Two inventories from the VOC period
MOOC8/19.12
This is the inventory of the deceased George Hendrik Godlieb Bergman. The date is 4 May 1786. The inventory is signed at the top by the second-in-command at the Cape, Pieter Hacker.
George H.G. Bergman was 30 years old when he died. He was born in Germany in 1756. Bergman was a medical doctor who joined the Dutch East India Company in 1781 and came to the Cape as a soldier. A week after Bergman’s death his widow, Elizabeth Redecker, requested permission to sell the house in Table Valley. She desperately needed money. In this request it is also revealed that Bergman committed suicide. Besides his wife, he left behind a two-month-old baby. In another inventory, MOOC8/33.7, dated 14 June 1817, 31 years after his father’s death, we meet the infant again, this time as George Christiaan Bergman, the sworn Notary living in Caledon.
Interesting and detailed information is gained from inventories. The researcher gets an idea of the marital and material status the deceased had in his or her life.
Inventories generally start with the name of the deceased, the inheritors and the situation of the house(s) and erf. In this case the house and erf of George Hendrik Godlieb Bergman is situated in Table Valley and specifically in a section marked Number 1 according to the title deed.
Other archival sources reveal that G.H.G. Bergman was a medical doctor who joined the Dutch East India Company and came to the Cape as a soldier. Evidence of these two professions is found in the inventory.
In the front room (hall) (voorhuijs) there are four muskets and a pair of pistols. In the room to the right (in de camer ter regterhand) we find two copper pestles and mortars, two iron balansjes with their copper schalen, one apothecary’s weight and other surgical instruments.
The presence of five paintings, a violin, books and a docquetillie bord with its discs (schyven), probably reflects Bergman’s middle-class status. In total 33 paintings, some of Chinese origin, hang on the walls of the different rooms in this house.
In the room to the left (in de camer ter linkerhand) there are many references to clothing, i.e. uniforms, leather trousers, jackets, silk dresses, hats, socks, silver shoe buckles, copper knee buckles, shirts, waistcoats and two silver fob watches.
The inventory is interrupted when the widow states that her husband had on him at the time of his death a gold fob watch and a gold ring with a diamond. These, however, were not returned to her when his body was taken away; she received only the red ribbon to which the gold watch was tied – obviously someone had stolen the watch by cutting it from its ribbon.
The ‘international’ presence of the object d’ arts, i.e. English sauce bowls, a Frisian clock and five little Chinese statues perhaps points to many travels or the huge presence of ware from other continents at the Cape.
In the kitchen the typical iron, copper, earthen, tin, pewter and wooden utensils of the day are present.
In the warehouse loft (pakhuijs zolder) there are stored some glass bottles and earthen pots with medicines, an old cuckoo clock, an old chair and objects that appear to have just been in storage and not used every day.
In the backyard is a vice, a butter tub, a door post and old woodwork.
At the closure of this inventory, just before the outstanding debt is mentioned, reference is made to the slaves Bergman owned. The two male slaves were Fortuijn from Soembawa and April from Nias. The auction list, dated 19 May 1786, reveals that Fortuijn was sold voetstoots (‘as is’) for 150 rixdollars to Joël Herhold and April was sold for 71 rixdollars to Johannes Prisilius (see MOOC10/15).
The debt and interest owed to the Orphan Chamber and a burgher named Johan Gustaaf Volmer, totalled 1679:32 rixdollars.
The inventory ends with the signatures of the officials, and the sworn clerk and writer (gesw: Clercq en Schryver) of the Orphan Chamber.
MOOC8/2.8
This is the inventory of the deceased Hendricus Munkerus. His wife’s name, Elsje van Suurwaarden, also appears at the top of the inventory as they were married in community of property. The length of the inventory reflects the wealth and social status of Hendricus Munkerus. He was employed by the Dutch East India Company as an assistant merchant (onderkoopman) and kassier. The couple owned three properties: a house and erf in Table Valley, an estate situated in the Tijgerbergen and a small homestead. According to the title deed of 10 August 1705 the farm in the Tijgerbergen was called Rondebosje.
Generally inventories start with the fixed property of the deceased. This inventory is unusually drawn up because it starts with the material objects owned.
Goud en silver gemund en ongemund
First listed are the coined and uncoined gold and silver objects, i.e. buttons, forks, rings, silver mustard pots, a silver toothpick and snuff box. Interesting is the fact that silver and gold objects were priced according to how much they weighed, e.g. one hoop ring (plain ring) weighed 7 English lead at 8 rixdollars per lead, costing 6 1/2 rixdollars.
Koopmanschappen
Under this heading a number of kists of materials are listed. The names of these many and varied cloths reflect the richness and beauty of the merchandise, e.g. Tutucorinse citsen, Chineesche groene armosijn and Tonquinse gevouwe witte pelangs. Other goods listed in bulk are rolls of tobacco, sugar, soap, drinking glasses, table plates, etc.
Huijsraad en imboedel
The next heading lists the furniture made at the Cape, or possibly brought over from the Netherlands and the Far East. It is not clear from these lists in which of the three properties these items were housed.
Schilderijen
There is a separate list for the paintings owned by Munkerus. This list is exceptional in that each painting is described so that the researcher gets a good idea what he is ‘looking’ at, for example a picture depicting two Italian harbors and a portrait of the sister and brother of Mrs. Munkerus.
Boeken
The next entry lists all the books Munkerus owned. It is truly a vast library covering a broad field of interests. He had an atlas with 156 maps, a description of the city of Amsterdam, a Bible with a copper clasp, a maths book dated 1679, books on Roman Dutch law by Hugo de Groot. Also in Munkerus’s bookcase are a Latin dictionary and Latin grammar book and military and maritime books. One interesting book with the title “Samuelus Munkerus artis poetica periculum 1688” makes one wonder if it was perhaps a relative’s collection of poetry Munkerus brought to the Cape with him.
Combuis gereetschappen
The following category is a list of the kitchen utensils. These objects give one a good idea of what the inhabitants ate and how they entertained. Listed are beer, tea and fish kettles. In the kitchen is a chocolate jug, which indicates that besides wine and beer, chocolate was drunk. The utensils were made from iron, porcelain, yellow and red copper, tin, pewter and wood. Interesting are the objects from Japan and Bengal: six porcelain Japanese dishes, two Bengalese pitchers and eighteen Bengalese spittoons, of which four were large and 14 small. A noticeable item amongst the kitchen objects is an astrolabe.
Keeping in mind that no reference was made in the beginning of this inventory to the two fixed properties Munkerus owned, it is interesting that after the previous list clear mention is made that the following lists of farming implements and furniture were found in the estate at Tijgerberg (Rondebosje). Presumably the previous lengthy lists were inventoried at the house and erf situated in Table Valley.
Bouwgereetschap
The implements listed show what possible daily activities took place at the estate, i.e. wine making, wheat growing, the making of butter and bread, ploughing and woodwork.
Huismeubelen
The furniture listed at the Tijgerberg house also comments on the well-to-do lifestyle of the Munkerus family. Once more portraits are listed, as well as a few Delft objects, namely three cheese moulds, plates and a colander.
Cred:t and Den boedel debet
At the end of the inventory the credits and debits of the deceased’s estate are listed. The slaves that Munkerus owned are listed under credits. He had in total 10 male slaves, 2 female slaves and 6 young slave children – all unnamed.
One of the debts listed is 333 1/3 rixdollars for funeral clothes and other related funeral expenses.
The inventory was signed at the Cape on the 20th May 1707. Present were the two Orphan Masters and Secretary of the Orphan Chamber. Elsje van Suurwaarden signed her own name as Elsie van Suurwaarden. During a meeting of the Orphan Chamber the widow was asked to state under oath that to her best knowledge she had not withheld any item that should also have been inventoried.
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Sketch and plan of farmland granted to Elsje van Suurwaarden called Rondebosje in the Tijgerbergen, 10 August 1705
signed by Willem Adriaan van der Stel (CTD, Cape Title Deeds, vol. 11, C.A.R.) |
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