Heritage Day on the Kabeljous
A glimpse into the past of the Kabeljouws.
An article in our local newspaper appropriately called ‘A Glimpse into the past’ by Kobus Reichert made interesting reading, and certainly made me think about what life on the Kabeljouws might have been like all those years ago.
In the article Reichert wrote. ‘On May 4, 1752, Ensign August Beutler, who was on an official expedition from the Cape, had talks with the Khoisan Captain at the mouth of the Kabeljous River, where he erected a monogram on an island in the river to claim the area for the Dutch East India Company.
That was over 250 years ago, and this morning as we stood at the mouth of this same river admiring the flamingoes I looked towards the Gamtoos and the blue mountains in the distance and realized that it must have looked exactly the same in 1752, as it does now!
In those long forgotten days the route to the Eastern Cape was via the Langkloof, and it was not only big game hunters and fortune seekers who made the arduous journey, but Trek Boers as well.
The book, ‘Jeffreys Bay: History Calendar from 1487’ by Bert Behrens is a wonderful source of information and from it we learn the facts about the Kabeljouws.
In 1744 Marthinus van Staden, a Trek Boer, acquired grazing rights on the Kabeljouws (note spelling) just a few kilometers east of the land on which Jeffreys Bay stands today. He then moved further eastwards across the Gamtoos River, the now famous Van Stadens River is said to be named after him.
Then in 1784, a farm further up the Kabeljouws River named Misgunst (now Misgund) was awarded to Solomon Marais. This once quaint farmhouse was for many years owned by the Ferreira’s and the Du Plessis families. Unfortunately it was totally gutted by the runaway fires that occurred in the region in 2005.
The authorities allocated another three farms in 1803. The first, Kabeljouws, was granted to Hester Kritzinger, a widow. This farm was situated on the eastern side of the Kabeljouws River and was later subdivided into the following farms: Kabeljouws Siding, Die Erf, Sonop, Kabeljouws river, Klipheuwel, Meulplaas, Akkerboom and Rina`s Rus. The other two farms were Plaatjies Drift and Diep Rivier which went to Johannes and Theodorus Potgieter.
The neighboring farm Papiesfontein which today is well known for its horse trails was originally owned by Jurie Johannes Human.
And speaking of horses, spare a thought for Anthonie Michiel Ferreira born on Kabeljous Farm. His girlfriend Maria Meeding lived in Plettenberg Bay (don`t ask me how they met) and he used to visit her on horseback! One hundred miles (160km) in 1825 would have been a journey filled with excitement and danger.
Happily they married in George in 1827 and went on to have eleven children.
‘ To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born, is to remain forever a child’ Cicero 43 BC
David Barkes – Life on the Kabeljauws
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