Nicolaas Leij (bef. 1703)

Born before 25 Nov 1703 in de Caep de Goede Hoop

Ancestors

Descendants

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Nicolaas Leij was part of the settlement of the Dutch Cape Colony. Join: Cape of Good Hope - Kaap de Goede Hoop (1652-1806) Project Discuss: dutch_cape_colony

Biography

SAG Nr

b2 ^[1]

Baptism

Date: November 25, 1703 ^[2]:

25 Nov:

van Michiel Leij en Engeltie Breda

onder getuijgen van Maria Lose, gent:

- Nicolaas

Biltong

28 March 1709: Start of biltong as we know it today? ... Swiss free-burgher Michiel Ley`s alternative recipe for salting meat adopted ... "Broad Council Meeting. Not one hardly offered himself for the supply of dried or smoked meat. Only 2,500 or 3,000 Ibs. were offered - a quantity very little among so many vessels. The necessity of supplying the ships properly is re-iterated. Governor & flag officers inspect some meat salted 8 days ago by the contractor Husing. The lean parts were found good, but the thick parts already spoiling. ^[3]

Decided that the treat should first lie some days in the brine to draw out the blood, & after that placed in new salt. That was not the idea of Husing but of his fellow-contractor Michiel Ley. The former believed that the meat should be left in its first salt & not pickled beforehand; And was prepared to guarantee supply remaining good. Decided, however, to adopt the plan of double salting, recommended by Ley; Husing ordered to supply in that manner; "Meervliet" having brought sufficient casks for the purpose. Ley to supply his share according to his plan. Company to supply the pepper. ^[3]

Decided to take over for the Company, the meat already salted by Husing. The good portions to be distributed among the crews, & the tainted ones among the slaves ... [Journal] ^[3]

Michiel LEY {Löw} (1670-1716) (from Basel in Switzerland) - likely same person as Hans Michiel LEY born Benken BL 18 December 1670 [Loew pronounced "Ley"]), son of Ulrich Löw & Katharina Schwarz ... ^[3]

Arrives (1696) as soldier thereafter master butcher; Likely biologically fathers illegitimate daughter by Company Slave Lodge matres Armozijn Claes: van de Caep, Machteld / Magdalena Ley halfslag baptized (26 August 1697) ... ^[3]

Marries (8 December 1697 Engeltje Breda (from Delft, Holland) daughter of Nikolaas Breda & Aagje Keisers - her mother is recorded (1690) having a kindergarten in Cape Town ... ^[3]

Buys (1699) house in Eerste Dwars Street from Hans Hendrik Smit ... ^[3]

Contracts as Company’s Butcher with Company to loan a soldier to work for him; after expiry of 5-year contract, continues as free-master butcher always employing at least 1 soldier loaned from the Castle & supplying meat to public & Company by buying animals from the farmers ... ^[3]

Contracts (1708) with 3 others to press grapes harvested by Company’s servants on the farm "Vergelegen" (present day Somerset West) for a half share of the produce ... ^[3]

Deacon of Groote Kerk (1703) & Orphan Master (1707); nurses (1701) Hans Jacob Loets (from Schaffhausen) when very sick & lends money to compatriot Jan Oberholster (from Zurich) ... ^[3]

With Cape-born mestiço Willem Basson, compatriot Jan Oberholster & Anthony Abrahamsz: (dies 1718), contracts to supply all the meat required by the Company - price Company prescribed for purchasing animals is however so unfavourable to farmers who refuse to sell that Adam Tas collects signatures petitioning against the governor, citing also other grievances & this is sent to Holland while Van der Stel draws up a Defence which his faithfuls sign - amongst them Ley & Oberholster resulting in ^[3]:

1. 4 partners having meat contract cancelled at their request (taken over by Claas Hendriksz: Diepenouw),
2. Adam Tas being incarcerated in the Castle’s dungeon &
3. Van der Stel being replaced (1708) ...

At this time 4 of his slaves flee in an attempt to return to Madagascar but are recaptured after committing murders & robberies, & executed with great cruelty ... ^[3]

Falls into disfavour with new Governor Louis van Assenburgh, who places him under arrest (1709) in the Castle releasing him only after he apologises ... ^[3]

Census (1709) records him with wife, 3 sons & 1 daughter, 2 servants, 14 slaves, 4 horses, 30 head of cattle, 300 sheep & 2 pigs, 6 000 vines & 2 leaguers of wine having purchased farm "Welgemeent" from Kotzé-108|Johann (Jan) Cotze / Kotze (from Königstein [Saxony]) comprising 3,95 hectares SE of Table Mountain; buys (1710) a 2nd house in Table Valley ... ^[3]

Elected (7 October 1715) Burgher Lieutenant; ^[3]

dies Cape of Good Hope (1716) ... ^[3]

Widow hires Swiss soldier Johannes Lister (from Basel) as knecht ... ^[3]

5 children baptised of whom 3 reach adulthood [Mansell Upham] ^[3]:

1. Nicolaas Ley born December 1698; dies in infancy
2. Catharine Ley born c. 1701 ante 1709 marries Martinus Bergh, 9th child of Sweded Oloff Bergh (from Gothenburg), leader of expedition to Namaqualand (1682-83) & Cape-born mestiça Anna de Coningh
3. Nicolaas Ley baptised 25 November 1703 merchant & 2nd Commissioner for Slave Trade at Madagascar marries Jacoba Christina de Wet daughter of Cape-born Christina Bergh & Jacobus de Wet (from Amsterdam), step-daughter of Swede Matthias Bergstedt (from Stockholm) & granddaughter of Cape-born mestiça Anna de Coningh & Swede Oloff Bergh (from Gothenburg)
4. Johannes Ley baptised 25 April 1706 Company clerk & Commissioner of Civil & Marriage Affairs marries Anna Thibault daughter of Daniel Thibault (from Amsterdam) & Cape-born Aletta de Beer
5. Jacobus Ley baptised 8 December 1709, probably dies in infancy.

Sources

1. ↑ Source :
   • The Genealogical Society of South Africa: South African Family Registers 2018 - Released January 2019, LEY,
   Seen & added 23 February 2021 by André Laubscher
2. ↑ The Genealogical Society of South Africa: eGSSA branch, South African Records Transcribed. A selection of historical records transcriptions (http://www.eggsa.org/sarecords/ : accessed 9 Jul, 2017), "Cape Town Baptisms 1695-1712 (1703)" (Written by transcribed by Corney Keller. Posted in Cape Town Baptisms 1695-1712), baptism entry for Nicolas Leij, (page 33 (fo. 19)); Source: This transcription has been made from photographs of the Cape Archives Verbatim copies document VC 604 - Cape Town baptisms, memberships and marriages 1695-1712, which is a photocopy of the original register, now housed in the Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerkargief, Noordwal-Wes, Stellenbosch, as G1-8/1. This photocopy was made for the Sciences Research Council (HSRC) and a copy was donated to the South African Archives, a copy going to the Cape Town Repository (VC series) and to the Pretoria Repository (where it is part of the FC series). The baptisms cover pages 1 through 87 and 126 through 143 of this register. Seen and added by Philip van der Walt Jul 9, 2017.
3. ↑ ^{3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17} Source: First Fifity Years - collating Cape of Good Hope records Community Page: March 28, 2016 8:31 am 2016 Seen and added by Philip van der Walt March 28, 2016.