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

himself later managed to found a Swiss protestant colony in the American state of South
Carolina which he named Purysburg. The colony failed mainly because of malaria, for
which no cure was then kown. Pury died 1844 at Purysburg.
/ 1 Louis-Edouard Roulet: Jean-Pierre Pury: 2 Jean-Pierre Pury: Memoire sur le pais
des caffres; 3 Neue Helvetische Gesellschaft: Schweizer im Ausland.
Restou Jan born Neuchatel [Resteau of Geneva GE?]. 1718 soldier, sick. / KAB, MR
1718.
Richart, Frederic born Basel [Richard of Arlesheim or Ettingen BL?]. Arrived for
Kamer Amsterdam 19.5.1718 on Abbekerk, lance-corporal with pay fl 12 per month.
Soldier 1718-1721. / KAB, MR 1718-1721, and NL, ARA, MR 1718-1719 and 1721.
(De) Vilar, Louis born Morges VD. Arrived 9.2.1720 on Bentfeld for Kamer
Amsterdam.1720-1723 soldier. / KAB, MR 1720-1723 and NL, ARA, MR 17121-1723.
De Ley, Jan born Bee BE [Delaie of Bex, VD], cadet. 20.10.1720 taken into service for
life by former Heemraad Daniel Hugo of Drakenstein District, as De Ley had lost his
right hand and was of no further use to the Compay. / KAB, CJ 2879: 92.
Frick, Jan (Hans) Melchior baptised Steckborn TG 3.12.1689, died Paarl December
1741, grandson of Hans Melchior Frick and son of Christophel Frick and his wife Anna
Bassler. 1 Arrived 2.10.1721 on Krooswijk for Kamer Rotterdam. He did duty as a
soldier in various regiments stationed at the Cape. After his initial contract of four years
expired he elected to continue in the service of the Company.
During peacetime soldiers were required to perform whatever work made the best use
of their talents to the benefit of the Company. Perhaps Frick, being literate, was
assigned to do clerical work at the Castle where a Paarl farmer got to know him. In
1728, with Frick’s consent, this farmer loaned him for two years to teach his children. 4
Frick found his surroundings – the beautiful Paarl valley and the free and god-fearing
farming community – much to his liking. He adapted quickly and was soon accepted as
an equal, becoming a member of the church. After two years he accepted a teaching
contract with yet another Huguenot farmer, Andries du Toit, 5 and at the same time
applied to the Governor for release from Company service. 6 The two farmers must have
been very satisfied with his teaching abilities: when in 1733 the sextant of the
Drakenstein (Paarl) church resigned to go full-time farming, Charl du Plessis and
Andries du Toit presented Frick to the church elders with the recommendation that he
be employed as sextant and teacher. This was approved unanimously and Frick was told
to report back to their next meeting when the rules for the school would be ready for
adoption and his appointment could be finalised. 7
As sextant Frick was provided with a house which at his request was nicely repaired.
Then, being nearly 44 years old, he lost no time in bringing home a bride, 20 year old
Maria Marais, the daughter of yet another Huguenot farmer, Charles Marais. 7
Everything was gong really well for Frick. Through his wife he had family relationships
in the community and as the years 8 passed she bore him two sons and two daughters.
His financial position also improved, and in 1737 he applied to the Governor for a plot
of land near the church on which to build a small house. 9
In those times a man of fifty was considered to be old and his end near. A few days
before his 52 nd birthday, he died. It must have been a sad blow for his young wife
Maria, to be suddenly left a widow with four young children and the fifth on the way –
it was born four months after Frick had been buried.
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