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

Meynraad, Jan Leenert born Schaffhausen [Meinrath, Johann Leonhard of
Neunkirch SH?]. Arrived 31.8.1712 on Limburg for Kamer Haarlem. 1 1712-1717
soldier, 2 25.2.1717 guilty of stealing and deported to Europe. 3 / 1 NL, ARA, MR 1717; 2
KAB, MR 1713-1717; 3 KAB, CJ 6: 6.
THE FIRST SMALLPOX EPIDEMIC AT THE CAPE AND WORSE
The first epidemic which ravaged the Cape in 1713 was introduced in March of that
year by some clothing belonging to ship’s people who had been ill during the passage
from India but had recovered before reaching Table Bay. The clothing was sent to be
washed at the Company’s slave lodge and the women who handled it were smitten first.
Within the next six months, the winter months, some 200 of the approximately 500
slaves, and nearly a quarter of the Europeans at the Cape died.
The plague ceased when the hot months set in. At the beginning of 1713 fourteen
Swiss were known to have lived at the Cape and of these three may have died of the
pox: the Company servants Wolderig Broeders of Appenzell, a stablehand; Jan Bos of
Zurich, a cattle-herd; and Samuel Overmeyer of Basel, a corporal at the Castle. None of
the free Swiss died.
One of the Company servants that survived, Jan Leendert Meynraad of Schaffhausen,
while on duty at the Castle in 1717, was caught stealing beer glasses from the
Governor’s table, was sentenced to be scourged by the black slaves and sent to Robben
Island to await the first convenient ship to deport him to Europe.
Meynraad probably did not look forward to his homecoming. Switzerland was
experiencing a long period of poverty and hunger. More than ever young Swiss had to
leave their homes and seek a living abroad. Some found their way to the Netherlands
where they took service with the Dutch East India Company which they knew entailed a
very long and perilous sea voyage in uncomfortable, overcrowded ships to the ends of
the earth – Java, Sumatra or Borneo – where they had to work and make war in alien
conditions and an unhealthy climate. Very few could expect to be assigned to the Cape
which was relatively peaceful and had a healthy climate. Mostly the young men signed
up to serve in one of the many Swiss regiments serving with foreign kings. As a result
of their brilliant success in their fight for freedom, the Swiss had become famous for
their prowess as soldiers and were much sought after as mercenaries. Thus in 1748,
when the total population of Switzerland was about one and a half million, nearly
77 000 served all over Europe, equivalent to roughly 2½ % of the men in their prime of
life.
The history of early modern Europe seems to be a chronicle of almost continuous
warfare. At the time of the first smallpox epidemic at the Cape, the Spanish War of
Succession was being fought between France under the Sun King, and the allies,
comprising England with their famous Duke of Marlborough, Austria and the
Netherlands. This war lasted 14 years, 1701-1714. One of the biggest battles took place
at Malpaquet. Some 200 000 men supported by 200 cannons faced each other. The
Swiss regiments serving with the Dutch were ordered to take the French defensive
positions by frontal attack. After several vain attempts during which they suffered
grievous losses, they succeeded in surmounting the enemy positions – and found
themselves facing Swiss regiments in the service of the French. After a short moment of
shocked hesitation the fight was continued and the allied troops forced the French to
retire.
All Swiss troops served their respective commanders loyally, the Swiss regiments in
the service of the French king holding the battlefield until the whole French army had
retired. It is recorded that the allies lost 20 000 men at Malpaquet, including 8 000 of
their 20 000 Swiss. Of the Swiss regiment Hirzel, which spearheaded the attack for the
Dutch with 1 600 men, only one officer and seventy soldiers survived.
52