Wessell (Praetorius) Pretorius (bef. 1674 - 1713)

Born before 3 Jun 1674 in de Caep de Goede Hoop

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 1713 after age 38 in de Caep de Goede Hoop

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Wessel (Praetorius) Pretorius 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

WESSEL PRETORIUS (b1) 1674-1723

Wessel Pretorius was the firstborn of Johannes Pretorius who is generally acknowledged as the stamvader of the South African family of that name. His baptism in Cape Town on 3.6.1674 was witnessed by Dirk Jansz Smiendt and Margarita Meechof, wife of Willem van Dieden. Both Smiendt and van Dieden were prominent officials at the Cape. According to the prevailing custom the child was named for his grandfather the Rev. Wessel(ius) Pretorius of Ouddorp, Holland. His early years must have been spent at the Cape for his father, Johannes, is not credited with living elsewhere after his second marriage to Johanna Victor. Wessel's education must have been adequate for he wrote a good hand. In 1698 at the early age of 24 he was chosen as a deacon for the Cape congregation and this public spirit remained with him throughout his life. Later he served his church in Stellenbosch as deacon, 'ouderling' and finally as a member of the church council; and also his town as Heemraad.

Between 1699 and 1700 he married Geertruy Elberts, daughter of Hendrik Elberts of Stellenbosch but the date and place of the marriage has not been established. The census return for 1700 however, reveals that he was by then resident in the Stellenbosch area, complete with wife and young daughter. No property is registered in his name prior to 1703, but tlat occupied by him in the 1700 census was undoubtedly that which only became his by registration in 1703, a not uncommon practice. This comprised 60 morgen 'in 't Moddergat', in the vicinity of the present Firgrove, Somerset West, and had been sold to him by Jacobus van den Heiden (T.587/1703). A year later Wessel received a grant of adjoining land (OSF l/179-26.9.1704) making a total holding of sum 87 morgen. Information from the Adam Tas diary has these farms as 'Berg Sinai' and 'Rustenburg' whereas his estate inventory mentions them as a single property under the title 't Moddergat'. Whatever the name, the farm lay in the area known as Moddergat and here Wessel made his permanent home. Later census returns show that his agricultural activity increased and in 1712, the year before his death, he is credited with 10,000 vines with a wine production of 9 leaguers. Livestock and field crops also helped to provide for his family. In addition to the Moddergat farm he ran over 1000 sheep and a considerable number of cattle on two properties 'aan en over de 24 rivieren' in the Porterville area.

His conscience caused him to be concerned by the situation created by the malpractices of the Willem A van der Stel regime. He joined a band of Freeburgers who formed a group to find means to redress these wrongs with scant regard for their personal safety. Organised in the Stellenbosch district by Adam Tas, meetings were held both in his home and in those of other prominent farmers, Jacobus van den Heiden, Pieter van der Bijl, Henning Huysing and Ferdinandus Appel. Willem Adriaan's reaction to the criticism of his administration was an angry one and he flung some of the would be reformers into gaol, Wessel Pretorius amongst them. Others were exiled to the Netherlands and Batavia. Fortunately for Wessel and his comrades officialdom in Holland eventually sided with the Freeburgers and Willem Adriaan was forced to relinquish his post as governor and return to the Netherlands in disgrace. Wessel was not long to enjoy the freedom from oppression resulting from his efforts and he died, aged 39, in mid 1713. In all probability the devastating smallpox epidemic of that year was the cause of his death. The estate inventory was taken on 7.7.1713 on Moddergat, for the benefit of his named heirs, his widow and his two surviving children, Geertruy and Hendrik born 1701. Johannes the third child (born 1704) must therefore have predeceased his father. (MOOC 8/3 7.7.1713, no56-59). The papers preserved demonstrate a small but comfortable home by the standards of the day. The separate estate accounts (MOOC 13/l/l no 74 1713-16) declare that like most of the Freeburgers, he owed considerable sums for loans, goods and services. Among the latter were legal expenses connected with his death and the administration of the estate, wages for two 'knegts', medical expenses for visits and medicines supplied by Dirk Snit and Daniel Phyl. As was the custom the estate provided food, drink, tobacco and pipes for those who attended the 'vendutie'. Wessel must have regarded this outlay with approval from the grave for he himself seems to have been a heavy smoker with 279 guilders outstanding to Harmen Palmer for tobacco and pipes for his own use. Despite the many liabilities, including two large loans to be repaid, the sale of his properties and movables ensured that the estate was more than solvent. Only the details of Hendrik's share of the estate, just over 4000 guilders, have been preserved but the widow and Geertruy must also have benefitted.

Two months after Wessel died, Geertruy aged 13 years, became the wife of Johannes Wessels and it is through their son, Wessel Wessels that the South African Wessels family derives. As far as has been established Hendrik, the only surviving son of Wessel Pretorius did not marry. The 'casboek' of the Moederkerk at Stellenbosch reveals that his remains lie in grave no 89 in the church building where they were interred at his death in 1733 aged 32 years. (Die Kerk van Stellenbosch-Hugo and van der Bijl). The resting place of Wessel Pretorius has not been found in any church documents. Although he left no descendants in the male line the part he played in the early history of the country places Wessel Pretorius on a par with later members of the family whose roles are better known. Margaret Cairns Ott 1991^[1]

Birth

Date: 1674^[2]

Place: Cape of Good Hope, [South Africa] ^[2]

Christening

Date: 3 Jun 1674 ^[3][2][1]

Place: Cape of Good Hope ^[3][2][1]

Den 3 Junij {1674} een soontje van Johannes Praetorius en Geertruijd Mentinghs sy huijsvrouw wierdt genaamt Wessell getuyghe was Dirck Jansz Smiendt Leut't nevens Margarita Meeckhoff huijsvrouw van Willem van Dieden^[4]

Child: Wessell^[5]

Event date: 3 June 1674^[5]

Event place: Cape Town, Dutch Reformed Church^[5]

Father: Johannes Praetorius / Johannes Pretorius ^[5]

Mother: Geertruijd Mentinghs / Gertruyda Meyntjes^[5]

Witnesses: Dirck Jansz Smiendt Leut't nevens Margarita Meeckhoff huijsvrouw van Willem van Dieden^[5]

Marriage (Parents)

Date: 1673 ^[3]

Husband: Johannes Pretorius ^[3]

Wife: Geertruida Meintjies ^[3]

Child: Wessel Pretorius ^[3]

Occupation

Farmer, stone mason, deacon and elder in church

Place: Moddergat, near Firgrove, Somerset West^[2]

Death

Date: 1713^[2]

Place: Cape, [South Africa] ^[2]

Burial

Place: Stellenbosch, Cape, South Africa^[1]

Sources

• WikiTree profile Praetorius-10 created through the import of My Family.Pretorius.Van_Wyk.DeWaal.Potgieter.2011.ged on Sep 19, 2011 by Judy Potgieter.
• Source: S9 Title: Pretorius deur drie Eeue Author: ME Pretorius Publication: Colin Pretorius

• WikiTree profile Pretorius-5027 through the import of Pretorius Family Tree 1.ged on Aug 10, 2013 by Willem Pretorius. User ID: 51BE0994804EA29F000265A791E5D11C : Record ID Number: MH:I500207 : UPD 16 JUN 2013 20:53:08 GMT+2
• Source: Title: WikiTree Publication: MyHeritage Page: http://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-10109/wikitree?s=213318421&lang=AF&itemId=23001574&action=showRecord&mid=39 Data: Text: Wessel Praetorius
  Geslag: Manlik
  Geboorte: 1674
  Sterfte: 1713
  Vader: ** Johannes Pretorius (gebore Praetorius)
  Moeder: Gertruyda Meyntjes
  Vrou: Geertruy Elbertsz
  Kinders: Geertruy Pretorius Hendrik Pretorius Johannes Pretorius
• Source: Author: Anton Uys Title: Uys Family Web Site Text: MyHeritage.com Page: Wessel PRETORIUS
• Source: Author: ALIDA GLEN Title: alida family tree Web Site Text: MyHeritage.com Page: Wessel Pretorius ^[6]

• WikiTree profile Pretorius-4684 created through the import of Redelinghuys.ged on Jul 21, 2012 by Humphrey Stead. User ID: E28E6104800860419E2A52A31A07A3DD5C26 Prior to import, this record was last changed 15:27:38 30 Jan 2000.
• Source: S105 Title: #105 Note: Parish Register
• Source: S94 Title: Genealogies of Old South African Families Author: De Villiers, C.C. and Pama, G. Publication: A.A. Balkema, Cape Town, South Africa, 1966 Page: Vol II,p. 732

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Sep 19, 2011 Judy Potgieter.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6} Aug 10, 2013 by Willem Pretorius.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5} Jul 21, 2012 by Humphrey Stead. Source: #S94 Page: Vol II,p. 732
4. ↑ The Genealogical Society of South Africa: eGSSA branch, South African Records Transcribed. A selection of historical records transcriptions (http://www.eggsa.org/cgi-bin/searchBaptisms.pl : accessed April 19, 2015), Cape Archives Verbatim Copies VC 603, Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk, baptisms 1665 to 1696. page 10 VC 603 is a photocopy made during the 1980s of the original, 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 and to the Pretoria Repository (where it is part of the FC series). The original register is now housed in the Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerkargief, Noordwal-Wes, Stellenbosch, as G1 1/1.The transcription was originally made in 2006 by Richard Ball. Corrections were received from Delia Robertson and Alwyn Smit and Corney Keller had now completely revised and amended the original transcript (February 2012). Seen and added APRIL 19, 2015 by Susanna de Bruyn.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5} April 19 2015 by Susanna de Bruyn
6. ↑ : Object not included in GEDCOM:

   jpg :: Title: Groote Kerk :: Note: Foto is bygevoeg as Smart Match uit stamboom 'alida family tree Web Site \ Pretorius Family Tree2' deur: ALIDA GLEN (PHOTO_RIN MH:P112 :: FILESIZE 176549)