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Cape Council of Policy

514

1676-03-04

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Minute details

Entry number
514
Date
1676-03-04
Year
1676

English translation

Presentibus omnibus.

Having appeared in Rade, a widow named Janneken Ferdinandus, wife of the freeman Barent Brinckman, with due respect, stated that on the 14th of January last they had jointly accepted the lease of the beers that had been brewed here since 1676, for the sum of three hundred carols 57 guilders per year, on condition that they alone would be allowed to tap and sell them publicly, and that the brewer of those beers, Hendrick Evertsz, would be held responsible, the aforementioned tenants would be duly provided for.

Firstly, complaining that due to the unusual drought and harsh, sharp winds, the grain crop here has suffered very little, and consequently, the beer has been very poor.

Secondly, that on February 12th, various free citizens of this residence were permitted to make and sell sugared beer, which has significantly hindered the export of sugar to the Cape.

And finally, because the brewery (which was repaired) had been unusable due to the return trip, the tenants largely remained on beer distribution during their main harvest, fearing that this would happen again due to a shortage of grain. They therefore humbly requested to be released from the aforementioned lease.

All of which, having been thoroughly considered in Council, was approved and agreed upon, as compensation for the tenants, a reduction of one hundred guilders on the aforementioned amount. to grant them a lease, which, also for the aforementioned compelling reasons, will be incorporated into the lease of the aforementioned brewer Hendrick Evertsz (who is obligated to contribute and pay 300 guilders per year to the E. Compe.).

Furthermore, the three Citizen Councils of this place, for and on behalf of their fellow citizens, have presented certain rights, word for word as follows:

To the Noble Sir Nicolaas Verburch, Ordinary Councillor and former Director General of India, Admiral of the return fleet stationed here, Commissioner of Cabo de Boa Esperance, with kind regards, the E. Eighth Councillor there.

"The Citizen Councils here, with due respect and for their fellow citizens, hereby declare, in the name of their fellow citizens, that during the years 1673 and 1674, several citizens and inhabitants of this country, being outside in the country to administer their affairs, were occasionally massacred by the Gonnamese Hottentots. To prevent this, the Noble Governor and Council resolved, and found it good, to undertake expeditions to seek out the aforementioned Gonnamese Hottentots as public enemies, and in revenge to massacre them and take away any of their cattle they could capture; on which expeditions the suppported them. who also volunteered, and were also accepted, on the promise of certain reward and a share in the plunder they would conquer, depending on whether it would be successful or not. In the same two expeditions, a large quantity of cattle and sheep were brought along, who, having approached the Holy Company, lent some of the cattle to their subordinates to return them as a reminder, and since some of them have died since then, and mortality is becoming increasingly likely. Therefore, they request subordinates. Your Honor. Please grant them full ownership of these animals, so that they may sell and alienate them as they would be able to do with their personal goods.

"And since they, supplicants, have some Cape wines in their vineyards, which are detrimental due to prolonged storage, therefore request Your Honor, please, supplicants, to consent to them, both in large and small quantities, provided that they may sell the grains and fruits from their lands according to their value, provided that such impositions and charges as Your Honor will understand to be applicable."

"They request, supplicants. to be allowed to establish themselves for their support and support with such honest trades, businesses, and practices as they could manage, and which each might find convenient, as free citizens enjoy in Batavia and other places in India, and as is customary.

"And since some citizens here, having no lands or any income, and unable to make a good living here, would therefore be willing to settle in Hottentot Holland, should they be allowed by Your Honorable Comps to borrow some animals, or in cash, the E. Compe. not have in stock such merchants as were needed for the exchange of their additional animals, and the lands in property being necessary for this, in order to see to their recovery, and by prosperity obtain an opportunity to return it to the E. Compe., submitting here to Your Honorable Court's wise judgment, as Your Honorable Court will understand it belongs to the E. Compe.'s service and benefit.

"And since several of these residents have fallen into considerable poverty and want, so much so that they can barely make a living, the supplicants request, for their support and to alleviate their poverty, Your Honorable Court. the price set on rice could be slightly reduced.’

‘Which, doing &a.’

Having read and summarized the above in detail, it has been deemed best, after due consideration of the above, to refer the aforementioned right to the Lord Masters in the Fatherland, since the main points contained therein were previously written by Mr. Governor Isbrand Goske and the Council to the Fatherland, and these are of too great importance to be able to deliberate on the necessary foundation and consultation here in a short time; having accepted the aforementioned right from the meeting of the Noble. To deliver up the Lords Seventeen, and to intercede favorably on behalf of the aforementioned citizens (unless their Ed. Aghtb. had previously disposed of the aforementioned points).

Thus resolved in the Fort of Good Hope on the day and year before. Signed:

[Signed:] N. VERBURG

[Signed:] ISBRAND GOSKE

[Signed:] J. BAX g. v. HERENTALS

[Signed:] JOOST CLANT

[Signed:] JOAN PUTMANS

[Signed:] H. CRUDOP

[Signed:] DIRCQ JANSZ. SMIENT

[Signed:] and LAMB. DE GROOT, Secrts.

Original Dutch transcription

Presentibus omnibus.

In Rade verschenen zijnde een wed. Janneken Ferdinandus genoemt ende huijsvrouwe van den vrijborger Barent Brinckman, met behoorlijcke eerbiedigheijt vertoonende, hoe sij in dato pmo. Januarij verleden t’ samen aengevaert hebben de paght van de bieren, die van desen jare 1676 alhier ter plaetse stonden gebrouwen te worden ter somma van driehondert carol. gls.57 voor ‘t jaar, mits conditie sij deselve alleen zoude mogen tappen, en publijckelijck venten, en den brouwer der selve bieren Hendrick Evertsz gehouden soude sijn, opgemelte pachterssen van deselve behoorlijck voorsien.

Dolerende ten eersten, dat door de ongemene drooghte en schrale, scherpe winden, het korengewas alhier seer sober geslaaght en de bieren uijt dien hoofde seer sleght gevallen zijn.

Ten anderen dat in dato 12en Feb. verleden toegestaen was aen diverse vrije burgeren deser residentie suijkerbieren te setten ende verkopen, waerdoor den aftreck in de Caapse dos. merckelijck zij verhindert.

Ende ten laesten, vermits de brouwerije (door dien deselve wierde gerepareert) ten aenwesen van de retourvlote onbruijckbaer zij geweest, sij paghstersen in haren voornaemsten ooghst ten merendele van biere distituijt zijn gebleven, vresende door manquement van kooren ‘t selve meermalen zal komen te gebeuren58 , Ende derhalven versoghten seer ootmoedighlijck van boven gemelte paght ontslagen te mogen werden.

‘t Welck alles in Raede rijpelijck overwogen wesende, is goetgevonden ende verstaen, tot soulagement van van de pachterssen, hondert gld. afslagh op de voorn. paght aen haer te vergunnen, ‘t welck mede om boven gemelte pregnante redenen in den paght van opgemelte brouwer Hendrick Evertsz (die gelijcke 300 gld. voor ‘t jaer gehouden is aen d’ E. Compe. op te brengen en te betalen) plaetse grijpen sal.

Wijders is door de drie Burgerraden deser plaetse, voor en uijt den naem van hare mede burgeren gepresenteert seecker reqt. luijdende van woort tot woort als volght:

Aen den Edle. Heer Nicolaas Verburch, Ordinaris Raat en out Directeur generaal van India, Admirael van de althans hier ter rhede leggende retourvloot, Commissaris van Cabo de boa Esperance, mitsgrs. den E. Achtb. Raedt aldaer.

‘Geven onder reverentie en schuldige eerbiedigheijt te kennen de Burgerraden alhier, voor en uijt den name van hare mede burgeren, hoe dat in de jare 1673 ende 1674 door de Gonnamase Hottentots verscheijde burgeren en inwoonderen alhier, buijten in ‘t lant zijnde, omme hare affairen aldaar te verrighten, soo nu en dan wierde gemasacreert, omme ‘t welcke naar vermogen te beletten, is door den Edle. Hr. Gouverneur en Raet geresolveert, ende goet gevonden, lanttoghten te ondernemen, omme de voors. Gonnemase Hottentots als publique vijanden op te soeken, ende in weerwraek deselve te masacreren ende hun vee, soo veel conden veroveren, mede te nemen; op welcke uijttoghten hun de suppten. mede vrijwilligh presenteerden, ende oock daer in aengenomen zijn, onder belofte van seeckere beloninge en aendeel in deselve te veroveren buijt, naer dat deselve wel ofte qualijck geslaaght soude mogen wesen; Soo zijn in deselve twee gedane lanttoghten, t’ elckens een groote quantiteijt beesten en schapen mede gebraght, die bij d’ E. Compe. aengetrocken zijnde, eenige beesten hun suppten. in leeningh omme deselve tot vermaninge weder te restitueren hebben vergunt, ende alsoo ‘t sedert deselve tijt eenige daer van sijn gestorven, ende de sterfte nogh meer en meer onderhevigh zijn; Soo versoeken zij suppten. U Edle. Achtb. gelieven hen d’ volkomen eijgendom van deselve beesten te vergunnen, omme die te mogen verkopen, ende veraliëneren zulx als met hunne al[l]odiale goederen zouden vermogen te doen.’

‘Ende alsoo sij suppten. van hare wijngaerden eenige Caepse wijnen zijn aen de hant hebbende, die de verderflijckheijt door lang leggen onderwaardigh sijn, versoeken derhalven U Edle. Aghtb. gelieven hen suppten. te consenteren deselve soo bij de grote als clene maet, mitsgrs. de granen en vrughten van hun landerijen naer waerde te mogen verkopen, mits daer voor betalende sodanige impositie en lasten als U Edle. Aghtb. zullen verstaen te behoren.’

‘Vorder versoeken sij suppten. hen te mogen werden toegestaen tot hun onderhout en sustentatie sigh te mogen erneren met sodanige eerlijcke coopmanschappen, neringe ende hanteringe als haer aen de hant, ende ider in ‘t sijne gelegen zoude mogen komen, soo als sulx op Batavia ende andere plaetsen in India de vrijburgers genieten, ende gebruijckelijck is.’

‘Ende alsoo eenige borgeren alhier, geen landerijen nogh eenigh omslagh hebbende, ende sigh niet wel alhier cunnende erneren, derhalven hen wel genegen souden toonen omme in Hottentots Hollandt hen ter neder te slaen, in gevalle haer door U Edle. Aghtb. Comps. wegen werden vergunt eenige beesten ter leen, ofte in cas d’ E. Compe. geene in voorraet moghten hebben, sodanige coopmanschappen, als tot ruijlingh van hare toegevoeghde beesten van noden hadde, en de landerijen in eijgendom daer toe van noden zijnde, omme daer door te zien haer t’ erneren, ende bij prosperiteijt gelegentheijt bekomen, omme ‘t selve aen d’ E. Compe. weder te restitueren, onderwerpende hier in U Edle. Aghtbs. wijse oordeel, sodanig als U Edle. Aghtb. ten dienste van d’ E. Compe. ende ten voordele van deselve sullen verstaen te behooren.’

‘Ende vermits verscheijde deser ingesetenen tot vrij groot verval ende armoede gekomen zijn, Jae soo verre dat naaulijx aen de kost connen komen, soo versoeken de suppten. tot soulagement van de selve, ende omme die in haere armoede wat te gemoet te komen, door U Edle. Aghtb. den prijs op de rijst gestelt, een weijnigh vermindert moghte werden.’

‘’t Welck doende &a.’

Het welcke gelesen en exactelijck geresumeert zijnde, is naer overdenckinge van ‘t een en ‘t ander voor best geoordeelt ‘t voors. reqt. aen d’ Hrn. Meesters in ‘t Patria te renvoijeren, vermits de principale poincten in ‘t selve vervath door den Hr. Gouverneur Isbrand Goske ende den Raadt al voor henen nae het vaderlant is geschreven, ende deselve van al te groten swier zijn om in een korten tijt met het vereijschte fondament en overlegh daerover alhier te connen delibereren; hebbende den Hr. Commissaris Nicolaes Verburgh aengenomen het voors. reqt. ter vergaderinge van de Edle. Heeren Seventiene over te leveren, ende voor de gemelte burgeren (soo alvoren door haer Ed. Aghtb. op gemelte poincten niet moght zijn gedisponeert) favorabelijck te intercederen.

Aldus geresolveert in ‘t Fort de Goede Hoop ten dage en jare voornt. Was getekent

[Signed:] N. VERBURG

[Signed:] ISBRAND GOSKE

[Signed:] J. BAX g. v. HERENTALS

[Signed:] JOOST CLANT

[Signed:] JOAN PUTMANS

[Signed:] H. CRUDOP

[Signed:] DIRCQ JANSZ. SMIENT

[Signed:] ende LAMB. DE GROOT, Secrts.