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

of know-how at the Cape in the service of former merchant Olaf de Wet 4 and Orphan
Master Alexander Croese. 5 1749, eight years after his arrival, Schalker became a
burgher and thenceforth was recorded as single man with gun and sword, 6 weapons
which every burgher had to possess to be able to perform his military duties. Apparently
he had no horse and no mention is made of his slave Thomas of Boegies whom he set
free, albeit on condition that he remain a freeman in his service until death. 7
In 1762 Schalker moved to the Drakenstein District 8 where 19.8.1764 he married
Maria Guillaumet, widow of Louis Jordan, owner of the farm Schoonoort. They settled
on a plot of land at Paarl leaving the farm to her five sons. 9 Schalker seems to have
earned his living as a sort of legal agent and shopkeeper as is evident by his signature as
agent on a contract by which Hendrik Freene took service as a farmhand in 1765, 10 and
by the inventory of his possessions 11 compiled after his death 6.1.1770. 12 The inventary
lists a shopcounter and scales, plus an extensive stock of goods including items varying
from 14 spades and 70 handkerchiefs to 53 cups and saucers, coffee, tea and sugar, 16
ell black satin, 45 knives and 100 feet of wooden planks. His personal items included a
large Bible and 23 other books, 19 sheets of writing paper, 2 packs of playing cards and
a silver pocketwatch. Everything was sold by public auction on 12.3.1770, realising 702
rixdalers and 5 stuiwers. 13 Schalker left no descendants.
/ 1 CH, Zurich, Staatsarchiv des Kantons Zürich, Todeseintrag im Totenbuch von
Wülflingen zwischen 20. und 23. Januar 1771; 2 Leibbrandt: Requesten 1748: 111; 3
KAB, MR 1742, 1747, 1748; 4 KAB, CJ 2888: 93; 5 KAB, CJ 2889: 36; 6 KAB, MR
Freemen 1749, 1751-1756, 1756-1762; 7 Leibbrandt: Requesten 1761: 77; 8 KAB, MR
Freemen 1763-1770; 9 KAB, DO, T4146, 5.3.1767 from Abraham de Vries; 10 KAB,
CJ2900: 81; 11 KAB, MOOC 3/11/7:52; 12 KAB, MOOC 6/1, p. 67; 13 KAB, MOOC
10/10.
Sausche, Jan born Rougemont VD [Saugy, Jean?], arrived 8.12.1741 on Meerlust as a
corporal for Kamer Edam 1 but was used as a blacksmith. 2 In 1745 he was loaned for
two years to former Burgher Councillor Fred. Rossouw, 3 after which he became a
burgher 4 living in the Cape District and having in 1751 a slave servant, gun and sword. 5
A year later he was owner of the farm De Vleesbank east of Hermon in extent 51,2
hectares. 6
Sauche’s birthplace lies in the Alps only a few kilometres from Gstaad. He must have
been happy in his new home surrounded by the Boland mountains. He did not live to
enjoy his new home for long. In March 1756 he was no more. 7 The inventory taken after
his death indicates that he confined his farming activity to animal husbandry, relying for
a living on his work as a blacksmith, assisted by a soldier loaned from the Company. 8
He left the working of the land to another, described as “the young Schoeman”, for a
half-share of the harvest.
The inventory 7 describes the buildings and lists the contents of each room. The
buildings would have been built from materials found locally, using stone and clay for
walls which were probably not higher than two metres, wood for rafters, bamboo and
thatch for the roof. Only the front entrance would be secured by a door and each room
would have only one small window not larger 500 mm square with no glass panes, only
wooden shutters to keep out wind and cold. Floors were made of compacted clay mixed
with cow dung to give them a soft texture. The living room contained amongst others,
one old sideboard, one bed, an old mirror, a table and five chairs; the kitchen a shelf
with three tin plates, a three-legged iron cooking-pot, a copper kettle, three water
buckets and a wooden kist; the loft two bags of salt; the shed not much more than a few
empty bags of sailcloth; the coal shed some charcoal and some pieces of cut wood; the
smithy contained adequate though largely old equipment; and the stable seven horses. In
addition he had an old ox-wagon, an old horse cart and farming equipment left standing
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