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

permission to start a business. 5 On 21.1.1717 he paid fl 3 500 for a full partnership in
the business of Hans Caspar Gehringer of Reetz, a dealer and baker, whose previous
partner had recently died. This did not work out well and after a year the contract was
cancelled, 8 whereupon Marik again entered Company service.
Somehow he seems to have prospered. On 15.11.1719 he bought erf and house from
Jacob Paesen, 10 to which he later added more land. 11 16.6.1720 he married Margaretha
Cors of Amersfoort in the Netherlands. In 1726 he was appointed sergeant in the
Burgher Watch, 12 from which pisition he resigned on 1.8.1730, 13 possibly due to ill
health. Yet at this time he bought the farm Stellenberg at the foot of the Wynberg. 14
When Marik died 21.12.1730 he left a wife and seven children: 15
1. Elizabeth baptised 6.7.1721, married 1740 Jan Hendrik Ehlers of Stralsund,
Germany, who was repatriated in 1746.
2. Anna baptised 1.10.1723, married Jan Frederik Delitsch.
3. Maria baptised 9.7.1724, married Paulus Pieter Artois, a leading burgher who went
to Holland on a deputation. (See Beyers: Die Kaapse Patriote)
4. Jacob baptised 23.6.1726, died 1755.
5. Christiaan baptised 5.10.1727, married Sara Helena Ferreyn, had a son Jacob who
probably died young and a daughter Magdalena Jacoba who married Hendrik
Ostwald Eksteen, and died 1755.
6. Hendrina baptised 7.11.1728, married Heinrich Langejan of Halberstadt, Germany,
with whom she returned to Europe.
7. Jan or Johannes baptised 20.8.1730, died 1755.
Marik’s erstwhile partner Gehringer had a female slave, Anna Groothenning of
Bengal by whom Gehringer probably had a daughter, Maria, born c. 1703. Gehringer
manumitted Anna who was baptised 1.1.1713 and a month later married Gehringer’s
then partner Christian Bock of Wolfenbüttel. 6.3.1718 she had a son, Jacob, possibly by
Marik. 9 Could this be N.N. Marik who died 1768 in Swellendam at the house of Jacobus
Bota the elder? 23
ALL MARIK’S MALE DESCENDANTS WIPED OUT IN THE SECOND SMALLPOX EPIDEMIC
Marik had a good life at the Cape. He owned property and was respected, serving as
corporal in the Burgher Watch. Maybe he was also somewhat hot tempered: while on
duty one night in 1725 he gave the burgher Dirk Eends three strokes on the head with
the switch and then another on the right arm, which Dirk claimed left him unable to
work for eight days. Marik was summoned before the Military Board which attended to
disciplinary matters of this nature. He admitted guilt saying that the incident had
happened in the heat of the moment and promised it would not happen again while on
watch duty. 16 He was forgiven and soon thereafter promoted to sergeant. 17
Marik died in 1730 survived by his wife and seven healthy children, three sons and
four daughters, the eldest nine years old. It looked as if he had planted the name Marik
firmly on South African soil and that in time there would be many descendants.
The sons did well. Jacob junior was probably a businessman. His place of residence is
indicated on a map of Cape Town in Picard’s Gentleman’s Walk (p. 382) and also
owned a small holding on the Salt River. 18 Of his other sons, Christiaan was a
shoemaker who hired a soldier from the Castle to work for him 19 and also owned a
house, 20 while Johannes, the youngest, after working until his eighteenth year in
Company employ 21 and still living with his mother in 1749 22 set up as a baker. 22
Misfortune struck in 1755. Christiaan died suddenly in February. A few months later
the second smallpox epidemic broke out at the Cape and took away Christiaan’s only
son Jacob and both his brothers. Thus within the space of six short months all male
descendants of Jacob Marik were wiped out, leaving only the widow, four daughters
and a granddaughter. 22
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