Willem Adriaan was die seun van Willem Adriaan Nel en Susanna van Jaarsveld.
Willem Adriaan
Baptised: 1758, 29 Januarij 1758
Father: Willem Adriaan NEL
Mother: Zusanna VAN JAARSVELD
Witnesses: Willem Nel (Isaksoon) en Judit Odendal
Additional notes: Den 5 Jann: gebooren
Note by transcriber: Date of baptism written as: 29
Dito
Source: Nederduits Gereformeerde Gemeente (NGK), Swartland (Malmesbury), Baptism register, 1745-1782, page 27. Repository: NG Kerkargief, Noordwal-Wes, Stellenbosch, G5 3/2. Note: Folios 13 and 14, two sides of one page, are almost certainly missing between the current pages numbered 12 and 13 - dates covered would be late August 1751 to early June 1752.. Transcribed by Lizette Svoboda, from photographs of Cape Archives VC 666
Name Willem Adriaan Nel
Sex Male
Parent Name Zusanna Van Jaarsveld
Second Parent's Name Willen Adriaan Nel
Event Type Baptism
Event Date 29 Jan 1758
Event Place Swartland, Cape Province, South Africa
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:62F9-9FXY?lang=en
Name Willem Adriaan Nel
Sex Male
Spouse's Name Hester Van Wÿk
Spouse's Sex Female
Event Type Marriage
Event Date 28 Mar 1779
Event Place Cape of Good Hope, South Africa
Event Place (Original) Cape Colony, South Africa
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:62VF-TGCF?lang=en
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:62XG-VCC2?lang=en
Avontuur (now called Grasberg) in the Veldcornetcy of the North Onder-Bokkeveld in the District of Clanwilliam - Nigel Amschwand 2013
Willem Adriaan Nel requested a grazing licence on the 10th March 1788 for the place Avontuur on the Olifants and Doorn riviers vacated by Gysbert van Reenen. Willem Adriaan had already registered at least one farm in the area, Groot Rivier in the Onder-Roggeveld which he had taken over from his father-in-law. The tax records of 17951list Willem Adriaan and his wife Hester van Wyk with one son, four daughters and livestock comprising one horse, 40 cattle and 500 sheep. Three years later he had a second son and the farms Avontuur and Vondeling, plus another that is undecipherable in the records. His livestock now comprised 66 horses, 130 cattle and 1925 sheep. He had also acquired three male and one female slaves, a dramatic increase. Vondeling is difficult to place. The Onder-Bokkeveld was a place of abundance, and there were two Vondelings, two farms called Doorn Rivier and three rivers of that name, two Keiserfonteins, plus many others with duplicate names. In May of 1803 an inventory of the possessions of Hester van Wyk was made, the late wife of Willem Adriaan Nel. According to Roman-Dutch law, on the death of one parent an inventory had to be made of the wealth of the couple, for the benefit of the children. The surviving spouse received half of the estate and the balance was generally divided equallyamongst the children. Due to this system, many married couples did not make wills unless they had fixed ideas about bequeathing certain of their possessions to a particular child. This inventory together with the sale of goods that took place the following February lists the farms Avontuur, Doorn Rivier and Rietfontein. The total value of the estate was over 12 000 rix dollars. In today’s terms this would be about R4 million (Amschwand, 2009: 6). The farms were Rds:s (dollars:stivers) 3333:16 for Avontuur and 1666.32 for ‘Doornrivier’. ‘Rietvontein’ was not valued as it was unregistered. There was a wealth of household goods including not only the bible but fourteen other books. Eleven slaves had a total value of Rd 3075 and livestock including 1414 sheep was valued at over Rd 4500. At this date the land was still a loan place from the Dutch East India Company, so the value was for the improvements to the farm that were by custom allowed to be sold. The inventory also listed the name of their six children, the youngest of whom, Elias Albertus Nel, was eight years old.
(https://www.vassa.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/VASSA-Report-Amschwand-Avontuur-Grasberg-2013.pdf )
Dates
The earliest fabric, i.e. mud brick walls and beam and spaansriet ceiling, could be from the time of Willem Adriaan Nel (late 18th century).
The graveyard
There is a graveyard about 570 metres south-west of the main house containing 24 graves of Nels, Buhrs and those related to them, Oberholzers, Steenkamps, Van Zyls, Wieses, etc.
Twenty-one have headstones identifying those interred. The remaining three we only know of from Jacob Adriaan Nel’s manuscript. The earliest deceased passed away in 1913 so there must have been another graveyard where earlier generations of Nels were buried. However, no one asked knew of such a place. (https://www.vassa.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/VASSA-Report-Amschwand-Avontuur-Grasberg-2013.pdf)
It is ten years since the Vernacular
Architecture Society started recording threatened farm complexes in the
Onder-Bokkeveld, an area to the north and south of Nieuwoudtville, in the
Northern Cape. The interesting
thing that is common to many of the farm complexes is that they are built on
what is commonly called a vierkant (literally four sides). This area is where
the water source for the farm was located, and even after the bulk of the land
had been subdivided, usually between the offspring of the first owners, the
vierkant was still owned on a share basis. This resulted in a multitude of
houses and attendant farm buildings concentrated in a small area and built over
a period of time. (Rietfontein: A farm in the North Onder-Bokkeveld (Farm No. 631) by Nigel Amschwand -
http://www.vassa.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/VASSA-Journal-21-June-2009-Text-final-13-June-2009-compressed.pdf)
The farm which is the subject of this article, while not
possessing a vierkant, has other interesting attributes. The owners and
occupants of Rietfontein According to a survey taken in 1850 there are seven
farms named Rietfontein in the District of Clanwilliam. Of these, four could be
described as being over the Olifants and Doorn Rivers as they are situated in
the Veldkornetcies of the Voor and the Agter Hantam, the Onder-Roggeveld and
the Noord Bokkeveld. With such vague descriptions it is difficult to identify
which farm was granted to whom. However, by tracing family relationships and
the granting of other loan farms in the same areas we can be fairly certain who
occupied this particular Rietfontein during the rule of the Dutch East India
Company. After that, we can check the title-deeds that were drawn up when the
loan farms were converted to perpetual quit-rent ownership, following the
second conquest of the Cape by the British. An interesting fact is that for
most of the last 200 years Rietfontein has been owned by the same persons who
owned the adjacent farm Avontuur. In 1940 most of Avontuur and the
whole of Rietfontein were amalgamated into a new farm of over 4860 morgen,
named Grasberg. Confusingly, for the first 50 years some of the owners of
Avontuur were also owners of another farm called Rietfontein in the
Veldcornetcy of the Agter-Hantam (45 kilometres to the east). However, we can
differentiate between the two farms by reading travellers accounts, namely
Thunberg and Patterson who mention the more easterly
farm, and with reference to the loan farm records in the Cape Archives. (Rietfontein: A farm in the North Onder-Bokkeveld (Farm No. 631) by Nigel Amschwand -
http://www.vassa.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/VASSA-Journal-21-June-2009-Text-final-13-June-2009-compressed.pdf)
The
first known grant for the loan farm was to Eduard Mostert on the 8th September
1752 and it seems to have remained in the family until 28th February 1789. We
can confidently say that this was the Eduard Mostert married to Johanna
Catherina Ras, as the Ras family also had ties to the area. Mostert (or Mosterd)
had already registered the adjoining farm Bokkefontein in 1744, relinquishing
it in 1760 to his brother. He was also the step brother of Nicolaas Loubser who
lived at Groenrivier. Mostert probably died in 1789 as in January 1790 his
„widow‟ was listed as a beneficiary of her mother‟s estate. We do not know if
Eduard Mostert ever resided at Rietfontein in the 18th century. It is probable
that his son Nicolaas Hendrik visited the area, as he married the daughter of
the owner of an adjoining farm (Margaretha Maria Carstens of Klipperivier). His
younger brother also married into the local community. Who was living at Rietfontein after 1789 is unknown. (Rietfontein: A farm in the North Onder-Bokkeveld (Farm No. 631) by Nigel Amschwand
- http://www.vassa.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/VASSA-Journal-21-June-2009-Text-final-13-June-2009-compressed.pdf)
By this time the Dutch
East India Company was having financial problems and perhaps the farm
registrations were not made. The next owner of Rietfontein was Willem Adriaan
Nel. From the inventory taken on the death of his wife Hester van Wyk, we
learn that it included the values of the buildings on Avontuur and Doorn River
(at Rds 3333:16s and Rds 1666:32s respectively). However, the building on
Rietfontein was not valued as the farm was not registered and therefore not
evaluated. The inventory value totalled Rds 12 678:36s3 and included among the
household items porcelain tableware and 15 books, one of which was the bible,
indicating perhaps that they enjoyed a good standard of living at Avontuur.
Farm implements included a horse wagon and an ox wagon and two ploughs.
Livestock comprised 16 wagon horses, 24 other horses, 28 trek oxen, 56 cattle
and 1400 sheep. They also had 11 slaves. (Rietfontein: A farm in the North Onder-Bokkeveld (Farm No. 631) by Nigel Amschwand
-http://www.vassa.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/VASSA-Journal-21-June-2009-Text-final-13-June-2009-compressed.pdf)
On the other side of
the fence line, running to the east of House 1, are three more dwellings,
another threshing floor and a stone kraal. This fence seems only to date from
1976, when Grasberg was subdivided, but the presence of two threshing floors
indicates that at some time two separate groups of people may have lived at
this place. (Rietfontein: A farm in the North Onder-Bokkeveld (Farm No. 631) by Nigel Amschwand
- http://www.vassa.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/VASSA-Journal-21-June-2009-Text-final-13-June-2009-compressed.pdf)
House 2 (Fig. 5) is
situated to the east of the fence and above (north of) the road, and Houses 3
and 4 are below the road and further to the east (Figs 6 and 7). They all
appear to be of similar age, having factory-made door frames, etc. However,
House 2 was found to have one of the door sills made of cedarwood, indicating
that the frame was later replaced but the wooden beam at the bottom that was
built into the wall was left in situ. The positioning of House 2 in relation to
the spring (Fig. 8) and the other outbuildings leads one to believe that these
are the earliest structures and formed the nucleus of the farm. During my two
brief visits to the farm, no visible traces of any more dwellings were seen. (Rietfontein: A farm in the North Onder-Bokkeveld (Farm No. 631) by Nigel Amschwand
- http://www.vassa.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/VASSA-Journal-21-June-2009-Text-final-13-June-2009-compressed.pdf)
What is evident is that compared to other houses in the Onder-Bokkeveld those
on Rietfontein are of a simpler design, being narrow two or three room
long-houses, leading one to assume that the people who lived there were not as
wealthy. The main interest of this farm is that throughout its existence it has
not been the main residence of its owner and therefore demonstrates what types
of buildings were occupied by the less affluent members of the colonial farming
class. A graveyard on the property contains, as far as could be determined, 20
interments. Some are only mounds, some have headstones with inscriptions, and a
few headstones just show initials. Of those with inscriptions (6), all are
Mosterts or people married into this family. The dates of birth range from the
1870s to 1938, and of death 1930 to 1940. This is not to say that no Mosterts were
buried at earlier dates but that there were no inscriptions. None of the
deceased can be found in genealogical sources, such as Heese and Lombard, but
one can assume that these are all members of the family of the original
Johannes or Eduard Mostert. It is quite possible that some members of the
Mostert family never left the farm after its registration to the Nels, but
continued as bywoners. (Rietfontein: A farm in the North Onder-Bokkeveld (Farm No. 631) by Nigel Amschwand
- http://www.vassa.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/VASSA-Journal-21-June-2009-Text-final-13-June-2009-compressed.pdf)
Willem and Hester had seven children,
four daughters and three sons, and it was the last child, Elias Albertus Nel,
who took over the farms. Elias married a neighbour‟s daughter, Johanna Sophia
Steenkamp from Bokkefontein at Tulbagh, on the 7th March 1818. It is not known
when Willem died, but by 1819 when Rietfontein was surveyed it was in
the name of Elias Albertus. (Rietfontein: A farm in the North Onder-Bokkeveld (Farm No. 631) by Nigel Amschwand
- http://www.vassa.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/VASSA-Journal-21-June-2009-Text-final-13-June-2009-compressed.pdf)
Testator(s):
Hester van Wijk
MOOC8/55.33a
11 Februarij 1804
Hester van Wijk
MOOC8/55.33a
11 Februarij 1804
R: Beck
Inventaris
mitsg:s tauxatie van zodanige goederen en effecten als er ab intestato met er
dood zijn ontruijmd ende nagelaten door Hester van Wijk ten voordeele harer
overgebleevene man den landbouwer Willem Nel Eliasz:
ter eenre en hunne bij den anderen in echt verwekte ses kinderen in namen:
1)
Anna Christina Nel gehuwd met den burger Pieter van Zijl Jansz:
|
ter
andere zijde
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2)
Christina Magdalena Nel oud 17 jaren
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3)
Heser Cicilia Nel 14 jaren
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4)
Maria Elisabeth Nel 12 jaren
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5)
Abraham Jacobus Joh:s Nel 10 jaren
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6)
Elias Albertus Nel 8 jaren
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zodanig
als het een en ander door de meede landbouwers J:G: Louw, Elias Albertus Nel
A:z: en Floris Kotze F:zoon zijn opgenomenen in geschrifte gebragt mitsg:s door
ons ondergeteekende gecommitteerde Weesmeesteren getauxeerd, in maniere als
volgd namentlijk
Rd:s
|
|
Een
opstal der leening plaats genaamd Avontuur geleegen op het Bokkeveld
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3333:16
|
een
opstal der leening plaats gen:t de Doornrivier gelegen agter het Bokkeveld
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1666:32
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een
opstal der leening plaats gen:t Rietvonteijn meede gel: op het Bokkeveld -
deese plaats slegts een aangeteekende plaats zijnde word dus niet getauxeerd
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|
drie
tavels in zoort
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6:--
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thien
stoelen
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10:--
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vier
kadels
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8:--
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vier
beddens met drie dekens
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160:--
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vier
emmers
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3:--
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een
watervat
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1:--
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een
hand wasch balij
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8:--
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negen
potten in soort /:ijzere:/
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36:--
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twee
melk balijs
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1:24
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twee
roosters
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5:--
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twee
ijzere lepels en een vork
|
1:--
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twee
wasch balijs
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3:--
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een
stooph
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1:--
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vijf
geweers
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50:--
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drie
kisten
|
15:--
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vier
kannen
|
4:--
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drie
kandelaars /:kopere:/
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5:--
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een
snuiter
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0:12
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een
vijzel
|
3:--
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vier
Keulse en drie porcelijne potten
|
1:--
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drie
blikke trommels
|
9:--
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een
kopere thee bus
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1:24
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twee
tinne boterpotten
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4:--
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een
tinne tregter
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1:--
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een
tinne zout vaatje
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een
blikke soupkom
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1:24
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drie
mandjes
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1:24
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een
broodmes
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3:--
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een
kopere water pintje
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1:24
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agt
bouteilles en een fles
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1:--
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een
tinne soup lepel
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0:24
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vier
tinne schotels
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10:--
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vijfthien
tinne borden
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|
twaalff
stale vorken
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3:--
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elff
tinne lepels
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een
meel zift
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0:24
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een
ankervaatje
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1:--
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een
lepel rak
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4:--
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een
theemachine
|
16:--
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drie
strykijzers
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3:--
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een
koffij molen
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1:--
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een
koffij kan
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2:--
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een
coper melk ketel
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0:24
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veerthien
boeken in zoort
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42:--
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een
Bijbel
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een
tabaks mes
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0:24
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een
ijzere comphoor
|
1:12
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twee
kopere waterketels
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4:--
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twee
trekpotten
|
1:36
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een
note raspe
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drie
scharen in zoort
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1:24
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een
priem
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0:6
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ses
kommetjes
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1:36
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een
kopje en piering
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een
plat vaatje
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1:--
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drie
aarde commen
|
0:36
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een
coevoet en een uijntjes ijzer
|
7:--
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twee
schoorsteen kettings
|
|
een
peper bus
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0:24
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een
balans met 2 lb gewigte
|
2:--
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een
boter bak
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2:--
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een
brood bak
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een
asch schop
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1:24
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een
loodlepel
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een
koekepan
|
0:36
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drie
pikken
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4:24
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vier
graven
|
4:--
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twee
dissels
|
2:--
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een
bank schroef
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12:--
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twee
avegaar boren
|
2:--
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drie
bijtels
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1:24
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een
raspe
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1:12
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een
nijptang
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een
winkelhaak
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een
omslag boor
|
1:--
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twee
hout bijlen
|
3:--
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een
passer
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1:24
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een
gat schifj en deurslag
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|
drie
hamers in zoort
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1:24
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drie
schaven
|
3:--
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een
zaag
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2:24
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een
handbijl
|
2:--
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een
parthij oud ijzer
|
2:--
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een
ros molen
|
30:--
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twee
troffels
|
0:24
|
een
oude molen spil
|
3:--
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drie
boter vaten
|
24:--
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drie
kerns
|
12:--
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een
vleesch vat
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4:--
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een
bijl
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|
een
oude teer vat
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0:12
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een
rysblok
|
0:36
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een
span tuijgen
|
25:--
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drie
rijd en een pak zadel
|
40:--
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elff
kooren zikkels
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1:18
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een
kooren scheepel
|
1:--
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elff
ijzere hoepels
|
1:18
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vier
koornschoppen
|
2:--
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een
halffaam
|
4:--
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veerthien
koorn zakken
|
21:--
|
een
paarde wagen met desselfs toe behoren /:oud:/
|
150:--
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een
osse wagen met desself toe behoren
|
200:--
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twee
ploegen
|
20:--
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een
houte eg
|
1:--
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Beestiaal
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|
Rd:s
|
|
sesthien
wagenpaarden
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800
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twee
en vijfftig aanteel paarden
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1040
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agt
en twintig trek ossen
|
420
|
ses
en vijfftig aanteelbeesten
|
336
|
eenduijzend
vier honderd en veerthien aanteelschapen
|
1767
|
Lijfeigenen
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|
Rd:s
|
|
een
jonge gen:t Onverwagt van Bougies
|
500:--
|
een
jonge gen:t Holland van Bengalen
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400:--
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een
jonge gen:t Jannuarij van Bougies
|
500:--
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een
jonge gen:t Labak van Bougies /:oud en afgeleefd:/
|
25:--
|
Fortuijn
van Malabaar /:oud en afgeleefd:/
|
100:--
|
een
meijd gen:t Rosina van Mosambicque
|
600:--
|
een
meijd gen:t Sophia van Mosambicque
|
400:--
|
een
meijd gen:t Lea van Mosambicque
|
250:--
|
een
jongetje gen:t Simon van de Kaap /:gebrekkig:/
|
50:--
|
een
jongetje gen:t April van de Kaap
|
100:--
|
een
meijsje gen:t Philida van de Kaap
|
150:--
|
Rd:s12678:36
|
|
Lasten
des boedels
|
||
Rd:s
|
Rd:s
|
|
aan
Jacobus Adriaan Louw over geleende penningen
|
725
|
|
aan
Willem Heijning over geleende penningen
|
900
|
|
aan
Jan Abrham Nel over geleende penningen
|
500
|
|
aan
differente over boekschuld
|
585
|
|
2710:--
|
||
Overzulx
den boedel zuijver komt te rendeeren
|
Rd:s9968:30
|
|
Aldus
g’inventariseerd ende getauxeerd ter Weeskamer aan Cabo de Goede Hoop op den 11
Feb:y 1804 ende zulx op het op- en aangeeven van de in den hoofde deeses
gemelde weduwnaar, dewelke verklaarde zig hier inne ter goedertrouwe gedraagen
en niets versweegen ofte rug gehouden te hebben dat tot voorm: boedel behoord,
invoegen hij ook getuigde de deugdelijkheid zijner opgave ten allen tijde des
vereijscht werdende met eede gestand te doen en belofte wijders zo hier na nog
iets tot gesz: nalatenschap behorende mogte worden ontdekt daar van nader en
getrouwelijk opgaaff te zullen doen omme deesen inventaris daar mede te kunnen
amplieeren.
Tot
securiteit van dien is deese door ons ondergeteekende Gecommitteerdens en den
inventarient neevens mijn gesw: Clercq behoorlijke gesubscribeerd.
Als
gecomm: Weesmeesteren: J:G: Blanckenberg, H: van de Graaff
Voor den
opgaaff: Willem A: Nel, E: soon
(http://databases.tanap.net/mooc/main_article.cfm?id=MOOC8%2F55%2E33a&freesearchkey=willem%20nel)
(http://databases.tanap.net/mooc/main_article.cfm?id=MOOC8%2F55%2E33a&freesearchkey=willem%20nel)
