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

amount should the Directors refuse to ratify the appointment. They refused and
Bonstetten decided to relinquish his position and return to Europe, at the same time
requesting a pension and a more distinguished titular rank without increase in pay. This
too was refused, 2 but he was given permission to leave after the Governor had coerced
his own son and Louis Thibault to stand surety for the repayments due by Bonstetten.
Back in Switzerland Bonstetten joined the Swiss army as major and had the means to
repay but defaulted, which caused some finanial anxiety for Thibault. 3
/ Meuron, Guy de: Le régiment Meuron, 1781-1816, p. 301 and KAB, MR 1788-1789; 2
Leibbrandt: Requesten 1790: 70; 3 De Puyfontaine: Louis Michel Thibault.
A BRAVE SOLDIER AND MAN OF PROPERTY
De la Harpe, Jean-Charles born Rolle VD, born 22.4.1751, died George 8.8.1839.
De La Harpe was the Swiss with the most distinguished family background to settle at
the Cape before 1800. From him all the De La Harpes in South Africa are descended.
By coincidence Aubonne lies only about three kilometres from the birthplace of Jean
Sublet who found happiness in a humble cottage in the mountains above Simon’s Town.
Was Jean-Charles more successful?
The De La Harpes have traced their family tree back to 1387 when one Pierre de Alpa
& de Apa, Chambellan de Boppe and Régente de Savoie, became burgess of the town
Thonon on the French shore of Lake Geneva. 1 Throughout the ages they have maintained
their upper class status. Members of the family entered various professions and
many distinguished themselves. Thus a Frenchman passing through Cape Town in 1795
referred to Jean-Charles as “the nephew of the academician de La Harpe” and a distant
cousin, Frederic-Ceasar de La Harpe, was tutor of the young Alexander who later as
Tsar of Russia defeated Napoleon’s army. Many embarked on military careers and
indeed the officers’ roll of the Regiment Meuron lists three De La Harpes.
La Harpe was 32 when he arrived here with the regiment in 1783. He soon married a
local girl, Christina Mostert, by whom he had seven children. When the regiment was
sent to Ceylon he was seriously ill and remained here, serving as Lieutenant-Captain at
the regimental depot until his resignation in 1790, when he became a burgher of the
Cape.
As burgher he was required to join the burgher militia in which he served as second in
command of the cavalry. When the British invaded the Cape in 1795 he saw active
service during which his outstanding bravery was noted. The cavalry had strongly
supported Colonel Henry’s plan to attack the British while they were consolidating their
position in Muizenberg. When this was thwarted by orders from the Castle, they took
independent offensive action wherever possible. During the British advance from
Muizenberg towards Wynberg, the Burgher Cavalry although comprising only about
200 horsemen, turned back to challenge them and opened a tremendous fire. But the
British kept on advancing steadily in the open country and spread out, forcing the
Burgher Cavalry to fall back. Jean-Charles seeing his banner retreating at full speed,
snatched it from the standard bearer as he was galloping past and planted it on a dune in
the face of the British Colonel, urging his comrades to rally and halt the enemy’s
advance. La Harpe was so close to the British that a shower of bullets came down
around him. A British soldier leapt from amongst the bushes in order to fell him but de
La Harpe’s horse, startled by the sudden appearance of the soldier, swerved and the shot
went astray. 3
During the second British invasion in 1806 La Harpe now 56 years old, was Captain-
Lieutenant of the Burgher Cavalry. The account book for the war chest records that he
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