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Claas Jansz b4 Willem c2 Nicolaas d1 Willem e6 Willem f5 Nicolaas Jacobus
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Five Children born to Second Marriage and where they resided

They had five children:

g8 Johannes Cornelius *31 August 1909. =15 Dec 1909 Carnarvon

g9 Infant boy *22 Oct 1910 died from convulsion on the 7 Nov 1910 father present at death place of residence and buried at Kolkaar, Ward 2⁽¹⁸⁾

g10 Gerhardus Martinus *4 July 1912, = 15 July 1912

g11 Hendrik Albertus *28 Oct 1913, was baptised at Nederduitsche Hervormde Church Klerksdorp on 12 Nov 1913 by Ds Ennis (witnesses Willem F. Janse van Rensburg, Magdalena J.M. Janse van Rensburg) married Maria Swart 13 July 1935

g12 Gertruida Magaretha Dorothea (Dolla) * 27 Jan 1920 married Francois Jacobus Nel, XX Patrick Vaal

A lot of this information is gleaned from the Bible of Nicolaas's second wife, Gertruida Magaretha Le Roux (48k). She mentions that Ds D van Huysteen baptised children g8, g10 yet I could not find the record. (Ds van Huysteen was the pastor there 1906-1912) Were they really baptised, one wonders since the marriage was not an ecclesiastical one.

From the records we know that they were living at:

Aug 1908 - Kaffersnek

Aug 1910 - Van Wyksvlei

Nov 1910 - Kolkaar

Reasons for Leaving the Karoo

Some of the causes for the decline in the Karoo can be described as follows: The arrival of the windmill (The first windmill came to Carnarvon 1899), which made arable land more viable to land owners. Thus bringing about more permanent farming, this led to lack of available trek land. Bywoners were thus less welcome. The arrival of fencing of properties, which meant the movement of Trekboer's were being curtailed. With the arrival of fencing, farmers needed less shepherds. Employment of more blacks, eliminated the need of Bywoners. The devastating effect of the Boer War, droughts and animal sickness, was too much, and many were 'uitgeboer' farmed out of farming. Many left the Karoo and became part of the Poor Whites as they flocked to the towns and cities, see photo of a family trekking from the karoo for the diggings (53k).

Carnarvon had only 3.84 inches of rain in 1912, the average annual rainfall was 7.72 inches. The family left the farm Snymansputs and moved to the Transvaal diamond diggings in search of a better life. The parents of Nicolaas wife lived at Snymansputs (as told to me by Hendrik's wife Maria Swart), other records also confirm it. With a few donkeys and their cart loaded they left Carnarvon in 1913, I was told that Hendrik Albertus was about 10 days old. (He was born 28 Oct and baptised on 12 Nov in Klerksdorp this would not have given them enough time to Trek there) The Karoo which had been home for the family for about sixty years were now left behind, as the glitter of the diamonds attracted them. Thus commenced the third stage in the life of the family. They migrated in search of something better. Other trekboer moved to Bushmanland, Namaqualand and ultimately to the Kalahari of Namibia and Botswana, these were even worse areas, where farming was even more marginal. Like the bushman of old, like the migratory springbok, the Trekboer has vanished and now is only part of history. Life has changed and the trekboer has reached his journeys end.

The eldest son g1 was already living at Klerksdorp, he had a child baptised in N.H. Church 5 April 1908. Also daughter g3 had a child baptised here 4 Oct 1908 and a Nicolaas Jacobus J. v. Rensburg is a witness (they must have gone up for the occasion).

While on the trek Nicolaas Jacobus sprained his ankle and was then restricted to the cart, his son with the same name took over the leadership responsibilities. On the trek children g8 and g10 were struck by the flu epidemic and within ten days both had died when they got to the Orkney / Klerksdorp area. The two funerals were so close in time that at the second funeral, the footprint of the child which were being buried were still visible in the soil, the imprint was made during the funeral of the other child.

Digging their way out of Poverty early 1910's?

They joined the diamond diggings of Eastleigh (present day Orkney, The Eastleigh Diggings was proclaimed in 1911 on farm Goedgenoeg about 8 miles from Klerksdorp). The day before those who wanted to obtain a claim had to purchase a license, the next day about a half a mile from the claims the Mining Commissioner fired a revolver the elder boys including Nicolaas raced to peg their claim. Some went by bicycle other by cart, or on horseback, the majority on foot. Claims usually consisted of forty five foot squares. In January 1913, 633 carats were produced, the highest population here consisted of a few hundred. Most diggers lived in rather poor circumstances. The family lived in a tent there. The diggings⁽¹⁹⁾ offered hope of striking it rich. It still provided independence, free life and they could be their own master. Whites felt ashamed to ask for work, 'coloureds' did that⁽²⁰⁾ . Some would hire a black to assist them. Buying water to wash the soil was part of the diggings. The scene on the diggings has been described as "Picks rise and fall, wrestling with the solidly packed gravel and stones. Everywhere cradles are rocked and gravel and water carried to the puddling troughs". Their hopes would be lifted when someone on the diggings would get a big one. This would keep them going, like a gambler 'just once more', I am going to strike it big. It was a hard life with a glitter of hope. Every tomorrow was and adventure, every sieve may hold their fortune. See photo of a mother and children at diggings (23). The digging culture also made a lot of prophetic value of dreams. Many would live in shacks made of galvanized iron or wooden frames with sackcloth over it. See photo of house made of iron and another of bags at the diggings (27). The diggings revealed lack of community spirit, lack of morals and a nominal independence with the spirit of gambling. Diggers included the riffraff, the down and out, the crooks, criminals, prostitutes, and publicans. Human vultures were always present. This was the hunting ground for life's failures and unfortunates. They hoped that they would be able to dig themselves out of poverty.

They had to contend with buyers and storekeepers who they were 'staked' to, often at a 50/50 ratio on their findings, sometimes being in great debt to these folks. Then there were those who would want to sell them 'schlenters' pieces of glass presented as diamonds. These crooks would even go to the trouble of boiling the glass in condense milk to give it a smooth oily feel like the treasured gem. There were a few ways of detecting the real. Pinch the diamond in a pliers if it does not shatter it is for real. Place it in water and if you can't see it, then it is genuine. Or see if it will scratch glass.

The gambling spirit is reflected in Memoirs of G.G. Munnik p 33 "I read that the diggers liked gambling. They would even sit at a table and each would have a lump of sugar under their hand. Moneys were then placed on the table, all contestants would remove their hand. The one who was fortunate enough to have a fly land on their sugar lump would take all the moneys". However the diggings were unsuccessful. See a photo of a poor family at the diggings (18k), the father had just burned the child's chair for firewood.

Shifting to Potchefstroom mid 1910's

The family then moved to Potchefstroom. They exchanged four donkeys for a plot of land, thus receiving "burgerregte" citizens rights on 175 Kruger St (today 283)⁽²¹⁾. They build a little house making their own bricks. Nicolaas Jacobus measured around the double bed and then built the bedroom of the house just slightly bigger. Later when his son Hendrik and his wife Maria Swart lived in it, according to her, they could not fit their double bed into it. They then had to get a 3/4 bed and even then there was not enough room to kneel and pray, this had to be done in the lounge. The house also contained a small kitchen. Only two small windows gave light to the house. A candle box was used in the bedroom for a window frame and a blue soap boxed was used for the same purpose in the lounge. Rocks being placed oln the roof held down the roof which, was flat. Later when his son lived in it, Hendrik's wife told me that she and her husband during a bad storm had to hold on to the rafters of the roof to insure that it won't blow away. In front of the house was a fenced kraal for a few cows. At the back they had a well. The house had a brown muddy appearance similar as black's homes. While living here Nicolaas Jacobus was working at the abattoirs.

Employment with State Project

The family then moved to Klipdrift where Nicolaas was working on the construction of the Klipdriftdam wall, being a stone layer. He thus followed the socio-movement like so many others, a) leaving farming in the Karoo, to b) alluvial diggings, to c) employment with the state⁽²²⁾ They lived in a little 'bywonerstal' situated on the farm of Mr.Vleischack,⁽²³⁾ on the left side of the dam wall (the writer went and visited this stone building which is used as storage today.. In order to have separate sleeping area they hung a curtain to divide the room. The nearest water was half a mile by foot to a windmill.

They could not even afford a bicycle and had to walk to Potchefstroom. His wife had to wash their clothes in the evening so that they could wear them the next day. Nicolaas was a religious man who held family worship in the evenings. He was never heard to swear. When the minister came to visit them at Klipdrift, he enquired from Nicolaas when last they were at church. Nicolaas replied at the last communion. His wife corrected him that it was at the time their last child was baptised. Nicolaas junior responded that the real truth was that the only clothes that they had, were what they were wearing and thus they were ashamed to go to church. Nicolaas junior soon afterwards went and stole clothing material, a shirt, trousers and shoes from the Indian shop. The family was then able to go to church.

Nicolaas Jacobus used to get angry very easily and at times he would refuse to eat his wife's food or drink her coffee for two weeks. He would then look after himself. The family had a photo of him and his second wife, but it was lost, see photo of him (15k).

Death of Nicolaas 1920, a trekboer entering 20 th Century

On his deathbed his lips were very dry, his sons, who had a drinking problem, offered him brandy. He responded that if this was how he was supposed to be kept alive, it would be better if his life was rather taken. All his life he never had a drop of alcohol. He passed away as a result of flu on the 14 July 1920 at Klipdrift.

When the taxi driver Hennie Havenga arrived with the coffin, the coffin was too short since Nicolaas Jacobus was 6' 2". Nicolaas junior and his stepmother wanted to get a bigger coffin. But Piet did not. In his drunken state he jumped on top of the coffin and in the process broke his father's legs, thus the corpse fitted into the coffin. The mother got upset and Piet knocked her unconscious. The coffin was then taken, being placed across the back of the car and through the windows. Nicolaas junior and Piet argued about whose house the funeral should take place from. They stopped and decided to fight it out and the winner would have his way. Nicolaas Junior won and the funeral commenced from his home in Kock St close to the shop and near the Hospital.

Nicolaas was laid to rest at the Potchefstroom cemetery in grave no. 1093. The son Hendrik and his wife Maria eventually erected a little tombstone, with the words: "hier le die Vader van Hennie & Dolla", see photo of grave (25k).

In his Death Notice⁽²⁴⁾ Nicolaas's property consisted of 1 bed, with bedding; four chairs; one shelf and crockery; one table; one stove; a chest; a milk separator; a machine; a paraffin stove; four big cows; one big old cow; a young heifer (two years old) and three calves (six months old).

Nicolaas was the last, in a long line of family tradition, of being farmers. He was the first to have moved away from this kind of living and face the twentieth century. Being employed by someone else and being separated from the land.

(The writer obtained a lot of information from the following people he interviewed: The wife of Nicolaas Jacobus junior, Johanna Kuhn (which is the authors grandmother), also from Maria Swart the wife of Hendrik. The daughter Gertruida Magaretha Dorothea. Nicolaas wife got married to a widower Wynand Scholtz, they lived at corner of Kamp and Grimbeek street, and they had two daughters which the author also interviewed)

 FOOTNOTES

1. TAB MHG 44246

2. Ceres baptism records at Dutch R.C. Archives: G 62/4/1-3

3. The Cape of Good Hope Blue Book 1880 p9-12

4. Eve Palmer The Plains of Camdeboo 1966 p15, 293

5. Midland Province -Census 1875 1,445 urban people, 11,806 rural people. Horses 6,829, mules and asses 1,792, draught oxen 6,778, other cattle 8,588. Wooled sheep 874,635, other sheep 19, 284. Common goats 118,762, ostriches 339

6. Some good material on Carnarvon: M.C. Kitshoff Die Kudde van Carnarvon. Paper compiled for van Riebeeck festival April 1952 by F.J. Steynberg, Carnarvon; Sy Ontstaan en Groei: 1839 - 1952. Ons Kerk Album p119. M.G.W. de Kock A.G. Visser (1878 - 1978): Seun van die Karoo 1978.

7. Carnarvon marriage register Dutch R.C Archives: G/79/5/1-7

8. A.E. Read Research in the History of the Family Bruijns/ Bruyns/ Bruins/ Broens

9. Carnegie Report into the Poor White Problem in South Africa; Grosskopf p 38

10. P.J. van der Merwe Trek p244

11. Trek p242

12. Trek p241

13. Voters List: CCP 11/1/2,6,13,25,34 for 1872,1876,1882,1889,1895. For some further information regarding Carnarvon and Victoria West refer to: General Directory 1882, Argus Annual 1889, Argus Annual 1892, 1904

14. J.S. Marais The Cape Coloured p214,274

15. Trek p260

16. Carnarvon Marriage Licenses 1894-1961, LDS film 1864154 Item 3 no. 59

17. Her Death Notice TAB MHG 2418/51

18. Carnarvon Death Register 1900-1963, LDS film no. 1864125

19. The number of alluvial diggers grew from 4,600 in 1913 to 11,800 in 1920 Carnegie report J.F.W. Grosskopf p149. For some accounts of the diggings refer to P.A Wagner "The Diamond Field of South Africa", SA Mining Journal of 4 and 18 January 1913; Periodical South Africa 25 January 1913, gives a weekly account of diggings

20. Carnegie Report J.F.W. Grosskopf p173

21. "According to the Pretoria Deeds Office the property known as Erf 514, Potchefstroom was registered on 7 March 1898 in the name of one Petrus Lourens Stephanus Claassen as per deed of transfer number T1431/1898. In 1921 the property was transferred to Gertruida Magrietha Jansen van Rensburg the widow of Nicolaas Jacobus Jansen van Rensburg per deed of transfer number T7414/1921. No record can be found in the Deeds Office to confirm the ownership of her husband. In 1942 the property was transferred per deed of transfer number T12964/1942 from one Wynand Carel Scholtz to Hendrik Albertus Jansen van Rensburg who subdivided the property in 1967 into two portion known as Portion 1 of Erf 514, 283 Kruger Streer and the the Remainder of Erf 514, 281 Kruger Street. A copy of the diagrams is attached. In 1970 and 1981 Portion 1 of Erf 514 and the Remainder of Erf 514 were transferred per deed of transfers numbers T522/1970 and T5683/1981 in the name of one Cornelius Jacobus Muller who is still the owner of the two properties at present.

22. The state provided work on the railways, irrigation works and public works

23. A house of Mr.Vleischack has been restored into a museum and it is close to the Library of Potchefstroom.

24. His Death Notice TAB MHG 44246

rensburg@cyberone.com.au