possibly be the aforementioned woman slave Regina lying there in that hole, and he then told the said Hottentot woman that she should urgently inform the farmer Andries du Toit junior of this.
Finally, the deponent declares that when, on the order of the petitioner, and in the presence of the deputised heemradenheemradenThe origin of this word is uncertain, but is connected to the Dutch words heem (‘homestead’) and raad (‘councillor’). This was the title of a free burgher who served on the Collegie van Heemraden in the rural districts of the Cape, usually for a term of two years., the corpse was inspected on the mountain above the farm of his owner, he saw on it the clothes that the abovementioned woman slave Regina was wearing on the day before she went missing.
There being nothing further to declare, the deponent asserts to be convinced of the accuracy of his statement as in the text, being willing, if so desired, to subsequently confirm the above.
Thus recorded at the office of the secretary in Stellenbosch, in the presence of the burghers Gerrit Kemp and Johan George Zorn, requested hereto as witnesses.
This X is the mark of the deponent.
As witnesses, [signed] Gerrit Kemp, Johan Gorge [sic] Zorn.
With my cognisance, [signed] J.B. d’Aillij, secretary.
1/STB 3/10 Criminele Verklaringen, 1749-1758, unpaginated.
Statement given, on the requisition of the honourable landdrost, Adriaan van Schoor, by the farmer Jan Lategaan, of competent age, being of the following content:
That about two months ago now, without being able to determine the precise day or date, the testifier sent out his slave, named Regina van Ternaten, to the veld to fetch wood and as the said slave did not come back again, he also went out into the veld in order to look for her. The testifier then found her lying asleep and, after waking her up, he made her go to the house, meanwhile giving her some lashes with the sjamboksjambokThis word entered seventeenth-century Dutch via Malay (tjambok) or Javanese (sambok) from Persian (châbuk). It is a whip cut from thick animal skin, usually hippopotamus or rhinoceros, and was already known in the Dutch East Indies as an instrument for punishing slaves. At the Cape it was also used to beat draught animals with. on her legs.
That when the testifier got home, he ordered his slave 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., Julij van Bengalen, to beat the said slave on her buttocks with the sjamboksjambokThis word entered seventeenth-century Dutch via Malay (tjambok) or Javanese (sambok) from Persian (châbuk). It is a whip cut from thick animal skin, usually hippopotamus or rhinoceros, and was already known in the Dutch East Indies as an instrument for punishing slaves. At the Cape it was also used to beat draught animals with., which was done. The aforementioned woman slave was afterwards ordered by the testifier to sift flour in the room and, while she was busy with this, the farmer Jacob Pinard arrived on the farm of the testifier and departed again a short while thereafter. That at night the aforementioned slave Regina lay herself down in the voorhuijsvoorhuijsLiterally the ‘front house’, this referred to the first area entered from the main door or stoep (porch). In most houses this was a room, although in the later design of some Cape houses it referred to a narrower passage (like a hall or vestibule) flanked by one or more front rooms. to sleep and, when the testifier got up early in the morning, he discovered that the said slave was no longer in the house, without being able, after much searching, to find her again.
Finally the testifier declares that when, on the order of the petitioner, and in the presence of the deputised heemradenheemradenThe origin of this word is uncertain, but is connected to the Dutch words heem (‘homestead’) and raad (‘councillor’). This was the title of a free burgher who served on the Collegie van Heemraden in the rural districts of the Cape, usually for a term of two years., the corpse was inspected on the mountain above his farm, he saw on it the clothes that the abovementioned slave Regina was wearing the day before she went missing.
There being nothing further to relate, the testifier asserts to be convinced of the accuracy of his statement as in the text, being willing, if it may be required, to subsequently confirm this, his statement, at any time.
Thus recorded in the office of the secretary in Stellenbosch on 29 November 1749 in the presence of the lay reader Abraham Faure and the burgher Gerrit Kemp, requested hereto as witnesses.
[signed] Jan Lategan.
As witnesses, [signed] A. Faure, Gerrit Kemp.
With my cognisance, [signed] J.B. d’Aillij, secretary.
Footnotes
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When Khoikhoi were employed on farms, they tended to work as stock herders (although they were also used as field workers), but it is unusual to find a woman in this position. Usually Khoi women were used for domestic service or as child minders, especially in the interior (Elphick & Malherbe 1989: 28-9; Biewenga 1999: 105-8). ↩
Huijden, den 24e November 1749, compareerde voor mij, Jean Benjamin d’Aillij, secretaris van Stellenbosch en Draakensteijn, ter presentie der naargenoemde getuijgen, den slaaf Julij van Bengalen, zijnde van competenten ouderdom, lijfeijgen van den landbouwer Jan Lategaan, woonagtig op desselfs plaats aan de Wagemakersvallij geleegen, denwelken, ter requisitie van den heer landdrost Adriaan van Schoor, verclaarde hoe waar is:
Dat nu een maand of twee geleeden, zonder de netten dag of datum te weten, hij comparant, ’s agtermiddags beesig zijnde in de thuijn te arbeijden, door desselfs lijfheer geroepen is geworden om na huijs te komen. Dat hij, in huijs gekomen wesende, ter ordre van zijn meester desselfs kint op den arm heeft moeten dragen, siende hij onder des, dat desselfs voormelde meester zijn slavin, Regina van Ternaten, in de combuijs met een riem de handen op haar rug aan malkander vastbond, als wanneer hij comparant gemelde slavin, ter ordre van zijn baas, met de sjambok eenige slagen op haar billen heeft gegeeven; slaende hij Lategaan voormelde Regina vervolgens mede met de sjambok, soo op haar rug als billen, werdende hij comparant ondertusschen door desselfs lijfheer na de thuijn gezonden om te werken, werwaarts den comparant sig ook begeeven hebbende, is den landbouwer Jacob Pienaar vervolgens meede op zijn lijfheers plaats gekomen, werdende den deposant hierop weeder door zijn lijfheer thuijs geroepen en hij sig ook derwaarts begeeven hebbende, wierd door des comparants meester aen hem gezegt dat bovengemelde meijd, die in de camer was, bij het vuur wilde leggen, dog hij comparant, in de camer komende, ontwaarde dat gemelde Regina aan haar aengesigt kout was, sonder een woord te spreeken, en den deposant sulx aan zijn voorseijde lijfheer gewaarschout [sic] en hij daerop geantwoord hebbende dat de meijd wat de gek stak, heeft hij comparant wijnig tijds daarna sig weeder na zijn arbijd begeeven. Dat voorseijde Jacob Pienaar vervolgens weg gereeden zijnde en hij comparant teegen den avond met zijn werk gedaan en sig na huijs begeeven hebbende, ter ordre van zijn lijfheer, voor gedagte slavin in ’t voorhuijs een kooij gemaakt heeft, waerna hij deselve uijt de camer onder bijde armen houdende, in ’t voorhuijs gebragt en op gemelde kooij gelegt heeft, dat hij comparant voor hem wat kost warm gemaakt en gegeeten hebbende, wijders in de combuijs is gaan slapen, werdende des morgens vroeg door zijn lijfheer wakker gemaakt en geordonneert ligt op te steeken, en hij comparant sulx ook gedaen hebbende, sag hij dat voorseijde slavin daer niet meer was, leggende haar kooij eenelijk nog in ’t voorhuijs, werdende voorts door des comparants lijfheer aan hem gevraagt waer dat meergemelde Regina was, op ’twelk den comparant ten antwoord gaf dat sulx niet wiste.
Dat eenige dagen na dato, de Hottentottinne Catrijn, des comparants lijfheers beesten troup hoedende, bij haar t’ huijs komst ’s avonds aan hem comparant verhaelt heeft dat zij in ‘’t gebergte boven des comparants lijfheers plaats, voorbij een eijservarkens gat gaende, een groote stank ontwaert had, en dat zij oordeelde dat daar een dood mens in leggen moeste, en den deposant hierop gedagten makende dat het somtijds meergemelde slavin Regina soude wesen die daarin lag, heeft hij aen gemelde Hottentottin gezegt dat zij sulx aan den landbouwer Andries du Toit de jonge waarschouwen moest.
Betuijgende den comparant ten laatsten wanneer, ter ordre van den requirant, ten overstaan van gecommitteerde heemraaden, het lijk in ’t gebergte boven de plaats van des comparants lijfheer besigtigt wierd, dat hij bij ’tselve gesien heeft, het plunje dat bovengemelde slavin Regina daags voordat zij is vermist geworden, heeft aangehad.
Anders niet verclaarende, geeft den comparant voor reedenen van wetenschap als in den text, bereijd zijnde ’t voorenstaande, des begeert werdende, naeder te zullen gestand doen.
Dat aldus passeerde ter secretarije aan Stellenbosch, ten overstaan van den burgers Gerrit Kemp en Johan George Zorn, als getuijgen hiertoe versogt.
Dit X is ’t merk van den comparant.
Als getuijgen, [get.] Gerrit Kemp, Johan Gorge [sic] Zorn.
In kennisse van mij, [get.] J.B. d’Aillij, secretaris.
1/STB 3/10 Criminele Verklaringen, 1749-1758, unpaginated.
Relaas gegeeven, ter requisitie van den heer landdrost Adriaan van Schoor, door den landbouwer Jan Lategaan, competenten ouderdom1, sijnde van den volgenden inhoud:
Dat hij relatant, nu omtrent twee maanden geleeden, zonder den accurate dag of datum te kunnen bepaalen, desselfs slavin, genaamt Regina van Ternaten, na ’t veld om, houd te haalen, heeft uijtgezonden en dewijl gemelde slaavin niet weder terugquam, heeft hij relatant sig ter opspeuring van gemelde slaavin mede in ’t veld begeven, vindende hij relatant deselve te slaapen leggen, en haar wacker gemaakt hebbende, heeft hij deselve na huijs doen gaan, geevende haar inmiddels met de sjambok eenige slagen op bijde haar beenen. Dat hij relatant, t’ huijs komende, aan desselfs slave jonge, Julij van Bengalen, heeft geordonneert om gemelde slavin op haar billen met d’ sjambok te slaan, hetgeen ook geschiet, en door den relatant vervolgens aan meergemelde slavin gelast om in de kamer meel te siften en, zij daar mee bezig zijnde, is ondertusschen den landbouwer Jacob Pinard op des relatants plaats gekomen, dewelke wijnig tijds daaraan ook weder vertrokken is, dat des snagts veelgemelde slavin Regina in ’t voorhuijs sig ter slaap heeft nedergelegt; en den relatant, des smorgens vroeg opgestaan zijnde, ontwaarde hij dat gemelde slavin niet meer in huijs was, zonder, na veel gedaane soeken, haar weder te kunnen vinden.
Betuijgende den relatant ten laatsten wanneer, ter ordre van den requirant, ten overstaan van gecommitteerde heemraaden, het lijk in ’t gebergte boven des relatants plaats besigtigt wierd, dat hij bij ’tselve gesien heeft het plunje dat bovengenoemde slavin Regina daags voordat zij is vermist geworden, heeft aangehad.
Anders niet relateerende, geeft den relatant voor reedenen van wetenschap als in den text, bereijd sijnde, als ’t mogte gerequireerd werden, dit, zijn gerelateerde ten allen tijden nader te sullen gestand doen.
Dat aldus passeerde ter secretarije aan Stellenbosch op den 24e November 1749, ten overstaan van den voorleser Abraham Faure en den burger Gerrit Kemp, als getuijgen hiertoe versogt.
[get.] Jan Lategan.
Als getuijgen, [get.] A. Faure, Gerrit Kemp.
In kennisse van mij, [get.] J.B. d’Aillij, secretaris.
Footnotes
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Sic. Should read: ‘van competenten ouderdom’. ↩