THE SWISS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA 1652-1970 - swissroots-za.ch

This gave her a stepping-stone into higher circles in Paris and after a long series of
love-affairs she became the mistress of Talleyrand, Foreign Minister of Napoleon I, 4
who had originally been a bishop but had worked his way up to eventually becoming
Grand Chamberlain of the Empire. He was created Prince of Benevento and
accumulated vast riches. Catharine performed the official duties of the wife of the
Foreign Minister. Napoleon, in order to regularize a situation which gave offence to the
diplomatic corps and also to humiliate Talleyrand, forced him to marry the notorious
Madame Grand. Talleyrand obtained the Pope’s dispensation to dissolve Grand’s
marriage and for him to marry her.
Grand’s presence in Paris at that time was causing Talleyrand embarrassment.
Possibly prompted by intercession from Catharine 5 he not only arranged with the Dutch
government to appoint him Privy Councillor in the far-away Cape Government, but also
granted him a generous annuity.
Grand arrived at the Cape in April 1803 and claimed his position and second place in
the government. However, Commissioner de Mist who jealously guarded against
French influence gave him curt treatment and wrote to Holland asking for Grand’s
position to be clarified. When he was informed that Grand had merely been appointed
Consulting Minister of State, all de Mist granted him was that he would make use of
his knowledge of India by consulting him on matters relating to Indian trade, and to this
vague position Grand had to submit.
Grand bought a house at the foot of Lion’s Head, next to the Company’s brickfields,
but when in the following year he married Egberta Sophia Petronella, daughter of
Egbertus Bergh, they moved to a house in Heerengracht given them by Bergh. 6
After the second British occupation Grand was appointed Inspector of Government
Lands, and later he made a living as a merchant. 8 In 1816 when already 67 years old, he
wrote and published a book, Narrative of a Gentleman long resident in India, 1 in an
effort to procure better recognition for services rendered and a commensurate pension.
This may be described as the first production of a book in South Africa in the strict
sense of the word. 7 Only two copies exist to-day, one in the British Museum in London,
the other in the SA Library in Cape Town. It is not known whether he achieved his aim.
Grand died in 1820 and his wife Egberta in 1839. They were both laid to rest in the
Bergh family vault. 9
/ Grand: Narrative of a Gentleman long resident in India; 2 Joelsen: Courtesan
Princess; 3 Rosenthal: SA Dictionary of National Biography; 4 Colliers Encyclopaedia:
Talleyrand, Vol. 22, pp. 43-45; 5 Fairbanks: Lady Barnard at the Cape; 6 KAB, DO:
T50, 1.6.1803; and T67, 8.6.1804; 7 Rosenthal: 160 Years of Cape Town printing; 8
KAB, CO 4316, 5.11.1811; 9 KAB, MOOC 6/2; 10 KAB, VC 80 pp. 341-356: Letters
written by Grand.
Rouviere, Jeremie Auguste born Neuchatel 1783, son of Jean Rouvière and Carlotta, 1
arrived July 1803. 2 He earned his living as watchmaker, 2 and in 1817 obtained citizenship
and a licence to sell fruit, butter, soap and other local products. 3 Besides being a
devoted freemason he was very active in the theatre with strong Dutch sympathies.
Rouviere and all his children took part in the theatre and the ballet-dancing which went
with it, and of course tickets to the shows could always be bought at his shop. 4
In 1808 Rouviere married Anna Elizabeth Rossouw. During the next 18 years she had
10 children of whom 6 died in infancy, possibly because they were born weak due to
Anna's poor health, so in 1826 Rouviere moved with his family to the healthier climate
of Graaff-Reinet. No record was found of his activities there other than that together
with Michael Joseph Adendorf he founded the freemason lodge de Vereeniging. By
1833 he was living in Colesburg working as a watchmaker. 4 After his wife's death in
1842 6 he moved to Cradock where he is recorded as working as silversmith. He died
1852. 1
Rouviere's children:
1. Elsje Mariane born 1809, married Cape Town 1826, Peter Hammes.
2. Charlotta Anna Aletta born 1811, married Graaf Reinet 1829, Michael Joseph
Adendorf.
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