Hendrik Petrus was die seun van Isaak van der Westhuizen en Sara Johanna Jansen van Vuuren.
DG: Pieter Delport; Maria Susanna van der Westhuizen.
Sara Johanna Jansen van Vuuren het ‘n broer met die naam Hendrik Petrus.
Cape of
Good Hope Government Gazette
West of Prieska is the Kaaing Bult, the "suet ridge", sprinkled with white quartz pebbles which reminded the early farmers of the lumps of fat used for cooking. This area of sixteen hundred square miles is a land of pans and mirages, criss-crossed by the wagon tracks of generations of trekboers. Many years ago there was a farmer who owned ten thousand morgen of grazing in the Kaaing Bult. He wished to share it out among nine sons and sons-in-law, and about twenty years ago a surveyor set about the task. It was then discovered that the farm was eleven hundred morgen larger than the owner had supposed. The original surveyor had been deceived by the mirages.
Hendrik Petrus van der Westhuizen is op 13 Junie 1909, te Holpan, afd. Prieska oorlede.
01 Oct
1837
1837,
Hendrik
Pieter van der Westhuizen
and
Hester
Sara Johanna Holtzhausen
Source:
Nederduits Gereformeerde Gemeente (NGK), Beaufort West, Western Cape. marriage
index register, 1819-1842. Repository: NG Kerkargief, Noordwal-Wes,
Stellenbosch. Transcribed by Kathleen Schulz, from Cape Archives VC 751.
Note:
VC 751 is a photocopy of a modern index to the original Beaufort West marriage
register (date and indexer unknown) in the NG Kerkargief, Noordwal-Wes,
Stellenbosch.
Sir Harry Smith's extension of the northern
border to the Orange River in 1847 further complicated the land issue. The land
added to the Colony by his action became known as the New Territory by both the
central authorities and local inhabitants and was not nearly as uninhabited as
Surveyor-General Michell had assured Smith it was. The fairly large Xhosa
communities centred on Schietfontein, Pramberg and Prieska now fell under
direct colonial control, as did the Bastards who lived on the Zak River and on
the outskirts of Schietfontein. A considerable number of white farmers, too,
were already living as squatters or on request places beyond the colonial
borders. By his proclamation, Sir Harry Smith declared all of the New Territory
to be crown land. However, the claims of those who already occupied it would
not be entirely ignored. It was decided that the inhabitants of the New
Territory could retain 6 000 acres (3 000 morgen) after it had been surveyed at
their expense, while the rest of the land they held was to be sold by public auction. It is important to remember that no part of the new Territory,
except the banks of the Orange River, could support any settled community.
Seasonal trekking was a basic fact of life. This made it possible, once the New
Territory was part of the Colony, for people to apply for what appeared to be
'empty' land, and explains the bad blood engendered when titles for these
'empty' plots were granted to newcomers, who had taken advantage of this
seasonal migration. Similarly, the nomadisrn of the northern pastoralists
explains why there were often competing claims for the same bit of land which
may have been used by numerous groups or individuals for periods of time over a
number of years. The 6 000 acres which pastoralists were permitted to retain
was ludicrously little in that arid area, and the reserve price of two
shillings an acre for extra land was therefore exorbitant. Civil Commissioner
F. Rawstorne in Colesberg, emphasising the value of a settled community on the
lawless frontier, recommended that at the very least a farm would have to be 20
000 acres (10 000 morgen) to be viable, and then only if additional land could
be bought at fourpence 29 halfpenny an acre. He was ignored. The application of
H.P. van der Westhuizen was typical of many. He had lived on 60 000 acres in
the New Territory for nine years, opened up springs and built darns and a barn.
He was prospective field-cornet for the area and had proved his loyalty to the
government by fighting on the eastern frontier. He was refused permission to
buy or lease the land he claimed: 6 000 acres was the limit. The remainder
would have to be auctioned. (https://open.uct.ac.za/bitstream/handle/11427/26614/thesis_hum_1985_anderson_elisabeth_dell.pdf?sequence=1)
Die plaas Modderfontein is in 1852 aan H.P. van der Westhuizen toegeken. Die plaas Kalkwal grens daaraan. Modderfontein plaas geleë in Victoria-Wes area is 35 km van Drie Susters op N1. Dit is die hoogste punt tussen Kaapstad en Johannesburg. Noblesfontein is 33 km vanaf Modderfontein, 38 km van Matjiesfontein. Noblesfontein (9000 ha) 20 km noordwes van afdraaipad na Biesiespoort, 76 van Richmond, 30 km van Drie susters. Die Benadies en Roetse is ook van Moddderfontein.
The first assault on Schietfontein began in February 1857. The Divisional Council sent Henry Rose and Hendrik Jacobs to inspect H.P. van der Westhuizen's ward in the New Territory. Claims for 107 farms had been made, 80 of which were by white Boers to the lands of Rhenosterpoort, Garstkolk, Zandput, Rhenosterkolk, Minaskolk and Kareekloof (Kafferskloof), all either legally used by the Xhosa or promised by J.J. Meintjies as commonage for the Pramberg Xhosa in lieu 25 of the land they had lost. (https://open.uct.ac.za/bitstream/handle/11427/26614/thesis_hum_1985_anderson_elisabeth_dell.pdf?sequence=1)
I could remember easily enough the time when land in the north West Cape fetched half a crown a morgen, and farms of one hundred thousand morgen were not unknown. There was a true story of a trek Boer who camped on a farm with his flocks for six months before the owner discovered him. You could buy a sheep for four shillings and wool fetched three pence a pound. The old people spoke of more spacious days than ever I had known. I met an eighty-year-old Prieska resident, Mr. Jasper van der Westhuizen, who was probably the first white child to be born in the district. His father had come up from Oudtshoorn in the eighteen-fifties, helped himself to a three thousand morgen "request farm" free of charge, and bought additional land at a shilling an acre. In the end he and his sons owned nearly a quarter of a million acres. Oom Jasper told me that in his youth he often rode a hundred miles through the Prieska and the present Kenhardt districts without seeing a farm house or meeting a single white person. It was not until 1870 that the first mud-building, a police station, appeared in Prieska. (https://archive.org/stream/Karoo/Karoo_djvu.txt)
Prieska is a corruption of the Koranna name Priskab, "the place of the lost she-goat". This was the safest drift across the Orange River for miles and the natural place for a village. Yet it was not until late last century that Prieska began to show, signs of activity. It was known to certain trekboers who went there in good years, when summer rain brought up the grass; but for a long time no white farmers wished to settle permanently in such a dry area. After rain the pans filled up, and that would keep the sheep going for months. Thus the pans became the most important landmarks - Hartbeespan, Jakomienpan, Brulpan, Eierdoppan, Wegsteek-pan, Gelukspan, and every one of them with its own story. (
Die gemeente Prieska is in 1878 afgestig van die moedergemeente, Victoria-Wes. By afstigting het die gemeente bestaan uit 2100 siele en 510 lidmate, en die grense het van Brakfontein aan die Grootrivier tot by Boegoeberg (die latere Groblershoop) gestrek. In die begin is die godsdiensoefeninge onder bokseile gehou, en later in 'n groot tent. Die Kaapse parlement het in 1880 deur 'n spesiale besluit 'n stuk grond vir 'n kerkgebou geskenk en op 8 September 1883 het die inwyding van die kerk plaasgevind. (
Die plaas Modderfontein is in 1852 aan H.P. van der Westhuizen toegeken. Die plaas Kalkwal grens daaraan. Modderfontein plaas geleë in Victoria-Wes area is 35 km van Drie Susters op N1. Dit is die hoogste punt tussen Kaapstad en Johannesburg. Noblesfontein is 33 km vanaf Modderfontein, 38 km van Matjiesfontein. Noblesfontein (9000 ha) 20 km noordwes van afdraaipad na Biesiespoort, 76 van Richmond, 30 km van Drie susters. Die Benadies en Roetse is ook van Moddderfontein.
The first assault on Schietfontein began in February 1857. The Divisional Council sent Henry Rose and Hendrik Jacobs to inspect H.P. van der Westhuizen's ward in the New Territory. Claims for 107 farms had been made, 80 of which were by white Boers to the lands of Rhenosterpoort, Garstkolk, Zandput, Rhenosterkolk, Minaskolk and Kareekloof (Kafferskloof), all either legally used by the Xhosa or promised by J.J. Meintjies as commonage for the Pramberg Xhosa in lieu 25 of the land they had lost. (https://open.uct.ac.za/bitstream/handle/11427/26614/thesis_hum_1985_anderson_elisabeth_dell.pdf?sequence=1)
I could remember easily enough the time when land in the north West Cape fetched half a crown a morgen, and farms of one hundred thousand morgen were not unknown. There was a true story of a trek Boer who camped on a farm with his flocks for six months before the owner discovered him. You could buy a sheep for four shillings and wool fetched three pence a pound. The old people spoke of more spacious days than ever I had known. I met an eighty-year-old Prieska resident, Mr. Jasper van der Westhuizen, who was probably the first white child to be born in the district. His father had come up from Oudtshoorn in the eighteen-fifties, helped himself to a three thousand morgen "request farm" free of charge, and bought additional land at a shilling an acre. In the end he and his sons owned nearly a quarter of a million acres. Oom Jasper told me that in his youth he often rode a hundred miles through the Prieska and the present Kenhardt districts without seeing a farm house or meeting a single white person. It was not until 1870 that the first mud-building, a police station, appeared in Prieska. (https://archive.org/stream/Karoo/Karoo_djvu.txt)
Prieska is a corruption of the Koranna name Priskab, "the place of the lost she-goat". This was the safest drift across the Orange River for miles and the natural place for a village. Yet it was not until late last century that Prieska began to show, signs of activity. It was known to certain trekboers who went there in good years, when summer rain brought up the grass; but for a long time no white farmers wished to settle permanently in such a dry area. After rain the pans filled up, and that would keep the sheep going for months. Thus the pans became the most important landmarks - Hartbeespan, Jakomienpan, Brulpan, Eierdoppan, Wegsteek-pan, Gelukspan, and every one of them with its own story. (
Die gemeente Prieska is in 1878 afgestig van die moedergemeente, Victoria-Wes. By afstigting het die gemeente bestaan uit 2100 siele en 510 lidmate, en die grense het van Brakfontein aan die Grootrivier tot by Boegoeberg (die latere Groblershoop) gestrek. In die begin is die godsdiensoefeninge onder bokseile gehou, en later in 'n groot tent. Die Kaapse parlement het in 1880 deur 'n spesiale besluit 'n stuk grond vir 'n kerkgebou geskenk en op 8 September 1883 het die inwyding van die kerk plaasgevind. (
Prieska se ou NG kerkgebou, afgeneem omstreeks 1916.
Dit is ingewy op 8 September 1883 en was in gebruik tot 1920, toe dit gesloop
is om plek te maak vir die nuwe kerk. (
People living in Prieska not so long ago remembered the first magistrate, a free-and- easy frontier type, holding his court in the open air under a large kameel-doring tree. When he had disposed of the work a braaivleis was organized, everyone toasted the magistrate, and they danced to the music of a concertina. One of the Prieska characters of those days was a law agent named Proudfoot, who also dealt in patent medicines which he had invented. Proudfoot's pills and ointment had a great reputation among the trekboers.
Prieska became the railway terminus of the North West Cape half a century ago. Anyone with donkeys and a wagon could make a living as transport-riders; and when the Germans over the border went to war with the Hereros and Hottentots, the livestock and produce dealers and transport-riders made fortunes: At one period, however, leopards became so troublesome that even the horses in the village were being attacked. The farmers organized a commando and went up into the mountains with the intention of exterminating the enemy. Not a leopard was to be found.
People living in Prieska not so long ago remembered the first magistrate, a free-and- easy frontier type, holding his court in the open air under a large kameel-doring tree. When he had disposed of the work a braaivleis was organized, everyone toasted the magistrate, and they danced to the music of a concertina. One of the Prieska characters of those days was a law agent named Proudfoot, who also dealt in patent medicines which he had invented. Proudfoot's pills and ointment had a great reputation among the trekboers.
Prieska became the railway terminus of the North West Cape half a century ago. Anyone with donkeys and a wagon could make a living as transport-riders; and when the Germans over the border went to war with the Hereros and Hottentots, the livestock and produce dealers and transport-riders made fortunes: At one period, however, leopards became so troublesome that even the horses in the village were being attacked. The farmers organized a commando and went up into the mountains with the intention of exterminating the enemy. Not a leopard was to be found.
West of Prieska is the Kaaing Bult, the "suet ridge", sprinkled with white quartz pebbles which reminded the early farmers of the lumps of fat used for cooking. This area of sixteen hundred square miles is a land of pans and mirages, criss-crossed by the wagon tracks of generations of trekboers. Many years ago there was a farmer who owned ten thousand morgen of grazing in the Kaaing Bult. He wished to share it out among nine sons and sons-in-law, and about twenty years ago a surveyor set about the task. It was then discovered that the farm was eleven hundred morgen larger than the owner had supposed. The original surveyor had been deceived by the mirages.
Hendrik Petrus van der Westhuizen is op 13 Junie 1909, te Holpan, afd. Prieska oorlede.
