Nicolaas Wilhelmus Smit (1804 - 1872)

Born 11 Feb 1804 in Cape of Good Hope.

Ancestors

Husband of Elsje Cicilia (Du Plessis) Smit — married 4 Nov 1827 in Tulbach, Cape Colony.

Husband of Johanna Christina Hanekom — married 20 May 1838 in Tulbagh

Husband of Aletta Elisabeth Catharina (Roets) Venter — married 17 Apr 1865 (to 18 Jul 1872) in NGK, Winburg, Oranje Vrijstaat

Descendants

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Biography

Nicolaas Wilhelmus Smit (1804-1872)^[1] was the son of Pieter Smit and Maria Nienaber, who farmed the "Buffelshoek" farm, next to "Knujoe" of the Swanepoel family, along the road North through the Ceder mountains.

In 1827, he married Elsje Cicilia Duplessis, the widow of Nicolaas WIllem van der Merwe, owner of Houdenbek farm, who was murdered on 4 feb 1825 in the Houdenbek Slave Revolt.

Marriage

First Marriage

Date: 4 November 1827. ^[2]

Place: Tulbach, Cape Colony.^[2]

Bride: Elzie Cecilia du Plisie van Cabo, weduwee van wylen Willem Nic... van der Merwe.^[2]

Groom: Nicolaas Willem Smit, van Cabo de Goede Hoop, jongman.^[2]

Houdenbek Slave Revolt of 1825

Nicolaas Willem married the widow of Willem Nicolaas van der Merwe, at the farm "Houdenbek", who was killed in the revolt on 4th Feb 1825. Galant, the rebel leader, had met slaves at Buffelshoek (Smit) and Knujoe (Swanepoel), and talked with them, getting the impression they they would not mind joining a revolt.

Slave Owner

In 1816, the Cape authorities under Governor Charles Somerset instituted slave registries, per district ^[3], in which all owners of slaves had to 'enregister' all their slaves.

In the Tulbagh Slave Register, Ledger S, Folio 91^[4] lists the slaves of Nicolaas Willem. The first were transferred from register of his wife, widow of the murdered Willem Nicolaas van der Merwe:

• 7 Jan 1827

• Phillis from Mozambique and Ontong from Madagascar, convicts at Cape Town
• Lea of the Cape

• Caatje, daughter of Lea, born on 20 March 1829
• Samson, son of Lea, born on 11 Jun 1830
• Moses, son of Lea, born 15 Nov 1831
• Lea 2, daughter of Lea, born 20 Aug 1833
• Lea 3, bought in 1835, after abolition, but still 'apprenticed'

We also read that Lea and her children were put up on auction from her estate when Elsje Cicilia had died, but Nicolaas Willem Smit bought them back himself.

Phillis and Ontong were convicts at Cape Town, as they had participated in the Houdenbek Revolt.

Sources

• 3 e Troue https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSK8-GSZM-G?cc=2821281

1. ↑ Nicolaas Wilhelmus Smit (1804-1872), ID G3YG-94P at Familysearch.org
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} Source:
   • Marriage 1: "South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Registers (Cape Town Archives), 1660-1970 ", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6KYF-WT9T : 11 May 2023), Nicolaas Willem Smit, 1827. Gesien en bygevoeg deur Piet van Zyl, 15 Augustus 2023.
3. ↑ Slave Owners and Slaves in South Africa, and how to find relevant Slave Registers
4. ↑ Tulbagh Slave Register, Ledger S, Folio 91, for Nicolaas WIllem Smit, Pieter's Son, image at Familysearch.org

• Handed down