The Shipwreck That Shaped South Africa

A pivotal event with enduring consequences for the southern tip of Africa unfolded shortly after 5 PM on Sunday, March 25, 1647. The Dutch merchant ship Nieuwe Haarlem, owned by the Amsterdam Chamber of Commerce and sailing in a convoy with the Olifant and the Schiedam from Batavia, was violently wrecked by a storm. The ship ran aground on the eastern side of Table Bay, possibly near the southeast side of Robben Island.

All 120 crew members survived. Fifty-eight were taken aboard by the other ships in the fleet, while 62 were left behind to salvage the valuable cargo of spices, pepper, textiles, indigo, and Chinese porcelain. Among these salvagers were Leendert Jansz, a junior merchant officer in charge, and Matthijs Proot, another junior merchant from a different fleet vessel. They built a makeshift stronghold called Zandenburgh for shelter and began the arduous task of bringing the goods ashore.

During their challenging year-long stay, the salvagers made contact with the indigenous Khoi San people. They bartered, soon befriended them, and even visited each other's dwellings. They learned basic words and gained an appreciation for each other's cultures. Ultimately, 61 of the 62 salvagers (one died) were rescued by a VOC return fleet in March 1648.

Jan van Riebeeck's Arrival and the "Remonstrantie"

Meanwhile, on December 23, 1647, the VOC merchant Jan van Riebeeck, facing accusations of misconduct, secured passage from Batavia back to the Netherlands. He sailed on the cargo ship Coningh van Polen, part of a 12-ship fleet. Five of these ships, including Van Riebeeck's, belonged to the Amsterdam Chamber of Commerce and were instructed to pick up the Nieuwe Haarlem's crew.

On March 10, 1648, Jan van Riebeeck arrived in Table Bay and met Leendert Jansz. Van Riebeeck was one of the overseers to the laborious task of transferring the salvaged goods to the waiting ships. During his stay from March 10 to April 2, 1648, he had the opportunity to survey the area around the Cape of Good Hope. Departing the Cape on April 3, 1648, and after a two-week stopover at St. Helena Island, the fleet reached Amsterdam on August 7, 1648. On October 23, 1648, Van Riebeeck resigned from the VOC after his appeal against the accusations of self-enrichment in Batavia failed.

A Vision for the Cape

Months later, on July 26, 1649, Leendert Jansz and Matthijs Proot (Nicolaas Proot according to other sources) submitted a feasibility report titled "Remonstrantie" to the Amsterdam Chamber of Commerce. This crucial report detailed that conditions at the Cape of Good Hope were favorable for establishing a halfway station to resupply VOC fleets. The Amsterdam Chamber received the report favorably and sent a copy to the Zeeland Chamber.

On August 20, 1650, amidst the backdrop of an impending civil war in the Netherlands, the Directorate of the VOC approved the plan. They sent instructions to the Haagse Besoigne (the VOC's secretarial and notarial branch) to record and circulate their recommendations. The Zeeland and Amsterdam chambers were ordered to recruit settlers for the Cape, and Matthijs Proot was offered the position of commander.

After Proot declined, Jan van Riebeeck, no longer in VOC service, applied for the role. His primary motivation was to ingratiate himself with the Directorate, hoping to secure a position in India after his contract expired. When given a copy of the "Remonstrantie" for his comments, Van Riebeeck shrewdly highlighted potential money-making schemes to reduce the cost of establishing the refreshment station—a place that would eventually become known as the Tavern of the Seas, and later, Cape Town. Jan van Riebeeck was appointed commander in December 1651. An hour after sunset on December 24, 1651, Van Riebeeck, accompanied by many merchant ships, set sail for the Cape aboard the Drommedaris from the island of Texel in the Wadden Sea. Two other ships, the Reijger, and the Goede Hoope completed his fleet. On board the three ships were 197 persons, including 15 women and children and 182 men. Unfortunately the muster rolls of van Riebeeck's fleet has been misplaced or lost and any details of individuals can only be gleaned from details in other sources, like Day Registers and personal diaries.

According to Van Riebeeck's personal diary and Day Register annotations the following individuals besides soldiers and company employees were on board the fleet: Van Riebeek's wife Maria and small son Lambertus, together with his two nieces Lisjbeth and Sebastiana van Opdorp, Hendrik Hendricx Boom and his wife and six children, the chief surgeon and his wife and two children, the sick comforter and his wife, the carpenter Tymon Jansz who died en route, the skippers of the Reijger and Goede Hoope, Jan Hooghsaet and Symon Pietersz Turver, Van Riebeeck's replacement in case of untimely death David de Coninck, the bookkeeper Adam Hulster,  Aernt van Ieveren his third in command, and Pieter van den Helm his secretary.

At 3.30pm on Friday the 05 April 1652 the first mate on the Drommedaris sighted the outline of Table Mountain rising from the sea. The following morning at 1 am the Drommedaris reached the coast, and at 4am on the 06 April 1652 the fleet lay near the coast. (Source: A J Böeseken - Jan van Riebeeck en sy Gesin, Bruno E J S Werz - Searching for Haarlem (1647) : a ship that made history)

Slave records - South African National Archives

Delia Robertson - The First Fifty Years Project www.e-family.co.za

Mansell G Upham (At Earth's Extremist End) - the First Fifty Years Project www.e-family.co.za

AM van Rensburg et al - Slaves and Free Blacks at the Cape 1658 - 1700 based on AJ Boeseken - www.stamouers.com

www.eGGSA.org

WikiTree

SA History Online www.sahistory.org.za

Condensed version of Remonstrantie of Leendert Janz and M Proot and Van Riebeeck's response, in Dutch with English translation - Google Books. Click on the pop out to view the inside.

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