Johan Merthien Els (bef. 1724 - aft. 1787)

Born before 4 Jun 1724 in Stendal, Brandenburg, Holy Roman Empire

Husband of Anna Maria (Pieterse) Els — married 8 May 1763 in Stellenbosch, Dutch Cape Colony

Descendants

Died after 1787 after age 62 in Swellendam, Cabo de Goede Hoop,

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Johann Els was part of the settlement of the Dutch Cape Colony. Join: Cape of Good Hope - Kaap de Goede Hoop (1652-1806) Project Discuss: dutch_cape_colony

Biography

ARRIVAL AT THE CAPE Johan Martin Els, recorded as Johan Martien Ulsen from Stendaal, was employed by the V.O.C. on 8 January 1749 as a soldier 3. He was assigned to the ship Elswoud 4, under the command of Captain Dirk Took, which left on the same day, 8 January 1749, from the “Rede van Texel” (the V.O.C. anchorage at this island of North Holland) for the Cape and Batavia. It was the ship’s maiden voyage. The Elswoud did not call at the Cape but at False Bay on 2 June 1749. According to his ship’s Pay Ledger (Scheepssoldijboek) Account he went ashore on 15th June 1749. The ship left again on 3 July 1749 to sail to Batavia where it arrived on 12 September 1749. On the return journey, leaving Batavia on 28 October 1749, the Elswoud called at Cape Town again, arriving on 25 January 1750 and leaving for Texel on 17 February 1750. His name appears on page 431 in “Personalia of the Germans at the Cape 1652-1806” by Dr. J. Hoge, namely: ULSEN, JOHANN MARTIN.- StendaI. Arr. 1749 as so., woodcutter 1751, wagon-driver 1752, so. 1753-55, b. 1756, resident at Stellenbosch (GMR 1750-55; Rq. 1756: 82; Stellenbosch Arch., vol. 369.) As a VOC employee, before he became a Free Burger on 16 March 1756, he is thus recorded in the “Generale Muster Roles” (Hoge’s reference “GMR”) from 1750 to 1755 as a soldier (woodcutter in 1751, transport driver in 1752) under the names Johan/Jan Martin/Marten Ulsen from Steendal/Stendaal/Stendal. In 1754 and 1755 he was stationed at “’t Revier Zonder Endt” (the river runs into the Breë River). There were a few VOC “Buitenposten” in the area such as “ ’t Ziekenhuijs” and “Zoetemelks Valleij”. The present town Riversonderend in the Western Cape is in this area. There were huge forests in ’t Revier Zonder Endt with a variety of large trees that provided good quality building timber and wood suitable for making wagons, which was transported to the Castle by ox wagon.5 In 1760 he is also recorded in the Muster Roll as Jan Marthen Ulsen of Drakenstein District. On page 87 of “Personalia”, Hoge records his marriage, based on information from “Geslacht-Register der oude Kaapsche Familiën of C. C. de Villiers (Hoge’s reference” “G.R.”), not realizing that it is the same person as the Johann Martin Ulsen above: ELS, JOHANNES MARTIN.- Stendal. (1763 ?) Anna Maria Pieterse, illeg. d. of Willem Hendrikse by Elsje Gerrits (later married to Jan Pieterse, G.R. III, p. 23), bapt. 17.12.1747 at Stellenbosch. 6 children. (G.R. nr. 109.) “Johann Martin Ulsen from Stendaal” disappears from the records after he became a Free Burger in 1756 (see below) while “Johan Martien Eltz van Stendaal” appears in the records for the first time when he married Anna Elizabeth Pieterse in 1763.^[1]

V.O.C. SERVICE INFORMATION OF JOHAN MARTIEN ELS: (Source: VOC – Opvarenden, Nationaal Archief records at http://vocopvarenden.nationaalarchief.nl/ )

By the time he left the employ of the V.O.C., the situation in his home country was still bleak. Between 1756 and 1763 Prussia fought on the side of Great Britain and Hanover in the Seven Year War against France, Saxony, Austria, Sweden and Russia. This was the first war in history really fought on a worldwide scale. The seven Years’ War resulted in havoc and destruction in Prussia, Saxony and other parts of Germany. During this war the Swedes ransacked much of Saxony. Saxony was on the losing side and had to give one-third of its territory to Prussia. Prussia itself was gravely affected by the war and prospects for its youth were poor. This was probably known in the Cape as news was brought by visiting ships. This situation made it unlikely that a V.O.C. official who retired from service would consider returning to his home country. Johannes Martin left the service of the V.O.C. on 16 March 1756 and became a Free Burgher.

LOAN FARM JAGERSRIVIER On 14 January 1774 the loan farm, Jagersrivier, situated east of Oudtshoorn between the Groot Swartberge and the Kammanassieberge on the Olifants River, between De Rust and Barandas in the Klein Karoo, was allotted to Els as grazing land. He had to pay the usual leasehold of 24 Rix-dollars (Rijksdaalders) per annum to the magistrate in Swellendam. He was also obliged to deliver 10% of his wheat-harvest free to the Castle in Cape Town and deliver the receipt for it to the magistrate. Although the original farm was later subdivided into a number of portions, the remaining portion of the farm Jagersrivier still exists (situated where the Snyberg siding is on the railway line between Oudtshoorn and Willowmore). The original farm is shown amongst other farms along the Olifantsrivier on the following Sketch plan: MAP OF LOAN FARMS ALONG THE OLIFANTS RIVER, SHOWING ALSO THE FARM JAGERSRIVIER (Co-ordinates 33° 28’ 46” S, 22° 52’ 21” E) (Source “Bewaarders van ons Erfenis” Deel 8 (Distrik George); J G le Roux, J J Niemandt, Mariana Olivier; 2003; p 33.) By 7 April 1787 Els had abandoned the farm as on this date grazing rights on the farm were granted to fellow farmer Douwe Gerbrand Stein. Els fell in arrears with the payment of his debt on the land. He was in arrears for a period of 12 years and 3 months. This was recorded in the "Resolutions of the Council of Policy of Cape of Good Hope" on 24 July 1788 (Resolutions of the Council of Policy of Cape of Good Hope; http://databases.tanap.net/cgh/ ). Arrears rent for the farm is also mentioned as a debt of the estate in Anne Maria Pieterse’s above-mentioned Inventory. Copies of the original loan farm licenses were obtained from the Cape Archive Repository. The loan transaction of J. M. Els is also recorded in “Changing Hands” as ID 5553 in the section “1687 to 1793 – Salt Collection and Hunting Permits and Loan Farm Applications”). The following are transcriptions of the licenses:

JAN MARTHINUS ELS: LOAN FARM LICENSE Jul: 14 Swellendam Werd door deesen gepermitteerd aan den Landbouwer Jan Marthinus Els omme voor den tijd van een geheel jaar met Zijn Vee te mogen gaan leggen en wijden op de plaats gen’d (genaamd) de Jagers Rivier geleegen aan de oliphants Rivier, mits aldaar ijmand leggende in’t hoegten niet hinderlijk te zijn, nogh help om geen consequentie te trekken, de houden wegende voordat dese ter Secretarije zal werden registreerd daarvoor in’t E Comp’s (Edele Compagnie’s) Cassa te tellen tolken recognitie voor d’ E Comp (Edele Compagnie). Een Somma van Sesthien (Goue?) ducats a 72 Sts.ijder of te rd (R(ix)d(aalders)) 24 en deese permissie binnen den tijd van een maand naar dies Expiratie wederom te moeten laten vernieuwen op de panalteijten (penalties?) daartoe staande voorts verpligt blyvende de thiende van’t aldaar ‘t’ougste Coorn ter deesen Casteel aan den Heer af De E Comp (De Edele Compagnie) te moeten opbrengen en deesen alvoorens aan den Landdrost Joachim Frederik Mentz, over te geven. /:onderstond:/

In’t Casteel de Goede Hoop den 14 Jann 1774..was geteekend : /J.V. Plettenberg/:lager:/voldaan/:en geteekend:/ J.J. Le Sueur Geboek door my 3 Jaaren en 10 mde tes agteres BJ Leijdler . Gers tot den 14 Novbr 1778 -

Huyden den 7 april 1787 heeft opgem(elde) Els met voorkennis van den Edelen Heer goewerneur bovenstaande veeplaats verlaten en de daar op tragten den agterstal van twaalf Jaar en Drie maanden benevens Zegelregt Bvehoorlik in’t Comp’s (Compagnie’s) Cassa te hebben voldaan …………… P A Horak ………….119 ½ E G Cliney

DOUWE GERBRAND STEIN: LOAN FARM LICENSE Fo(lio) 110 ½ Swellendam

Werd door deesen Gepermitteerd aan den Landbouwer Douwe Gerbrant Stein omme voor den tyd van een geheel Jaar met zyn vee te mogen gaan leggen en weiden op de plaats genaamd de Jagers rievier gelegen aan den oliphants rievier , zynde door den meeden Landbouwer Jan Marthinus Els verlaten, gehouden weesende voor dat deese ter politicque Seretarye zal werden geregistreerd daar voor in Comp (Compagnie’s) Cassa tot een recognitie van de E Comp (Edele Compagnie) te tellen eene Somma van Sestien op Ducatons a 72 (Stuivers) ijder ofte Rxdrs. 24: en dese permissie binnen den tyd van een maand naar experatie deeses wederom te laten vernieuwen op de penaliteiten daartoe staande. Voorts verpligt blyvende de tiende van’t aldaar t’ougste Coorn ten deesen Casteel aan den Heer op de E Comp op te brengen en deesen alvoorens aan den Landdrost Constant van Nuld Onkruid over te geven.

./ onder stond /. In’t Casteel de Goeden Hoop den 7 April 1787 /:was geteekend :/ C F van de Graaff /: lager: / voldaan /: en geteekend :/ G H Cruywagen Geboek door W L Van Hardenberg

Stein too was in arrears for a period of 6 years on payments on another farm before he was granted grazing rights on Jagersrivier. (Resolutions of the Council of Policy of Cape of Good Hope, 24 July 1788). First Clerk Horak was found guilty of misconduct and negligence and severely reprimanded for having recorded these (and other) debts as paid and having issued receipts in respect thereof while the debts were in fact not paid. The commission that investigated the actions of Horak also recommended that farmers be prohibited from leaving their farms and letting it to others (Resolutions of the Council of Policy of Cape of Good Hope 24 July 1788 ( TANAP ) The house on the farm is mentioned in Anna Maria Pieterse’s Inventory of 22 May 1779: “Een opstal staande op die leenings plaats gen:t de Jagers Rivier geleegen aan de Oliphants Rivier” (Inventories of the Orphan Chamber, Cape Town Archive Repository, ref. MOOC 8/17.32, date 22 May 1779, TANAP )

TIMELINE: Johan Merthien Eltz/Oeltz, born in Stendal, Germany on 4 June 1724, baptised in the Jakobikirche (St. James Church), Stendal on 7 June 1724, died after 1787, married in Stellenbosch on 8 May 1763 to Anna Maria Pieterse, baptised in Stellenbosch on 16 November 1721, died about April/May 1779, illegitimate daughter of Willem Hendrikse and Elsje Gerrits.

Although Anna Maria’s death was clearly related to the birth of her last child, Anna Maria Els, baptised on 18 April 1779 6, the child who died about the same time as Anna Maria and for whom the coffin was made, could not be this last child as she grew up to marry Jan Willem Minie on 2 August 1795. The child who died was probably the son, Christiaan Els, twin brother of Frederik Nicolaas Els; the twins were baptised on 27 April 1777. While Frederik grew up and later married Susanna Cornelia de Bruyn on 20 November 1803, Christiaan’s name does not appear in any later records, also not on Anna Maria’s Inventory of 22 May 1779 (MOOC8/17.32), while her other children are mentioned. Christiaan probably died shortly before his mother, at the age of about two years. Johannes Martin Els and Anna Maria Pieterse had six children; five sons and a daughter

While the birth dates of the last 5 children are spaced the usual two to three years apart, the first two children were born almost nine years apart, which is unusual. A possible explanation could be that there were additional children, who did not survive, born between the birth dates of the first two children.

Baptism

Johann Martin Oeltz, Martin Oeltzen Bürger und Tageslöhners und Fr. Gertrud Gronemayers Sohn, war geboren anno 1724 d. 4 Juni (Johann Martin Oeltz, son of Martin Oeltzen, Citizen and Day Labourer and his wife Gertrud Gronemayers, was born in the year 1724, the 4th June.)

Date: 4 June 1724

Name: Johann Martin Oeltz

Place: Jakobikirche (St. James Church) of the Evangelical (Lutheran) Church in Stendal, [Germany]

Mother: Gertrud Gronemayers (Gertrud (Gronemeyer) Els)

Father: Martin Oeltzen (Johann Martin Els)

Marriage

Johan Martien Eltz marries Anna Maria Pieterse

Date: 8 May 1763^[1]

Place: Stellenbosch, Cape of Good Hope, [South Africa]^[1]

Groom: Johan Martien Eltz (bachelor from Stellenbosch originally from Stendal in Brandenburg [Holy Roman Empire] (now a city in Germany)^[1]

Bride: Anna Maria Pieterse (of the Cape of Good Hope)^[1]

1763 Den 8 May Johan Martien Eltz van Stendaal in 't Brandenburgsche burger aan Swellendam jonghman met Anna Maria Pieterse van Cabo de Goede Hoop^[1]

Death

9 March 1806^[2]

Swellendam, Cape Colony, [South Africa]^[2]

Note: There is no primary source for this, it came from a GEDCOM^[3]

Sources

• SOUTH AFRICAN FAMILY REGISTERS compiled by GISA
• https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LTT3-9ZH FamilySearch Profile^[3]
• https://www.geni.com/people/Johan-Els-SV-PROG/6000000018052032547 Geni Profile^[3]

^[4]

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5} Source:
   • Page 534, Entry 1809 (Entry 1 on the page); South Africa, Civil Marriage Records, 1840-1973, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKD-WSMV-Z?cc=2821281 : 31 March 2020), > image 262 of 612; Pietermaritzburg Archives (Formerly Natal State Archives), South Africa. Added by Shaun Wallace on 15th November 2020
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Source:
   • FamilySearch Profile ; Added by Shaun Wallace on 15th November 2020
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Added by Shaun Wallace on 15th November 2020
4. ↑
   1. Baptism, Confirmation and Deaths Records of the parish of the Jakobikirche of the Evangelical (Lutheran) Church, Stendal; information supplied by the Church Office Administration (Kreiskirchenamt) of the Evangelische Kirche, Stendal.
   2. Bewaarders van ons Erfenis, Deel 8 (Distrik George); J G le Roux, J J Niemandt, Mariana Olivier; 2003.
   3. Cape Town and Stellenbosch Baptism and Marriage registers.
   4. Die Deutschen am Kap unter der Holländischen Herrschaft, 1652-1806: Prof. Dr. Edward Moritz.
   5. Die Herkoms van die Afrikaner; J. A. Heese; 1971.
   6. Die Vaderland, 23 October 1985; article about “Groep Sonder Grense” by Prof. H. F. Heese.
   7. Gerrit Gerrits of Oldenburg and Susanna of Bambaser. An Early 18th century couple, by Margaret Cairns; Familia Vol. XVII 1980 no. 3/4
   8. Groep Sonder Grense; Prof. H. F. Heese; 1984.
   9. Site of Jakobigemeinte Stendal
   10. Inventories of the Orphan Chamber; Cape Town Archives Repository, South Africa (TANAP)
   11. Personalia of the Germans at the Cape, 1652-1806; Dr. J. Hoge
   12. Resolutions of the Council of Policy of Cape of Good Hope (TANAP)
   13. Routes to Roots – Tracing your European Ancestors; Anne Lehmkuhl
   14. Stadarchiv, Brüderstrasse, Stendal; Information obtained from the Curator.
   15. The History of the Johann Friedrich Mohr Family, Eugene Irving Mohr
   16. VOC – Opvarenden, Nationaal Archief records
   17. Wikipedia Encyclopedia
   18. Table of Women whose deaths were childbirth-related; Maureen Rall from: MOOC8/1-75 (75 volumes), period 1720 to 1834 in “Cape Transcripts TEPC, two centuries transcribed 1673-1934

See also:

• Johannes Martin Els, The Progenitor of the ELS Family in South Africa Written by Charlie Els on 06 Mei 2012. The eGGSA branch of the Genealogical Society of South Africa. Entered on 14 Jan 2018 by Leon Bezuidenhout
• Updated link to above article ; Added by Shaun Wallace on 17th November 2020
• Article about his wife's mother ; Written by Charlie Els; Added by Shaun Wallace on 17th November 2020