1791 Petrus Joubert
Slaves could be caught up in disputes between their owners. In this case Adam van Bengalen, a cattle herder owned by Johannes Roux, was severely beaten by Petrus Joubert, son of another burgher, because he was grazing livestock on common land.1 Joubert’s slaves assisted him in the task. Roux complained to the local landdrost, but it does not appear that any action was taken against Joubert.2
Footnotes
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Nothing about the background to this case is known, but Joubert might have contended the use of the grazing land. The statement that he had beaten the herder before implies that this was a long-standing dispute. ↩
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These are the only two documents concerning this case in the Stellenbosch records. There is no mention of it in the criminal regtsrollenregtsrollenLiterally ‘rolls of justice’, the minutes of the proceedings of the Council of Justice.. ↩
1/STB 3/12 Criminele Verklaringen, 1786-1793, unpaginated.
Statement, given in the presence of the undersigned 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 honourables Johan Bernard Hoffman and Pieter Gerh. Wium, and on the requisition of the landdrost here, the honourable koopmankoopmanThe administrative or civil sector of the VOC was divided into six categories of rank, with the governor-general at the head of the first one. Most of the titles used for these ranks were derived from the merchant origins of the VOC, but in practice a rank did not equate with a person’s function. Koopman, literally meaning ‘merchant,’ was a rank in the third category, senior to onderkoopman (‘junior merchant’), but below an opperkoopman (‘chief merchant’). Hendrik Lodewijk Bletterman, by and on behalf of the burgher Johs. Hendrik Roux, of competent age, going as follows: That on the past Tuesday, the 4th of this month, when the testifier was going from his garden to the house with a spade over his shoulder, he saw the burgher Petrus Joubert, who is the voorzoon1 of his neighbour, the burgher Gerrit Victor, following two of his own 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., with a so-called hind oxen 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. in his hand,2 and going in the direction of the testifier’s herd of cattle grazing on the opposite side of the Dwars River3 on the honourable Company’s veld, fully a thousand paces, at a guess, from the property of the aforesaid Victor. Whereupon the testifier became worried that the said Joubert, as has happened before, might be planning to punish and maltreat the testifier’s cattle herder without any reason; and he therefore rushed home to put away the spade, with the aim to then rush again thither with some of his slaves in order to stop the said Joubert in his intention and to prevent the maltreatment of his slave. And when he had just come out of the house, he noticed very clearly how the aforesaid Joubert had his cattle herder, by the name of Adam, held down to the ground by three of his slaves, while he was busy beating him with the aforesaid 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..
That the testifier then immediately ran with his four 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., as fast as they possibly could, and (after a considerable amount of time had passed because of the difficulty in crossing the river and bushes which were in-between) only when they were nearing the said Joubert at a very short distance, did he stop the beating. Whereupon his punished cattle herder remained lying on the ground; and when the testifier got to him, he found him to have been pitifully maltreated, as the said Adam was lying for dead and powerlessly on the ground, while blood was running from his mouth and nose, and he was severely scourged on his buttocks, in which circumstances the testifier had the same carried and led home by the aforementioned slaves he brought with him; besides having him transported the following day on a wagon to show this [maltreatment] to the petitioner and to bring in his complaint concerning this against the aforementioned Joubert.
There being nothing more to relate, the testifier asserts to be convinced of the accuracy of his statement as in the text, being willing to confirm the same at any time with solemn oaths.
Thus related at the office of the secretary at Stellenbosch on 6 October 1791.
[signed] Johannis Hendrik Roux.
As delegates, [signed] J.B. Hoffman, P.G. Wium.
In my presence, [signed] J.P. Faure, secretary.
1/STB 3/12 Criminele Verklaringen, 1786-1793, unpaginated.
Statement, given in the presence of the undersigned 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 honourables Johan Bernard Hoffman and Pieter Gerh. Wium, and on the requisition of the landdrost here, the honourable koopmankoopmanThe administrative or civil sector of the VOC was divided into six categories of rank, with the governor-general at the head of the first one. Most of the titles used for these ranks were derived from the merchant origins of the VOC, but in practice a rank did not equate with a person’s function. Koopman, literally meaning ‘merchant,’ was a rank in the third category, senior to onderkoopman (‘junior merchant’), but below an opperkoopman (‘chief merchant’). Hendrik Lodewijk Bletterman, by and on behalf of Adam van Bengalen, thirty years old at a guess, bondsman of the burgher Johs. Hendrik Roux, going as follows:
That on the past Tuesday, when the testifier, who looks after the stock of his owner, was letting them graze, as per usual, on the honourable Company’s veld on the other side of the Dwars River, the burgher Petrus Joubert, who had three 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. with him, came to the testifier there in the veld, and asked him in essence: “Why are you grazing them here?”, and upon this ordered the aforesaid three 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 hold fast the testifier and to lay him down on the ground, which they also did at once, when the same Joubert beat the testifier with a so-called hind oxen 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 he had brought with him, in such a manner that the trousers he was wearing became entirely tattered and the outer skin, as also the flesh, of his buttocks was opened, as if it had been damaged by a knife or another sharp instrument (as the wounds thereof, shown to the undersigned delegates, also clearly indicate). That the testifier – both as a result of 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. lashes and a blow he received on the back between his shoulder blades with a fist, given either by the aforesaid Joubert or by one of his slaves, which is when he started bleeding – remained lying totally powerless on the ground, when his owner presently got there with four of his fellow slaves, who first carried the testifier some way and thereafter led him home. The testifier also declares to still experience much pain both from the wounds on his buttocks and internally in his chest and the side of his back.
There being nothing more to relate, the testifier asserts to be convinced of his statement as in the text, declaring it to be the whole truth.
Thus related in the residence of the burgher Pieter Schalk Hugo, situated here in the town, on 6 October 1791.
This mark X was set down by the testifier Adam with his own hand.
As delegates, [signed] J.B. Hoffman, P.G. Wium.
In my presence, [signed] J.P. Faure, secretary.
Footnotes
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On the meaning of this, see 1776 Julij van Timor, n. 9. ↩
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A 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. used to beat the hind oxen of a wagon, perhaps meaning a 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. shorter than a normal one. ↩
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A tributary of the Berg River, between Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. ↩
Relaas gegeven ten overstaan van de ondergeteekende gecommitteerde heemraden d’ edele Johan Bernard Hoffman en Pieter Gerh. Wium, ende ter requisitie van den koopman en landdrost alhier, de heer Hendrik Lodewijk Bletterman, door ende van wegens den burger Johs. Hendrik Roux, van competenten ouderdom, luijdende hetselve als volgd:
Dat den relatant laatst gepasseerde Dingsdag, den 4e deser, uit desselvs thuin met een graaf op de schouderen naar ’t huis gaande, gezien heevt dat den burger Petrus Joubert, zijnde een voorzoon van desselvs buurman, den burger Gerrit Victor, met een zogenaamde agterosses sjambok in handen, twee zijner slaven jongens volgde en zo cours namen na des relatants troup beesten aan de overzijde der Dwarsrivier op ’s edele Compagnies veld, na gissing ruim een duijsend treeden van het eigendomsgrond van voorseijde Victor, weijdende; wanneer den relatant, bedugd zijnde dat gemelde Joubert, gelijk toenmalen al is geschied, in zin mogte hebben zijn relatants beestewagter zonder reeden af te straffen en te mishandelen, en zig daarom ook haastende naar huijs te lopen en de graaf weg te leggen, met oogmerk om vervolgens, met eenige van zijn slaven weeder derwaarts zig te spoeden ten eijnde gedagte Joubert in zulx een voornemen te verhinderen en mishandilingen [sic] aan zijn slaav voor te komen, en, nauwlijks weder uit het huijs gekomen zijnde, ook zeer duijdelijk was komen te bespeuren dat voorseijde Joubert desselvs beestwagter, Adam genaamt, door drie zijner slaven op de grond liet vasthouden, terwijl hij besig was denselven met voormelde sjambok te slaan.
Dat den relatant alstoen terstond met vier zijner slaven jongens, zo schielijk als zijlieden immer konden, toegelopen en (nadat een geruijme tijd, wegens de moeijlijkheijd om de tusschenbijde zig bevindende bosschen en rivieren te passeeren, verlopen was) gemelde Joubert op een zeer korten afstand genaderd zijnde, denselven daarop eerst met slaan was uitgescheijden; wanneer desselvs afgestraften beestwagter op de grond blijvende leggen; en den relatant bij hem komende, bevonden had denselve deerlijk mishandeld te zijn, als leggende gemelde Adam voor dood en in onmagt ter aarde, terwijl het bloed hem uit mond en neus vloeijde en hij op de billen strengelijk gegeesseld was, in welke omstandigheijd den relatant denselve naar huijs had laten dragen en leijden door voormelde zijne meede genomene slaven; mitsgaders daags daaraan met een wagen na herwaards laten transporteeren om zulk aan den requirant te vertonen en deswegens zijn beklag tegen voornoemde Joubert in te brengen.
Niets meer relateerende, geevt den relatant voor reedenen van wetenschap als in den text, berijd zijnde hetselve ter aller tijde met solmneelen eeden te staven.
Aldus gerelateerd ter secretarije aan Stellenbosch, den 6e October 1791.
[get.] Johannis [sic] Hendrik Roux.
Als gecommitteerdens, [get.] J.B. Hoffman, P.G. Wium.
Mij present, [get.] J.P. Faure, secretaris.
1/STB 3/12 Criminele Verklaringen, 1786-1793, unpaginated.
Relaas gegeven, ten overstaan van de ondergeteekende gecommitteerde heemraden d’ edele Johan Bernhard Hoffman en Pieter Gerhard Wium, ende ter requisitie van den koopman en landdrost, de heer Hendrik Lodewijk Bletterman, door ende van weegens Adam van Bengalen, oud na gissing dertig jaren, lijfeijgen van den burger Johs. Hendrik Roux, luijdende hetselve als volgd:
Dat den relatant het vhee van zijne lijfheer oppassende, hetselve nu laatst gepasseerde Dingsdag na gewoonte heevt laten weijden in ’s edele Compagnies veld aan geene zijde der Dwarsrivier, wanneer de burger Petrus Joubert, bij zig hebbende drie zijner slaven jongens, aldaar in het veld bij den relatant gekomen zijnde, hem relatant in substantie is komen te vragen: Wat laat jij hier gras vreeten?, en daarop de voorseijde drie jongens gelast hebbende den relatant vast te houden en op den grond neder te leggen, die zulks terstond ook hebben gedaan, denselven Joubert vervolgens met een, door hem meedegebragte, zogenaamde agterosses sjambok den relatant sodanig heevt geslagen, dat desselvs aangehad hebbende broek daar door ten eenemaal in stukken geraakt en de opperhuijd, mitsgaders het vleis, van zijn billen, als met een mes of ander scherp instrument te zijn geschend, is geopend geworden (zo als de wonden daarvan aan de ondergeteekende gecommitteerdens vertoond, zulx ook duijdelijk aantonen) dat den relatant zo, ter oorzake dier sjambok slagen, als van één, of door voorseijde Joubert, dan wel door een zijner slaven, hem relatant van agteren, tusschen de schouderbladen, toegebragte vuistslag <wanneer hij het bloed was uijtgebraakt>1 geheel onmagtig ter aarde zijnde blijven leggen, dezelvs lijfheer anstons [sic] daarna was gekomen met vier zijner meede slaven, die den relatant eerst een end wegs gedragen en vervolgens naar ’t huijs hebben geleijd; verklarende den relatant ook nog zoo veel pijn, zo aan de wonden op dezelvs billen, als innerlijk aan de borst en de zijde rugge, te gevoelen.
Niets meer relateerende, geevt den relatant voor redenen van wetenschap als in den text, betuijgende zulx de zuijvere waarheid te zijn.
Aldus gerelateerd ter woonhuijse van den burger Pieter Schalk Hugo, alhier in de dorpe geleegen, den 6e October 1791.
Als gecommitteerdens, [get.] J.B. Hoffman, P.G. Wium.
Dit kruijsmerk X is door de relatant Adam eigenhandig gesteld.
Mij present, [get.] J.P. Faure, secretaris.
Footnotes
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The part between angled brackets was written above the line here. ↩