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

11.George Egbertus born 1792, gaoler in Beaufort-West.
12.Rebecca Wilhelmina born 1794.
13.Daniel Marthinus born 1796, carpenter. 7
14.Johan Frederik born 1798.
/ 1 KAB, MR 1775; NL, ARA, MR 1773-75; 2 Leibbrandt: Requesten 1776-96; 3 KAB,
BKR 2; 4 KAB, MOOC 7/1/102; 5 KAB, MOOC 6/2; 6 KAB, MOOC 6/9/464 Estate
2580/1849; 7 KAB, Estate 335/1834.
Stoeder, Johan Hendrik born Zurich [Studer], arrived 7.12.1773 on Bredenhof for
Kamer Haarlem. 1774-1779 corporal, 1780 1 st corporal, 1781-1891 sergeant, 1 & 2 1795
ensign. 3
1781-1782 Stoeder gave authority to a firm in Delft to send part of his pay to
Switzerland. 4 1791 married Anna Barbara Kapp, baptised 1769, daughter of Philipp
Kapp of Seebach, Germany.
SWISS BLOOD IN THE KNYSNA FOREST
Dalene Matthee in her best-seller Circles in the Forest describes the life of woodcutters
in the Knysna Forest. Through their veins actually runs a little Swiss blood
introduced by Johan Hendrik Studer.
Studer was a professional soldier who, in the service of the Company, had advanced
to ensign, when the English occupied the Cape in 1795. After vainly trying to find
alternative employment he joined his father-in-law, Philipp Kapp and his family,
working in the Tzitzikama as cattle farmers and wood-cutters. When he died there 1804,
he was survived by his wife, three sons and two daughters with 19 trek-oxen (for
transporting wood by oxwagon? and 34 head of cattle. 5
The elder son, baptised Johan Hendrik after his father, lived to the ripe old age of 78
and died on his farm surrounded by a son and three daughters. 6 This son, baptised
Johannes Hendrik Jaobus, also a farmer, had 5 sons and 3 daughters, thus ensuring the
continuance of this family name. 7
The younger son, Johannes Jacobus, became a wood-cutter living in a simple cottage
in the forest at Krommerivier. He employed 4 Khoi to help with the tree-felling, and had
a wagon and two spans of trek-oxen to transport the wood. He was only 33 when he was
tragically killed by a tree falling on him and his bloody corpse was carried back to his
young widow and their two daughters. 8
The children of Johan Hendrik Stoeder:
1. Anna Maria married Salomon Terblans baptised Cape Town 4.11.1793. Recorded
1826 as living in the Plettenberg district and having the widow Stoeder and
Johannes Hendrik Stoeder staying with them. 9
2. Johannes Hendrik baptised Cape Town 10.8.1794, married 1831, died 1871, had 3
daughters, 1 son. 6 The son, Johan Hendrik Jacobus 1831-1880 had 5 sons and 3
daughters and farmed on Goedekloof, District Humansdorp. 7
3. Ernest Frederik baptised Cape Town 8.4.1798.
4. Sara Elisabeth born 1801? baptised Swellendam 6.1.1803.
5. Johannes Jacobus born 19.6.1802, baptised Swellendam 6.1.1803, married George
1830 Susanna Jerling, had 2 daughters, died 26.3.1836. 8
/ 1 KAB, MR 1775-1782, 1783-1789; NL, ARA MR, 1774-1787; 2 KAB, ZA 2/9/6 MR
1791; 3 KAB, BO 193; 4 KAB, CJ 2833, 15.12.1781 (S); 5 KAB, J 318; 6 KAB, MOOC
6/9/137 Estate 7578/1871; 7 KAB, MOOC 6/9/521 Estate 1253/1880; 8 KAB, MOOC
6/9/80 Estate 1536/1836; 9 KAB, J 408 CR Tsitsikama 1826.
Baptist, Lodewikus born Berne, 1773 soldier, sick. / KAB, MR 1773.
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