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

following year married Johanna Geertruyda Booysen, widow of P. de Villiers Jacob’s
son. 1818 he became a burgher 2 and died 16.1.1842 on the farm Boskloof near
Clanwilliam, described as a mason and poor, leaving a stepdaughter and little or no
possessions. 3 / 1 KAB, CO 6055; 2 KAB, CO 333 no. 230; 3 KAB, MOOC 7/1/167 no.
15 and MOOC 6/9/25: Estate 5384.
Clason, John Andrew born Switzerland 1786, Major in the British 20th Infantry
Regiment at Madras, died 11.11.1815 while on leave at the Cape. / KAB: MOOC 6/2.
Van Gass, Johan George claimed to have been born St. Gall SG 6.12.1772, repeated
efforts to verify this were unsuccessful. It has been suggested that he was of utch origin
as he left Europe with a Dutch passport on the Dutch vessel Onderneming, carrying a
cargo of ordinance stores from Texel to Batavia. On arrival at the Cape, 2.3.1816 2 he
applied for permission to remain here, signing his name Johan George Gass. 3 He is next
recorded seven years later when on 4.10.1823 he married Johanna Barendina, 19 year
old daughter of Johann Heinrich Zimmermann of Haldersleben, Germany. Van Gass
himself was then 51 and resident at Cango, Districht of Oudtshoorn.
He earned his living as teacher. Perhaps he also tried his hand at farming? In 1825 he
was found guilty, at the Magistrate’s Court, of transgressing the land lease regulations. 4
Van Gass lived to be 101 years old and died on his son Johan Georg’s farm. He and
Johanna had four children:
1. Frederik Paul Georg born 3.10.1824, known as Ferdinand Paulus, a Voortrekker
who had six daughters and five sons. He died 1883 in Adelaide.
2. Johan Hendirik born 19.11.1825, farmed in the Queenstown District and died when
only 38. He was survived by two sons and two daughters.
3. Dina Cornelia Maria Magdalena born 27.1.1827, died in infancy.
4. Johan Georg born28.9.1828, became a successful farmer and died 1873 survived by
his wife and eight children.
/ Heese: Genealogies; 2 Cape Almanac 1817; 3 CO 3905:125; 4 CO 4321:1780,
27.9.1825.
Brunner, Leonhard born Schaffhausen, reputedly 1796. In 1820 recorded as
shopkeeper in a house owned by himself at Vinkesteeg 2, and having a female and a
male slave. 1 1825 he had a retail shop in Loop Street and in that year became a
burgher. 2 He repeatedly travelled into the country districts. 3 He was last recorded
1828. 4
Married Cape Town 19.12.1819 Jeanetta Margaretha of Mauritius. No records of their
children were found, but 1869.6.19 a possible daughter or granddaughter, Jeanne
Jacqueline Brunner married Adrianus Benjamin Colenbrander. 5
/ 1 KAB, RDG 121: Slave Reg. 1820; 2 KAB, CO 6133; 3 KAB, RDG 113: pp. 12, 24
and 71; 4 Cape Almanac, 1828; 5 Heese, JA & RTJ Lombard: South African
Genealogies, 1992-1999, vol. 1, p. 476
119