The Dutch settlements in South Africa
1652-1795 and 1802-1806.
In March
1647, with the shipwreck of the Dutch ship Nieuwe Haarlem, began the Dutch settlement in
the zone, the shipwreck victims, built a small fort named "Sand Fort of the Cape of
Good Hope". They stayed for nearly one year at the Cape, finally they were
rescued by a fleet of 12 ships under the command of W.G. de Jong, on one of these ships
was also Jan van Riebeeck.
After their return in
Holland a part of the shipwrecked tryed to persuade the Dutch East India Company to open a
trading center at the Cape.
In 1652, a Dutch expedition of 90 Calvinist settlers, under the command of Jan Van
Riebeeck, founded the first permanent settlement near the Cape of Good Hope.
They arrived, on 6 April 1652, on board of five ships, the Reijer, the
Oliphant, the Goede Hoop, the Walvisch end the Dromedaris in the bay of today's Cape Town.
A square wooden fort with four bastions was quickly
built, on the left bank of the Salt River where is now the Central Post Office, and later
were built also two redoubts near the shore, they were named Kyckuit and Duinhoop. In 1666
(the first stone was laid on 2 Janaury 1666), the fort was replaced by a new stone fort
named castle of "Goede Hoop" a massive pentagonal fortress with a moat and
bastions at each corner, the bastions were named: Nassau, Leerdam, Oranje,
Katzenellenbogen and Buren.
Map of the castle of "Goede
Hoop", Kaapstad-Cape Town.
Like Prof.
Ch. R. Boxer wrote in his book "The Dutch seaborne Empire": "the Cape
developed into a colony which was something unique, save for the short-lived New
Netherland, in the possesion of the Dutch East and West India Companies. It had a healthy,
subtropical and partly fertile interland, which was virtually unoccupied.....White
colonisation was as feasible here as it had been in New Netherland, with the additional
advantage that there was no rival European nation close at hand."
On 3 June 1652, the first child was born. The developement of a community of free burghers
was the main secret of the success of the settlement.
From the beginning were also started the first trades with the Hottentots that
resided in the zone, but the relationships with these tribes were often problematic.
In 1655, was launched the first coast vessel made of Cape timber.
In 1657, two groups of farmers settled about three miles from the castle, at Groenevelt
(or Dutch Garden) and Rodenbosch.
In 1658, the population of the whole Cape Colony consisted of 162 persons slaves
included.
In 1659, wine was pressed for the first time from Cape grapes.
During the first years the natives were the most persistent problem of the colony, they
frequently stole the cattle, and to solve the problem was decided to built a strong
fence around the farms to protect the cattle, these defences were extended from Blauwberg
across the bay to Salt River, and then through Groote Schuur to the hill of Wynberg, three
watch-houses were also built; the whole settlement, in this way, was protected from
Hottentot incursion.
Saldanha Bay, Dassen Island and Robben Island were developed as outpost of trade and stock
raising.
In 1660, a Dutch ship with 150 Slaves from Angola arrived at the Cape, later in the same
year another ship arrived with more slaves, the number of slaves in the settlement rose to
187. A school was opened to teach Dutch and religion to the children of the White
settlers, Mulattos and Hottentots also.
CAPE GOVERNORS
YEARS
Jan van
Riebeeck
1652-1662
Zacharias
Wagenaer
1662-1666
Cornelis van
Quaelberg
1666-1668
Jacob
Borghost
1668 -1670
Peter
Hackius
1670-1671
Albert van Breughel act.
1671-1672
Isbrand
Goske
1672-1676
Johann Bax
van Herentals
1676-1679
Simon van
der Stel
1679-1699
William Adrian van der Stel
1699-1708
Louis van Assenberg
1708-1713
Maurice de Chavonnes
1714-1724
Jan de la Fontaine act.
1724-1726
Gysbert Noodt
1726-1729
Jan de la Fontaine
1729-1739
Adrian van Kervel
1739 for
3 weeks
Henry Swellengrebel
1739-1751
Ryk Tulbagh
1751-1771
Joachim van Plettemberg
1771-1785
van de Graaff
1785-1791
John Reinus act.
1791-1793
Abraham
Sluysken
1793-1795
English occupation
1795-1802
Jacob de
Mist act.
1802-1805?
John
Williams Janssens
1805?-1806
When Jan
Van Riebeeck laid down his office in May 1662, there were 39 free farmers, of whom 15 were
married. Free labourers employed on the farms amounted to 54. The whole farming community
was of some 130 persons, besides the servants and the official of the VOC.
After the departure of Jan van Riebeeck, began, in the colony, a period of confusion:
during the first ten years 4 governors were appointed and after this brusted the war with
France.
During the government of Wagenaer, on 2 Janaury 1666 was laid the foundation stones of the
Castle of Goode Hoop, which was completed in 1674 during the government of Isbrand Goske.
In 1672, the white population was less than 600 souls, of whom only 64 were male
free-burghers.
On 9 April 1678 was laid the first stone of the Dutch Reformed church of Cape Town, this
building was completed 25 years later.
In 1679, the colony had 289 Europeans of whom 142 were free-burghers and 191 slaves, as in
Ceylon, the free-burghers in Kaapstad (Cape Town) were in most cases tavern-keeping or to
a lesser extent craftsmen and shopkeeper. In this year a new governor was appointed, he
was the Mauritius born Simon van der Stel, he in the first year of his government, founded
Stellenbosch, the second oldest town in South Africa, and during the twenty years of his
government, promoted the immigration of new families from The Netherlands, built a new
hospital and highly developed the colony.
In 1688 a group of about 200 French Huguenots arrived, they settled in Stellenbosch,
Drakenstein, Paarl and Franshhoek; developing farming and in particular vineyards.
In 1691, the population of Kaapstad or "De Kaap" consisted of 1000 Europeans and
400 Slaves. In 1695, there were, in the colony, still only 340 free-burghers.
In February 1699, Simon van der Stel handed over the government to his son William Adrian,
during his administration he had several problems with the French Huguenot settlers.
During the administration of Maurice de Chavonnes (1714-1724), to prevent Hottentots raid,
a series of small outposts were built at strategic points in Tulbagh, Klapmuts,
Groenekloof and Saldanha Baai.
In 1717, there were, in the colony, more than 5.000 souls, of whom 2.500 were Europeans
(in most cases farmers and breeders) and 2.500 were slaves.
The growth of population in Dutch South Africa
Year
Whites
Free Burghers + Servants
Slaves
Total
Whites +Slaves
Free
Burghers
Soldiers
Total
Whites +Slaves +Soldiers
1652
90
0
90
1658
82
80
162
1660
187
1672
221
200
421
64
1679
289
191
480
142
1685
200
1691
1.000
400
1.400
1695
340
1699
1.232
536
1.768
414
751
2.519
1717
2.500
2.500
5.000
2.000
1733
2.598
2.218
4.816
1756
5.000
1780
12.000
1795
16.000
16.839
32.839
In 1720,
were settled the Breede and Oliphant's valleys.
Jan de la Fontaine, became governor in 1724 and he was in control of the Cape Colony until
1739, except for an interval of three years, when was governor Gysbert Noodt. La Fontaine,
was a quietly efficient governor, in 1730, the Little Karoo valley was reached; in 1734,
he started to colonize Mossel Baai area.
The first governor born in the Cape was appointed in 1739, he was Henry Swellengrebel, his
name has been preserved in the town of Swellendam, which was founded during his
government.
During the government of Ryk Tulbagh (1751-1771), was reached the Orange River. In these
years, the French astronomer Abbé de la Caille made, at Kaapstad, a chart and a catalogue
of the sky of the Southern hemisfere.
During the Tulbagh successor, Joachim van Plettemberg (1771-1785), the exploration of the
Orange River valley was completed. Van Plettemberg was a capable and energetic governor.
In 1780, there were 11.000-12.000 free-burghers whose at least 3.000 lived in Kaapstad.
The Boers in the late 18th century regarded South Africa as their fatherland.
In 1785, a new governor was appointed, he was van de Graaff, during his administration was
founded the town of Graaff-Reinet. Kaapstad was now a town of 4.300 settlers without
counting blacks and sailors. Stellenbosch was the foremost of the farming settlements
In 1794, the Dutch East India Company went bankrupt and in 1795 the English seized the
colony, the Dutch surrender in 1795 is knew as capitulation of Rustemburg.
In 1795, the town of Kaapstad had 14.021 inhabitants, 4.357 were Europeans.
In 1795, the Slaves in the whole colony were 16.839, the White were nearly 16.000.
In 1802, at the Amiens's treaty, the Netherlands (now Batava Republic) recover the colony.
Jacob de Mist was appointed as new Dutch governor, he after three years of government,
gave up the command to John Willians Janssens, he on 18 Janaury 1806, at Blauwberg,
surrendered the colony to the British.
