German Personalia at the Cape 1652 – 1806
The extent of the immigration of Germans to the Cape during the period of the Dutch East-India Company has not yet been satisfactorily dealt with. Colenbrander’s calculations in his “De Afkomst der Boeren” are unreliable. They are based on C. C. de Villiers’ “Geslacht-Register”, a work which, notwithstanding its merit, is incomplete and in many ways inaccurate. The only works which have so far specifically dealt with the Germans at the Cape are those of Schmidt (“Der Kulturanteil der Deutschen am Aufbau des Burenvolkes”, by Werner Schmidt Pretoria ; Hannover, 1938) and of Moritz (“Die Deutschen am Kap unter der holländischen Herrschaft 1652-1806” by Eduard Moritz, Weimar, 1938). They, however, include the personalia of only a limited number of Germans.
In the present publication an attempt is made to give a complete list of those Germans who came to the Cape in the service of the Company during the period 1652 till 1806 and settled here, either remaining in the Company’s service or making a living in one or other capacity after being discharged. Most of the data under each name have been gathered from the various manuscript sources in the Government Archives in Cape Town and the Archives of the Dutch Reformed Church. Relative completeness has been obtained, the researches in connection with the subject covering a great number of years.
The Germans who came from Switzerland have been classified separately, as well as the women immigrants.
What of the German Settlers in the Eastern Cape ? I believe they came in the mid 1800′s, my Mothers family Lehman were
Sheep farming in the area, I believe a disease struck the sheep (now I believe can be cured by injections) they lost every one and then went up to Johannesburg to the “Gold Rush”
At the outbreak of the Indian Mutiny about 30 officers and 1,028 men of the Legion proceeded to India to reinforce the British troops there. Only 386 returned. The sudden influx of industrious and thrifty Germans marked the real beginning in the development of East London, which was quickened by the arrival, between June 1858 and Feb. 1859, of the second group of German settlers, these being agriculturists and their families, numbering 2,315 souls.
These immigrants had come under a scheme devised by the Governor (Sir George Grey) for increasing the European population. He had made arrangements with the Hamburg firm of Goddefroy & Son to send 4,000 German settlers of good character and physique to British Kaffraria. Each head of a family was to receive a certain amount of land and the men were liable for military service.
The Secretary of State considered 2,315 settlers quite enough and paid the Hamburg firm £5,000 to cancel the contract for the remaining nearly 2,000 prospective immigrants. These 2,315 German settlers, like the Legionaries, were distributed throughout British Kaffraria. Those who settled in East London were located on the east bank of the Buffalo River and were the first Europeans to reside there. Each head of a family received an erf in that portion of the town between Union Street and the river, and an acre lot in Southernwood, or in the North End.
Each erf-holder had to build a house, and as there were no building regulations at that time, many of the houses were built of wattle and daub. At the end of six years the settlers received title, the first titles being granted to them in March 1864. Three villages clustered round the Buffalo mouth by 18-73, namely East London (the west bank of the river), East London East (which comprised the area from the east bank to Union Street) and Panmure (from Union Street to North Street), named after Lord Panmure, Secretary for War at the time of the arrival of the German Legion.
The Eastern Cape Germans are documented on a book “For Men Must Work” by ELG Schnell. I do not have a copy.
Keith
http://openlibrary.org/b/OL6211842M/For_men_must_work
Keith
Is there any way to search for names in the book : ‘ For Men Must Work’ ???
Hi There
If you tell me what names you are looking for I can look it up for you.
regards
Heather
I have a copy of For men must work.I will gladly assist.I am looking for Carl Frederich Welhelm Schultz.He settled Stutterheim then went to Dordrecht and ended up in Heidelberg Transvaal now Gauteng.
Sorry its Carl Welhelm Friedrich Schultz b 1854 d 1930 came out on the Peter Goddefroy.