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

Scheer / Schersliefer, Samuel born Basel BS. [Schär?] arrived 1666 as cadet,
28.5.1667-1668 junior surgeon. 1 “Samuel Schersliefer of Basel having arrived here as
soldier and since been employed for about a year in the surgery, is appointed junior
surgeon on the good evidence of his knowledge.” 2 / 1 KAB, VC39, MR 1666-68;
2 Boëseken: Resolusies 1651-69, p. 355.
Voegeli, Hans Conrad, born Schaffhausen [Vögeli of Gächlingen SH?], 1666-1668
soldier. / KAB, VC39, MR 1666-68.
Probenius, Aurelius born Basel [Probst of Canton Solothurn?]. 1666-1671 cadet
serving at outposts, 1668 at Diep River and 1670 at Saldanha Bay. 1 He and Cornelis van
Benthem, corporal of the cadets, 5.9.1667 guilty of gambling with Catharina van
Bengalen. 2 Became a member of the church community and returned to Switzerland. 3
While serving at Saldanha Bay Probenius would have been stationed at the fort built
less than four years previously in Kraal Bay. It could only accommodate a handful of
men. Presumably they were sent there six months at a time, and besides military duties
sowed wheat, traded with the Khoi, stored ammunition and tended the canon placed on
Konstabelkop to defend the bay and fire signal shots to alert the fort in Table Bay. 4
Probenius was probably stationed in Saldanha Bay when, in 1670, French warships
entered the bay and temporarily occupied the fort. The garrison prudently retired before
the overwhelming force and only returned after the French had left.
/ KAB, VC 39, MR 1666-1671; 2 A.J. Boëseken: Uit die Raad van Justisie, 1652-
1672, p. 178; 3 DRC, VC 603, p. 62; 4 Wierenka: The Fort in Saldanha Bay.
Chubli, Moses born Berne. [Kübli?] 1666 cadet, died 1667. He was the first Swiss
whose death was recorded at the Cape. / 1 KAB, VC39, MR 1666; 2 KAB, LM 48, List
of Deaths at Fort.
Grivat, Jean Jacq / Hans Jacob born Berne [Grivat or Grivaz of VD?]. 1667 free
labourer working in the forest. 1668 soldier. / KAB, VC 39, MR 1666-1668.
Ougertsz, Ougert born in Switzerland. [Augis, VD, Augier, GE or Oggier, VS?]
arrived sick 17.4.1668 on Voorzichtigheid, left behind and died 4.5.1668 in hospital.
/ KAB, VC 5: Journal.
Basler, (Hans) Jacob born Basel, arrived 19.9.1669 on Polanen, one of five
experienced miners sent from Europe to search for minerals. For several years they were
busy making excavations in Table Valley, Paarl Mountain, Riebeek Kasteel and other
locations, often hopeful of success but always disappointed. Baselr was an assayer and
had the task of smelting and testing the ores in an oven erected near Kloof Nek. / 1
KAB, VC 5, Journal; 2 KAB, VC 39, MR 1670-1671; 3 Boëseken: Resolutions 1651-
1659, p. 395; 4 Theal: History of South Africa, Vol. III, pp. 177-178.
A SWISS WHO HAD MANY BRUSHES WITH THE LAW
Blanck, Alexander born Schaffhausen 1650, first recorded in Cape Town in 1670 when
20 years old, working as tar burner in Table Bay. His task was to produce tar by
continuous heating of wood, to be used in waterproofing ships. Later in the same year
he was on guard duty at Kyckuyt, a small fort built on the limits of the settlement to
protect the Company’s and free burghers’ cattle from raiding Khoi. He used this vantage
point for illegally bartering sheep with the Khoi, was caught and punished. 1
Blanck and Jan Veth, a former company servant, 29.9.1670 traded illegally with Khoi
by buying a blanket from them. They hid it in the bushes and during a house search
denied any knowledge of it, but a few days later sold the blanket to Alexander Blanck. 2
When his contract with the Company ended 1674, he opted to remain at the Cape as
settler. 3 The Company, concerned about the shortage of marriageable women at the
Cape, allowed free passage to maids accompanying senior officials’ families to the East
in the hope that they would be married during the month long sojourn at the Cape.
Blanck charmed one such maid, obtained free burgher status and married his Annetje. 4
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