1750 David van Bengalen
The landdrost of the newly created eastern pastoral district of Swellendam here tells the Council of Justice that a slave had reported that his owner, Jan Lodewijk Bouwer, had beaten the slave Alexander van Mallebaar, causing his death. Investigation of the corpse did not reveal such lethal blows, although Bouwer admitted beating him and made excuses for not reporting Alexander’s later death. The evidence was inconclusive, but David van Bengalen was whipped for making a false accusation.1
Although by law owners had to report the deaths of their slaves, and the authorities investigated cases of suspected maltreatment, there were limits to the protection that this gave to slaves, especially on a remote farm such as this one.2 David van Bengalen’s punishment and return to his owner would hardly have encouraged other slaves to bring complaints against their owners.
Footnotes
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David’s complaint and the surgeon’s report accompanied the letter, CJ 2485, ff. 121-2 and 126. He was punished by the local authorities and the case did not come before the Council of Justice. ↩
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On the 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. concerning this, see 1718 Anthonij van Mallabaar, n. 2. ↩
CJ 2485 Inkoomende Brieven, 1729-1759, Deel 1, ff. 123-25.
Report to the right honourable lord Rijk Tulbagh, nominated1 governor of the Cape of
Good Hope and the areas falling under its control etc., drawn up by the undersigned, Jan Andries Horak, as landdrost of Swellendam, concerning the case, reported to him, of a malicious beating to death, allegedly done by the burgher Jan Lodewijk Bouwer to 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., named Alexander van Mallebaar:
Right honourable lord,
On the 4th of this current month October, it was reported to me, the undersigned, by the slave David van Bengalen, bondsman of the burgher and inhabitant Jan Lodk. Bouwer, that the aforementioned Jan Lodk. Bouwer had beaten another 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. belonging to him with a stick in such a way that he had come to die of it.
Thus, bound by duty, I found myself compelled to set out with two 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., to the farm of the said Jan Lodewijk Bouwer, by the name of the Klipfonteijn, situated at the Dunes, in order to closely investigate this case.
Having arrived there on 7 October following, I, the undersigned, asked Jan Lodk. Bouwer whether he had beaten one of his slave 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. to death or in which way he had come to die, as well as why he, Jan Lodk. Bouwer, had not, as is the custom of the land, informed me of it before he had interred the corpse; to which the aforementioned J.L. Bouwer in essence answered thus:
That on 11 September preceding, his shepherd, by the name of Alexander, while running up and down, was given some lashes in the cattle corral by him, J.L. Bouwer, with a cane – which he showed us – for the loss of a certain number of sheep.
That the aforementioned Alexander thereupon looked after the sheep for three more days, or until 14 September, and, coming home on the last evening, complained of being ill. Further, that he came to die on 25 September following.
That he, Jn. Lk. Bouwer, on the following day had let the heemraadheemraadThe 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. Daniel Leroe [sic] know of the death of his slave, since he could not come to the undersigned to bring this to his attention, seeing that the rivers were high and that his wife and some children were unwell, being therefore forced to inter the corpse on 27 September, after having the same examined by the burghers Jacobus van Beelen and Anthonij Minie.
Wherefore the undersigned, in the presence of the 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., had the aforesaid dead body exhumed once again and inspected by the soldier Fredrik Sigismind [sic] Moodeman (since he knows the art of surgery), but without being able to find any wounds or blows which could have caused death to be the result, as can also be gleaned from the testimony of the 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., attached herewith.
Which is why the undersigned, being of the opinion that no case can be found for or against the aforementioned Jan Lodewijk Bouwer, has to relieve him of any further procedures; thinking it further right that the aforementioned slave David be severely whipped for falsely accusing his master and then be sent back to his owner’s home.
Thinking herewith to have done the necessary in his official capacity, this serves as a humble report, while I undersign myself obediently,
Right honourable lord,
Your right honour’s humble and obedient servant,
[signed] J.A. Horak.
Swellendam, 11 October 1750.
Footnotes
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This report was written in October 1750. When Swellengrebel announced in 1749 that he wished to step down as governor, the Council of Policy suggested Tulbagh as his successor to the Heren XVII. However, Tulbagh officially took over from Swellengrebel only in February 1751, probably the time it took for the answer from the Heren XVII to arrive, DSAB II: 726. This may explain the use of ‘nominated’ here, indicating that Tulbagh had been proposed, but not yet confirmed, as governor. ↩
Rapport aan den weledele gestrenge heere [sic] Rijk Tulbagh, geëligeert gouverneur aan Cabo de Goede Hoop en den ressorte van dien etc., door ende van weegens den ondergetekende Jan Andries Horak, als landdrost van Swellendam gedaan, over en ter saake van aan hem aangebragt moedwillig doodslaan, ’tgeen gepleegt soude sijn door den burger Jan Lodewijk Bouwer, aan sijn slave jongen, genaamt Alexander van Mallebaar.
Weledele gestrenge heer,
Op den 4e deeser loopende maand October is mijn [sic], ondergetekende, door den slaaff David van Bengalen, lijfeijgenen van den burger en inwoonder Jan Lodk. Bouwer, berigt dat den soo eevengemelden Jan Lodk. Bouwer een ander, aan hem toebehoorende, slavejongen soodanig met een stok hadde geslagen dat hij daarvan was komen te overleijden.
Soo heb ik mijn amptshalven verpligt gevonden, met en beneevens twee heemraden, te begeeven na de plaats van gesegde Jan Lodewijk Bouwer, genaamt de Klip Fonteijn, geleegen aan de Duijnen, ten eijnde die zaak op het nauwkeurigste te ondersoeken.
Alwaar op den 7e October daaraanvolgende gekomen zijnde, heb ik ondergetekende aan hem Jan Lodk. Bouwer gevraagt of hij een van sijn slaven jongens had doodgeslagen, of op hoedanigen manier hij was komen te sterven, alsmeede waarom hij Jan Lodk. Bouwer, alvoorens het lijk ter aarde was besteld, sulx niet volgens ’s lands gebruijk aan mijn, als landdrost, had bekent gemaakt, soo heeft dikwils gemelde J.L. Bouwer in substantie daarop g’antwoord:
Dat het was geweest den 11e September bevoorens, wanneer zijn schaapwagter, genaamt Alexander, over het verliesen van een quantiteijd schaapen, door hem J.L. Bouwer met een rotting, dewelke hij thans wees, in de koeije craal, onder het heen en weder loopen, eenige slagen was gegeeven.
Dat den voornoemden Alexander vervolgens nog drie dagen, of tot den 14e September de schaapen hadde opgepast, en den laatsten avond te huijs komende, klaagde siekelijk te zijn, wijders op den 25e September daaraanvolgende was komen te overleijden.
Dat hij Jn. Lk. Bouwer des anderen daags het sterven van zijn slaaff aan den heemraad Daniel Leroe [sic] hadde laaten bekent maaken, als kunnende, vermits het hoog sijn der rivieren, ende onpasselijkheijd van sijn huijsvrouw en eenige kinderen, niet bij den ondergetekende, om sulx ter kennisse te brengen, komen, sijnde voorts genoodsaakt geweest, na het lijk door de burgers Jacobus van Beelen en Anthonij Minie te hebben laaten besigtigen, op den 27e September hetselve ter aarde te bestellen.
Weshalven den ondergetekende het voorseijde doode lighaam weederom heeft doen opgraven en, in presentie van de heemraden, door de soldaat Fredrik Sigismind [sic] Moodeman (als de chirurgijnskunst verstaande) laaten visiteeren, egter geen wonde of slag kunnen ontdecken die eenige verhaasting aan het sterven soude hebben veroorsaakt, gelijk komt te courteren uijt de hierneevens gaande heemraadsverclaaring.
Waarom den ondergetekende, vermeijnende geen actie op ende jeegens den dikwilsgemelden Jan Lodewijk Bouwer te kunnen vinden, hem van verdere proceduuren heeft moeten ontslaan, en voorts goedgevonden den voorwaarts genaamt slaaf David over het valsch calangeeren van zijn meester strengelijk te doen laarsen, en dan zijn lijfheer weederom worden thuijs gesonden.
Hier meede gedenkende ex officio voldaan te hebben, soo dient deese voor nedrig rapport, terwijl ik mijn onderdaniglijk onderschrijff,
Weledele gestrenge heer,
Uwe weledele gestrenges onderdanige en gehoorsamen dienaar,
[get.] J.A. Horak.
Swellendam, den 11e October 1750.