Date: 28 February, 1706
Magistrate Starrenburg arrested Adam Tas because of the role he played in drawing up a petition for the Cape burghers against the incumbent Governor W. A. van der Stel and other farming officials. The Tas petition was submitted to the Lords Seventeen, the governing body of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), in Amsterdam. Tas and his fellow free burghers were protesting against the corruption and extravagant lifestyle of Van der Stel and the fact that abuse of power by officials led to unfair competition with burghers. From documents in the desk of Tas, Van der Stel established the nature of complaints against him and also the names of the dissatisfied burghers. Though several more burghers were arrested and punished, they were victorious at the end, when the Lords Seventeen in October 1706 categorically prohibited officials to own land or to trade.
Sources:
Wallis, F. (2000). Nuusdagboek: feite en fratse oor 1000 jaar, Kaapstad: Human & Rousseau.
Muller, C.F.J. (ed)(1981). Five Hundred years: a history of South Africa; 3rd rev. ed., Pretoria: Academica, p. 48.
Joyce, P. (1999). A Concise Dictionary of South African Biography, Cape Town: Francolin.
Taken from : http://www.sahistory.org.za/dated-event/adam-tas-arrested
Adam Tas (1668 – June 1722) was a community leader in the Cape Colony at the turn of the 17th century, and is best known for his role in the conflict between Cape Governor Willem Adriaan van der Stel (son of the former Governor Simon van der Stel) and the "free burghers" at the Cape of Good Hope.
Adam Tas (pronounced "Ah-dum Tuss") was born in Holland. One of his aunts and her German husband, Henning Hüsing, came to the Cape in search of fortune. When he was 29 (1697), Tas joined them and stayed at Meerlust, their Stellenbosch home. Two years later he was appointed Standard Bearer to the Burgher Infantry.[1] In June, 1703 he married Elizabeth Von Brakel, the wealthy widow of Joris (Hans Jürgen) Grimpen, who owned a collection of farms[2] in the district.
Tas became secretary of the “Brotherhood”, which viewed the Dutch East India Company (VOC) administration at the Cape as corrupt and dictatorial. Tas and Hüsing drafted a petition, accusing local VOC officials of abusing the company's trading monopoly, and managed to convince 63 of the 550 Cape free burghers to sign it.[3] Without informing the local officials, the signed petition was sent directly to the VOC headquarters in Amsterdam.
The petition was rejected and Van der Stel became aware of its existence. Tas was arrested on February 28, 1706, escorted in chains [4] to Cape Town, and convicted. Van der Stel had parts of Tas’s diary copied (Jun 13, 1705 through Feb 27, 1706) as evidence. [2] (Large fragments of this copy was rediscovered in 1911[5] by A.C.C. Lloyd, a librarian at the South African Public Library.[6]) After he was convicted, Tas was thrown in the “Black Hole” - a damp dungeon completely devoid of any light located in the Castle of Good Hope.
However, since 31 of the signatories were Huguenots, and because the Netherlands was at war with France, the rejected petition generated belated concern in Amsterdam. The fear was that the discontent might convince some to become spies for the French. The VOC dismissed van der Stel, and ordered his return to the Netherlands (April 23, 1707). VOC officials were subsequently forbidden to own any land at the Cape of Good Hope.[3]
Thirteen months into his incarceration Tas was released. Upon gaining his freedom, Tas named his home "Libertas" (Latin: freedom) in honor of the occasion, and allocated a new meaning (“Tas is Free!”) to the name.[4]
Dagboek van Adam Tas, 1705–1706
juan nel juan nel juan nel
Magistrate Starrenburg arrested Adam Tas because of the role he played in drawing up a petition for the Cape burghers against the incumbent Governor W. A. van der Stel and other farming officials. The Tas petition was submitted to the Lords Seventeen, the governing body of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), in Amsterdam. Tas and his fellow free burghers were protesting against the corruption and extravagant lifestyle of Van der Stel and the fact that abuse of power by officials led to unfair competition with burghers. From documents in the desk of Tas, Van der Stel established the nature of complaints against him and also the names of the dissatisfied burghers. Though several more burghers were arrested and punished, they were victorious at the end, when the Lords Seventeen in October 1706 categorically prohibited officials to own land or to trade.
Sources:
Wallis, F. (2000). Nuusdagboek: feite en fratse oor 1000 jaar, Kaapstad: Human & Rousseau.
Muller, C.F.J. (ed)(1981). Five Hundred years: a history of South Africa; 3rd rev. ed., Pretoria: Academica, p. 48.
Joyce, P. (1999). A Concise Dictionary of South African Biography, Cape Town: Francolin.
Taken from : http://www.sahistory.org.za/dated-event/adam-tas-arrested
Adam Tas (1668 – June 1722) was a community leader in the Cape Colony at the turn of the 17th century, and is best known for his role in the conflict between Cape Governor Willem Adriaan van der Stel (son of the former Governor Simon van der Stel) and the "free burghers" at the Cape of Good Hope.Adam Tas (pronounced "Ah-dum Tuss") was born in Holland. One of his aunts and her German husband, Henning Hüsing, came to the Cape in search of fortune. When he was 29 (1697), Tas joined them and stayed at Meerlust, their Stellenbosch home. Two years later he was appointed Standard Bearer to the Burgher Infantry.[1] In June, 1703 he married Elizabeth Von Brakel, the wealthy widow of Joris (Hans Jürgen) Grimpen, who owned a collection of farms[2] in the district.
Tas became secretary of the “Brotherhood”, which viewed the Dutch East India Company (VOC) administration at the Cape as corrupt and dictatorial. Tas and Hüsing drafted a petition, accusing local VOC officials of abusing the company's trading monopoly, and managed to convince 63 of the 550 Cape free burghers to sign it.[3] Without informing the local officials, the signed petition was sent directly to the VOC headquarters in Amsterdam.The petition was rejected and Van der Stel became aware of its existence. Tas was arrested on February 28, 1706, escorted in chains [4] to Cape Town, and convicted. Van der Stel had parts of Tas’s diary copied (Jun 13, 1705 through Feb 27, 1706) as evidence. [2] (Large fragments of this copy was rediscovered in 1911[5] by A.C.C. Lloyd, a librarian at the South African Public Library.[6]) After he was convicted, Tas was thrown in the “Black Hole” - a damp dungeon completely devoid of any light located in the Castle of Good Hope.
However, since 31 of the signatories were Huguenots, and because the Netherlands was at war with France, the rejected petition generated belated concern in Amsterdam. The fear was that the discontent might convince some to become spies for the French. The VOC dismissed van der Stel, and ordered his return to the Netherlands (April 23, 1707). VOC officials were subsequently forbidden to own any land at the Cape of Good Hope.[3]Thirteen months into his incarceration Tas was released. Upon gaining his freedom, Tas named his home "Libertas" (Latin: freedom) in honor of the occasion, and allocated a new meaning (“Tas is Free!”) to the name.[4]
References
- ^ RootsWeb: SOUTH-AFRICA-L Re: [ZA] Adam TAS
- ^ a b RootsWeb: SOUTH-AFRICA-L Re: [ZA] Re: Adam TAS
- ^ a b http://sahistory.org.za/pages/people/tas-a.htm
- ^ a b Turtle Bunbury - travel writer and historian
- ^ Dagboek van Adam Tas, 1705-1706, uitgegee deur Leo Fouché en hersien deur A
- ^ Van Riebeeck Society
Dagboek van Adam Tas, 1705–1706
Uitgegee deur Leo Fouché en hersien deur A.J. Böeseken met bykomende voetnote deur prof. A.M. Hugo.
English translation by Dr J. Smuts.
| Adam Tas (1668–1722) was an early Dutch free burgher, farming in the Stellenbosch district. He is best known for the part he played in the free burgher conflicts with the Governor Willem Adriaan van der Stel, concerning the corruption of Company officials and their misuse of trading monopolies. This diary, the work of an engaging and genial man, describes the comfortable life of the emerging Cape 'gentry' and the drama leading up to the arrest of Tas as the ringleader of the malcontents |  |
| heeft geleeden. Hij begroot het wel op f1000, dog dit zal door hem bij vergrooting gezegt zijn. Men zegt datter een schoorsteen a twee neevens een bakoven zoude ingestort zijn. Wie weet wat dit nieuwe huijs dat soo langen tijd al onder handen geweest is, nog zal costen eer het voltoijd is. 't Huijs is op zodanige langwerpige wijse getimmerd, als de man die 't laat timmeren, in al zijn zaaken tot spreeken in cluijs langwerpig is. Maandag den 28e. S’morgens was het stil aangenaam weer. Men heeft mij deesen voormiddag vertelt, als datter op Vergeleegen des Gouverneurs wijdlufte hofsteede door ‘t voornde: reegenweer een groot hok was ingevallen, ‘t welk 4 a 5 Hottentots ‘t leeven zoude gekost hebben; ook zouden eenige schaapen omhals zijn geraakt. Des namiddags aan ‘t huijs van Hans Contreman geweest zijnde, wierde mij verhaald als datter thans aan de Caab, door eenige quaadaardige of liever onkundige menschen op een vervloekte galbittere manier van Oom Husing wierde gesprooken. Onder andere wierde van hem gesegt dat hij een landverrader en bederver der ingeseetenen was, en terwijl datter nu nieuwe slagters aangesteld waaren, wierd er zeer geschimpt op de meenigte van zijn vee, waar van gezegt wierde dattet de kraijen nog zouden opvreeten, en dat hij nog een arm man zoude worden en diergelijke hondsvots of schobbejaks Taal meer. Wijders wierde van hem gesegt, dat Oom een quaad doender of quaadstooker aan de Caab was, en van mij zeijde men dat ik sulx aan Stellenbosch was, alle welke lasterlijke uijtstrooijsels en tastelijke onwaarheeden alleen uijt den kooker van den gouvernr: komen, om de menschen tegens Oom Huzing en mij op te hitzen, immers zoude die eervergeeten vend ons gaarne van kant helpen zoo ‘t hem anders doenlijk was. Die vervloekte Tijran heeft de Ingeseetenen zederd eenige jaaren op een ongehoorde manier gedrukt en geplukt, datze bijna baloorig zijn geworden, nu soekt die onbeschaamden schendbrok de schuld van zijn hals af te schuijven en mannen van eeren op dusdanigen manier een smette aan te wrijven. O Tijden! O Zeden! dog de regtvaardige God mag men hoopen zal ‘t quaad eens op des bazen.kop doen nederdaalen, en niet toelaten dat de Vroomen langer onderdrukt worden. De gepasseerde nagt is ons coorn op het land over end gezet om te drogen, ook is er een partij Coorn van de halve Coornhoop afgenoomen om te droogen, dezelve zal vervolgens in ‘t geheel werden af | these two days of rain in the middle of the dry season, as this is a most uncommon occurrence, which has likely never occurred before. I was also told that Mr. Mahieu, the sick-comforter, has suffered great damage caused to his new house by the heavy rain, which he estimates at f.1000, but he is probably guilty of exaggeration. They tell me that a chimney or two, besides an oven, has fallen in. Who knows what this new house, which has already been under construction for such a longtime, will cost before it is finished. The house is as tedious in the manner of its construction as the man, who is having it built, is tedious, in all matters, even in his manner of speech. Monday the 28th. Calm, pleasant morning. I was told this forenoon that at Vergelegen, the spacious homestead of the Governor, a large outbuilding collapsed as a result of the rain aforesaid, which cost the lives of 4 or 5 Hottentots, while some sheep also perished. This afternoon I was at the home of Hans Contreman, where I was told that some malicious or rather ignorant persons were speaking of uncle Husing in a damnably bitter manner. Among other things it was said of him that he was a traitor and corrupter of the citizens, and now that new butchers have been appointed, they mightily rail upon the multitude of his cattle, saying that they will yet be eaten by the crows, and that he will yet become a poor man, and more such lewd and scurrilous talk. It has further been said of my uncle that he is a malefactor or mischief-monger at the Cape, and of me they have said that I am another such at Stellenbosch, all of which libellous accusations and palpable falsehoods obviously emanate from the Governor alone and are intended to incite the people against uncle Husing and me; indeed, the infamous wretch would gladly make away with us if he could; the damned tyrant has for years oppressed and fleeced the burghers in an unheard of manner, with the result that they have become almost refractory, and now the impudent slanderer seeks to shift the blame from himself and to besmirch honourable men in such a manner. O tempora! O mores! Yet we may hope that the God of righteousness will one day bring  |
No comments:
Post a Comment