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

over to the Company. Unfortunately for the two men, the swap was noticed. Brought
before the judges, Pockelman was sentenced to three years and Claas to two years hard
labour on Robben Island. Claas immediately apologised to the judges: he said he was
very sorry indeed for his misdeed to which he had been seduced by Pockelman and
promised in future to obey the law. The apology was graciously accepted and the
sentence reduced to two years labour on public works at the Castle.
His farming nevertheless prospered. While serving his sentence, Claas may well have
been allowed home every evening to help his friend Hendricq Colman with the farm
work. By 1682 he had two slaves, eleven heads of cattle, 50 sheep and sowed/harvested
3/28 bags of wheat and 1/2 bags of rye. 9 Like so many farmers on the outskirts of the
settlement he also tried to make a little extra money by trading cattle with the Khoi. The
Company had prohibited this and in 1683 Claas was caught and fined 25 rixdalers plus
court expenses. 10
On 16.12.1685 he married Engeltjie Quint of Leersum, daughter of Jan Quynt, a
horseman with the Dutch cavalry, and Wilhelmina Verwey. 11 Engeltjie may well have
arrived here, like Alexander Blanck’s wife, as a servant to some Company official. 12
They had nine children: 13
1. Jan Albert baptised 29.9.1686.
2. Egbert [Eduard/Evert for Bendicht?] baptised 13.6.1688.
3. Aletta [for Agnes?] baptised 10.9.1690.
4. Benjamin baptised 1.8.1694, died in infancy.
5. Elizabeth and
6. Anna, twins, baptised 16.6.1697, both died young?
7. Jacob baptised 1.9.1698, died in infancy.
8. Jan Josua died before baptism?
9. Nicolaas Lodewyk died before baptism?
Besides hard work and wedded bliss Claas and Engeltjie endured difficulties common
in those days. Over the years Claas owned many slaves, imported from Madagascar,
Mozambique or the East. One of these, David of Malabar, importuned his wife and was
condemned to be severely scourged and put in chains. 14 Later, after a group of slaves
led by this same man ran away and were apprehended, he was put to death by breaking
on the wheel.
14 & 15
By 1692 Loubser was well on the way to becoming wealthy. He still owned only his
original farm on which he sowed/harvested 2/20 bags of rye and 2/40 bags of barley,
but must have had the use of additional land to graze two horses, 44 head of cattle, three
pigs and 1000 sheep. He was also well armed with two swords and three guns. 16
Thenceforth he expanded his farming activities with the help of soldiers hired from
the Castle, amongst them Paulus van den Heuvel in 1708. 17 By 1695 he had planted
6 000 vines. 18 In 1694 he bought a house in Heerengracht (present day Adderley
Street). 19
CLAAS LOUBSER’S FARMHOUSE BURGLED.
During the night of 4.11.1697 Claas’s house was forcibly entered and various articles
stolen. The two culprits, Jan Wiggins of Hannover and Henning Mathyz of Hamburg,
were subsequently apprehended and confessed their complicity in the crime. Returning
from work that evening, they had called on their fellow wagon-driver Oldendorp. With
him was Benedictus Sweytzer who had said to them: “Come let us steal some food.
Claas Loubser the wagonmaker received some sheep today, we want to go there.” They
went there and arriving after dark, went into the garden behind the shed. There
Oldenburg and Sweytzer broke through the reed thatch into the shed, but found no
sheep inside. On coming out again, being very disappointed and dissatisfied, they
decided to break into the house and rob it. After placing their accomplices as lookouts to
give warning should anybody approach, Oldenburg and Sweytzer first spied the house
and finding everything quiet, broke open the back window and brought out their booty:
two pots and a keg of butter, four quarters of pork and a small canister with tea and
sugar candy. Together they carried all this to the Company’s corn granary where they
were stationed.
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