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

After a lapse of six months during which time the elders were no doubt on the lookout
for a rally good and reliable mason, they engaged Jan Vorster. 3, 4 & 5 After completing
his contract with Huspot in July 1718, Vortsre moved to Paarl. He was given two slaves
to help him dig the trenches for the foundation and the walls. Clay was used instead of
mortar which was not available, and work often had to be suspended during wet
weather. When a big rain came the unfinished walls had to be protected with thatching.
Despite all these precautions a corner of the unfinished building collapsed during a
particularly wet spell in October 1719. Nonetheless work progressed reasonably well
and in June 1720 the church could be inaugurated.
Vorster’s work must have been very saisfactory for on completion of the church he
was immediately hired by one of the leading burghers of Paarl, former Heemraad
Schalk Willemsz van der Merwe 6 , who kept him in his employ until Vorster
successfully applied for burgher papers in 1723, stating that he was a mason and
believed he would be able to earn a living that way. 1
While at Paarl he married Elisabeth, daughter of Barend Lubbe, one time partner of
Jan Margra of Lutry VD and now farming on Wolwedans between Paardeberg and the
Mosselbank River The marriage is not recorded in any church register. From 1724
onwards Vorster and his wife are recorded at the Cape, the last time in 1728. It is
probable that Vorster died at the end of that year. 7
Elisaberth moved back into the country with her family where her three children grew
up in the farming community.
1. Aletta baptised 2.4.1722, married Pieter Gous.
2. Jan baptised 17.09.1724.
3. Barend baptised 1.12.1726, farmed on Tygerkloof at the foot of Porterville Pass.
Married 1746 Dorothea Maria Smit. They had 13 children including 10 sons who all
became farmers in the Stellenbosch and Graaff-Reinet districts and with the Great
Trek spread throughout South Africa.
Balthasar Johannes Vorster, a great-greatgrandson of Jan Vorster was inaugurated as
President of the Republic of South Africa in October 1978.
/ 1 Leibbrandt: Requesten 1723: 123; 2 KAB, CJ 2878: 95, 16.7.1717; 3 DRC, G3/1/1;
4 Grobbelaar: Die geskiedenis van die Gemeente 1691-1795, pp. 26-27; 5 KAB, CJ
2878: 154; 7 KAB, VC 49 MR 1724-28.
Marik / Marok, Christiaan born Klosters GR [Marugg], arrived 22.6.1719 as Master
of the Hooker Zeelandia to be permanently stationed in Table Bay. Having served the
Company for ten years, Marik requested and was granted the position vacant after the
death of skipper Daniel Bent on the ship Rydous. 1 Must subsequently have beome a
burgher for on 14.2.1719, as member of the burgher watch, the military council fined
him for absenting himself from guard duty without permission of his officer, for which
he could give no reason. 2 / 1 Leibbrandt: Requesten 1719: 83; KAB, BKR 1.
Pury, Jean-Pierre born Boudry 1675 to Henry Pury, pewterer at Neuchatel, and Marie
born Hesler. He received a good eduction and was well read. His active intelligence
forever led him beyond the barriers of everyday life, but never to success.
After a financial failure he took service with the Dutch East India Company as
corporal and sailed to the East Indies on the Prins Eugenius which lay at anchor in
Table Bay from 18.10.1713 until 21.11.1713. After having served his four year contract
he returned from the East to the Netherlands on the Hoogermeer with the title of bookkeeper.
The Hoogermeer lay in Table Bay from 22.2.1718 till 7.4.1718. This coincided
with the grape harvest. The victiculture introduced by French Huguenots after 1688
must have been of special interest to Pury. The Cape made a very favourable impression
on Pury. On arrival in Amsterdam he published two pamphlets extolling the potential of
the temperate zones for European settlement. Nothing much came of this but Pury
3 & 4
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