e.11. Hester
Susanna, geb. 07/10/1824, ged. 04/04/1825, Uitenhage, oorl. 02/02/1842,
Kuikendrifsfontein, dist. Somerset-Oos x 06/12/1840, Somerset-Oos met Lourens
Jacobus (Louw) WEPENER, geb. 21/07/1812, Graaff-Reinet, oorl. 15/08/1865,
Lesotho (Dood in Basutho oorlog), s.v. Frederik Jacobus Wepener en Johanna
Maria Erasmus. LJW xx Hilletje Maria Levina Van Aardt.
Hester Susanna was die dogter van Daniël Nel en Maria Catharina van Aarde.
Birth Date
7 October 1824
Event Type Baptism
Event Date
4 April 1825
Event Place Uitenhage, Cape Province, South Africa
Daniel Nel
Maria Cathrina Van Aard
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6XS2-3Q4T?lang=en
Name Lourens Jacobus Wepener
Sex Male
Event Type Marriage
Event Date
6 December 1840
Event Place
Somerset East, Somerset East, Cape Province, South Africa
Event Place (Original) Somerset East, Somerset, Cape Province
Colony Cape Colony
Certificate Number 32
Name Hester Susanna Nel
Sex F
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6ZHB-8Q1Y?lang=en
Name Hester Suzanna Nell
Age 17 years
Birth Year (Estimated) from 1823 to 1826
Birthplace Somerset
Death Date
2 February 1842
Relationship to Head of Household Deceased
Event Type Probate
Event Date from 1840 to 1843
Event Place
Somerset East, Somerset East, Cape Province, South Africa
Event Place (Original) Kuikendrif's Fontein Somerset
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP4Y-RMV8?lang=en
Lourens Jacobus (Louw) Wepener
Born 21 July 1812
Graaff-Reinet
Died 15 August 1865 (aged 53)
Thaba Bosiu Lesotho
Rank Commandant
Conflicts Frontier Wars Free State–Basotho Wars
Relations Hester Susanna Nel and Hilletje Maria Levina van Aardt
Lourens Jacobus (Louw) Wepener was born on 21 July 1812. He was the son of a German immigrant, Frederick Jacobus Wepener and a Cape Colony woman, Johanna Maria Erasmus. Wepener was born in Graaf-Reinet and lived with his uncle Lourens. He was christened by Reverend Andrew Murray of the Dutch Reformed Church. Wepener was first married to Hester Susanna Nel and then later to Hilletje Maria Levina Van Aardt. He had nine children with his second wife. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louw_Wepener)
Lourens Jacobus WEPENER
Wepener participated in some Frontier Wars (1834–1853) as Acting Field Cornet. He moved to the farm De Nek in Aliwal North in 1850 where he took part in the Eighth Frontier War (1850–1853) (Xhosa wars) and was promoted to Commandant due to his outstanding leadership. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louw_Wepener)
He later migrated to the Orange Free State where he bought two farms in Bethulie district, Constantia and Moordernaarspoort. When he arrived in Orange Free State, Wepener was appointed Acting Commandant. He took part in the Free State–Basotho Wars, which were a series of wars fought between Moshoeshoe I and the Orange Free State. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louw_Wepener)
The three are the Senekal War (1858), Seqiti War which included two conflicts in 1856 to 1866 and 1867 to 1868. The wars resulted in the Orange Free State acquiring large tracts of land from Basotho. The Free State's forces were led by Commandant-General Johan Fick and Commandant Louw Wepener. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louw_Wepener)
The first attack on Thaba Bosiu failed on 8 August 1865, the Boers tried again on 15 August. As he ascended Thaba Bosiu, Wepener and his agterryer had made some progress up the Khubelu pass but as soon as Basotho soldiers spotted them, Wepener was shot and he died on the spot. Basotho charged and about 11 Boers were killed and about 30 were injured. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louw_Wepener)
The loss of Wepener was a huge loss in the Free State as he was regarded as a remarkable and brave leader. Two of his entrusted men, Carl Mathey and Chris du Randt, went up at night to go and look for his body. They dragged it into a shallow trench next to Adam Raubenheimer, another fallen Boer. It was reported that Moshoeshoe ordered his warriors to cut out Wepener's heart out and eat it. This is due to Moshoeshoe I being impressed with the bravery of Wepener and thus he believed that if each of his warriors ate a piece of his heart, they would gain his bravery. He was first buried at Thaba Bosiu by Dr Prosper Lautre (1818–1893) of the Paris Evangelical Mission Society.(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louw_Wepener)
Grave of Louw Wepener at his farm in Constantia Bethulie.
Eleven months after the death of Wepener, his son – Dick Wepener – and four of his friends went to Thaba Bosiu to collect his father's remains for a proper burial. King Moshoeshoe I's son, Tladi took Dick to where his father was buried. This is when Tladi told Dick that his father's heart had been eaten by warriors. His body was taken to be buried at the family farm in Constantia. The pass at Thaba Bosiu known as Khubelu pass where Wepener was killed is also known as the Wepener's pass to commemorate his death.(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louw_Wepener)
Bust of Louw Wepener in front of the Wepener town hall Wepener.
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