6. The Malans at the Cape of Good Hope
The progenitor of the South African Malans was Jacques Malan. He was born between 1665 and 1670 in the village Saint Martin de la Brasque in the Aigues Valley approximately 20 kilometers to the east of Mérindol.
Very little is know about Jacques’s early life, but a few conclusions can be drawn from a few documents that have been preserved.
In 1701 two brothers from Saint Martin de la Brasque, Daniel and Paul Malan approached the authorities about the property of their brother, Jacques, who was described as a fugitive. This Jacques was probably the South African progenitor.
It is possible that the brothers Daniel and Antoine Malan of La Motte d’Aigues, the sons of the deceased Pierre Malan referred to in 1683, were Jacques’s father and uncle.
Jacques was probably a wine-grower like numerous other inhabitants of the Luberon region.
After the Edict of Nantes had been revoked, Jacques in the company of other members of his family fled to Lausanne, which was part of the Swiss Confederation, in 1687. According to tradition Jacques was disguised as a violin player on this journey. From Lausanne the group of fugitives from the Aigues Valley proceeded to Frankfurt am Main where they arrived in October 1687. From France they travelled to the United Provinces of the Netherlands and reached Rotterdam in December 1687.
Although Jacques’s name does not appear on the passenger list, it is accepted that he, with other members of the Malan family, departed for the Cape from Rotterdam on board the Berg China on 20 March 1688. The Malans whose names do appear on the passenger list are Pierre Malan, Jacques’s cousin, Pierre’s wife, Isabeau Richarde, Jacques and Pierre’s uncle, Antoine Malan, his wife Isabeau Verdette and their infant daughter.
Among the 19 passengers who died during the long voyage were all Jacques’s family members except Isabeau Richarde. It seems that after her husband’s death she married Pierre Jaubert on board the ship even before they arrived in Table Bay on 4 August 1688.
Jacques’s friend, Jean Jourdan, from the village Cabriéres d’Aigues, was also on board the Berg China. Jean was born in 1660 and married Isabeau le Long at the Cape in 1690. Isabeau was born in the village La Motte d’Aigues in 1668 and in all probability she was one of Jacques’s fellow passengers on board the Berg China.
Initially Jacques probably farmed together with Pierre Jourdan and Jean Jourdan in Groot Drakenstein. Up to 1691 the three of them are listed as “compagnons” in the tax rolls ("opgaafrolle"), but as from 1692 their names are listed separately.
After Jean Jourdan’s death in 1698 Jacques Malan married his widow, Isabeau le Long, in 1699. At the time Isabeau was already the mother of five children.
Through his marriage with Isabeau Jacques gained ownership of La Motte in Olipants Hoek (the present Franschhoek). Jacques also acquired the farm De Faisantekraal at Vissershok as a result of his marriage to Isabeau.
Jacques Malan was involved in Adam Tas’s struggle against the corrupt government of Willem Adriaan van der Stel. He was one of the thirty Frenchmen who signed the petition against Van der Stel.
After Willem Adriaan van der Stel had at last been recalled to the Netherlands in 1709, his farm Vergelegen near the present Somerset West was divided into four and sold by public auction. Jacques bought the part known as Morgenster on 28 May 1711. Jacques and his family then moved to Morgenster.
By 1733 Jacques was a well-to-do farmer who possessed 32 slaves, 50 horses, 140 head of cattle and 900 sheep. He also had fields of wheat and vineyards.
Jacques served on the church council of Stellenbosch for many years, from 1716 as a deacon and from 1724 as an elder. As a deacon he supervised the transport of building stones and wood for the building of the new church between August and December 1717 after the first church at Stellenbosch had burnt down. In 1722 Jacques donated a sturdy stinkwood beam for the bell of the new church.
When Isabeau died in 1736 she was buried in grave number 8 inside the Stellenbosch church. Jacques probably purchased this grave in 1722 when the first 10 graves were sold by the church council. His two granddaughters, Magdalena and Susanna Magdalena, Daniel’s children, were also later buried in the same grave. Jacques died in 1742 and was also buried in the same grave.
A commemorative tablet in honour of Jacques and Isabeau was unveiled in the Stellenbosch church on 2 October 1993.
Jacques and Isabeau Malan had seven children of whom three died in infancy.
ELISABETH ANNA, born in 1701, was married to Hermanus Kriel of Hanau in Germany. After his death in 1739 Elisabeth married Johann Caspar Schlee of Schlieben in Germany.
Hermanus Kriel had a son and daughter with his first wife, but the son never married. With Elisabeth Anna he had a further eight children. She is therefore the progenitress of the Kriels in South Africa.
DANIEL, born in 1703, was married to Maria Verdeau. She was the widow of Daniel’s uncle, Pierre Jourdan, the brother of Jean Jourdan. His father’s farm Morgenster was transferred to Daniel in 1725.
In 1732 Daniel became heemraad for Stellenbosch. He filled this office until 1760. As part of his duties he had to see to it that the pass through the Hottentots Holland mountains was restored.
Daniel’s farming activities increased and in the tax roll of Stellenbosch for 1731 it is recorded that he already employed 10 male and three female slaves. He possessed 10 horses, 50 head of cattle, 350 sheep and 6 pigs. He had 20000 vines on his farm, from the produce of which he pressed 20 leaguers of wine. He also sowed 15 muids of wheat and harvested 100.
Daniel was bereaved of Maria in 1750 and in December of the same year he remarried, the bride being Emerentia Steyn, the widow of Arnoud Schephout.
According to the tax roll Daniel employed 1 servant and possessed 38 slaves, 20 horses, 70 head of cattle, 300 sheep and 50000 vines by 1757. His harvest consisted of 40 leaguers of wine and 40 muids of wheat. He also had an additional 170 head of cattle and 800 sheep on his stock-farm in the district of Swellendam.
Emerentia died in 1762 and Daniel in 1770. Daniel was buried in grave number 86 in the church at Stellenbosch together with both his wives.
Daniel had 9 children with his first wife and 4 with his second wife.
Jacobus Hermanus born in 1729 was married to Anna Elisabeth Louw. He farmed on Libertas in Stellenbosch. He also kept stock in the Breede River valley and east of the Hottentots Holland mountains.
Jacobus’s son Daniel Josias was born in 1760 and was married to Magdalena Odendaal. He farmed on Nooitgedacht in Hottentots Holland.
Daniel’s son, Johannes Jacobus, and his grandson, Hermanus Johannes, also farmed on Nooitgedacht. They were the ancestors of Hercules Morkel, one of the authors of this book.
Daniel’s other son, Daniel Wouter, first farmed on Verdruk-mij-Niet in Hottentots Holland and later on De Rust in Houwshoek.
Daniel Wijnand was born in 1731. He was married to Elsabe Wium. They lived on Cloetenburg in the Stellenbosch district.
Daniel’s son, Pieter, and his wife, Elsabe Reynierse, had 10 children. The last male Malan in this branch of the family died in 1858.
Hercules Adriaan was born in 1734. He was married to Marina Rosina Loubser. Only one child, a daughter, was born of this marriage.
Hercules served as a deacon on the Stellenbosch church council. He was also heemraad for Stellenbosch and Drakenstein.
Hercules bought the farms Vredenburg and Vlottenburg in 1761. He also acquired grazing rights on Rietfontein and Welgelegen on the Buffels River below the Roggeveld between 1762 and 1767.
David, born in 1741, was married to Helena Catherina Vlok. David and Helena had five daughters and lived on the farm De Hoop, near Pottenberg.
Jacobus, born in 1752, was married to Catharina Morkel. Jacobus farmed on Morgenster and also bought the farm Vergelegen.
MARIA, born in 1705, was married to Adriaan Louw. They lived on the farm De Goede Ontmoeting near Philadelphia.
DAVID was born in 1708. He was married to Eleonora Melius. Eleonora died at the beginning of 1750 and in the same year David married Elisabeth Marais.
It seems that David initially lived at De Doorne Kraal near Paardeberg in Onder-Drakenstein. In 1766 he moved to Cuijpers Kraal on the Koeberg near the present Durbanville.
In the course of time David also bought the farms Niet Voorbij in Drakenstein, De Verrekijker in the Waveren district en De Fortuijn near the present Gordon’s Bay. He also had grazing rights on Avontuur and Welgemoed on the Leeu River near Swartberg and Vrolijkheid behind the Swartberg on the other side of the Leeu River.
David was a well-to-do farmer who already possessed a large number of livestock by 1782. At the time he employed 27 slaves. He also served as an elder in the Swartland congregation for many years.
David had 4 children with Eleonora Melius and 5 with Elisabeth Marais.
Jacobus Johannes, born in 1739, was first married to Anna Aletta Retief and later to Aletta Bosman.
Jacobus probably lived on the farm Palmiet Valleij in the Drakenstein district. He bought De Verrekijker in the land Waveren from his father and later also inherited De Fortuin in Hottentots Holland from him. Jacobus also had grazing rights on Haaskraal on the Krom River.
Jacobus’s son David was married to Margaretha Elisabeth Retief. He farmed on Verrekijker in the Tulbagh district.
Daniel Johannes was married to Rachel Elisabeth du Plessis. Later he married Maria Christina Louw. As a young man Daniel farmed on Onverwacht, but later on Eikeboom in the Wagenmakersvallei.
Jacobus Francois was first married to Maria Susanna Rossouw and later to Elisabeth Johanna Louw. Jacobus lived on De Groene Fonteijn in the Wellington district. He was also a director of a bank.
Adolf Gysbert, better known as “Sailor Malan”, the famous fighter pilot of the Second World War, as well as Magnus André de Merindol, Minister of Defence of South Africa, is descended from Jacobus Francois. Jacobus is also an ancestor of Daniel Gerhardus, one of the authors of this book.
Daniel, born in 1741, was married to Geertruida Marais. Later he married Debora Naudé. He farmed on Leeuwen Valleij in the Wagenmakersvallei. Later he also bought the farm Kromrivier.
Jacob Stephanus first farmed on Champagne in Franschhoek, but later moved to Vlaggebergskloof near Stellenbosch. He was married to Rachel Elisabeth Roux.
David Jacobus was married to Aletta Regina du Toit. He farmed on Roosenhoek, Agter-Groenberg in the Wellington district.
Daniel Gerhardus was first married to Anna Aletta Retief and later to Maria Elizabeth de Wet. Daniel initially farmed on Kromrivier in the Wagenmakersvallei, but later lived on Languedoc, Klein-Drakenstein.
Jacobus Petrus married a Dutch girl, Jannetje van Zulk. Jannetje died in 1829 immediately after the birth of her fourteenth child and Jacobus married the widow Perold, Elsje Maria de Villiers.
Jacobus initially farmed on Welgegund, Wellington, but later on Knolvlei in Klein-Drakenstein. He achieved renown as a carpenter in the Wagenmakersvallei.
Pieter was married to Dorothea Elisabeth Malherbe. He first farmed on Diemersfontein and Goede Rust near Dal Josaphat, but later moved to Vier-en-twintig Riviere in the Worcester district.
Jacob Daniel was married to Margaretha Johanna Retief. He farmed on Elandskloof in the Wagenmakersvallei. Two of his sons moved to Prince Albert.
Francois Stephanus was first married to Maria Magdalena Retief and later to her niece, Hester Magdalena Retief. Francois farmed on Leeuwen Valleij in the Wellington district. Daniel Francois Malan, Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa, was a great-grandson of Francois.
David was born in 1751. He married his niece, Elisabeth Malan. David first farmed in the Swartland and later on Vergelegen in Hottentots Holland. David lost his farm after he had become involved in an extramarital relationship and took off to the eastern border.
Later he was involved in the insurrection of the burghers of the Swellendam district against the government of tte Dutch East India Company and in 1815 in the Slagtersnek rebellion. For his part in the latter he was sentenced to lifelong banishment from the Eastern Province, but the sentence was never carried into effect and he died on his farm Buffelshoek in the Cradock district in 1824.
Daniel Jacobus was first married to Elisabeth Catharina Engela and later to Cecilia Maria le Roux.
David Eduard was married to Dorothea Regina Jordaan. He farmed on Grootvlakte in the Cradock district. David’s son, David Eduard, moved to Rouxville in the Free State. He was an ancestor of Jacob Daniel, one of the authors of this book.
Jacobus was first married to Margaretha Maria Swart and later to Anna Maria Klopper. Jacobus took part in the Great Trek and fell with Piet Uys at Italeni in 1838. Jacobus’s son, Daniel Jacobus Johannes, was one of the founders of the town Bethlehem in the Free State. Another son, Jacobus Marthinus, was a member of the Volksraad of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek. He was shot dead by British soldiers on his farm at Doornpoort, Koster, in 1901.
Stephanus Willem was married to Johanna Wilhelmina Swart. He farmed on Paardefontein in the Adelaide district.
Hercules Philippus was married to Anna Maria Breedt. He was field-cornet of Somerset East, but took part in the Great Trek in 1836. In 1837 Hercules was murdered by the Zulus in the company of Piet Retief. One of his sons, David Daniel, settled in the Kroonstad district. Another son, Jacob Jacobus, moved to Lydenburg, while the youngest son, Hercules Philippus, moved to Rustenburg.
Stephanus was born in 1756. He was married to Margaretha Adelheyt Hendriks. Stephanus farmed on Cuijperskraal near Durbanville.
Stephanus Hieronimus was married to Jacoba Anna Christina Louw. He also farmed on Cuijperskraal.
Jacob, born in 1762, was married to Cornelia Mostert. Initially he farmed on Knorhoek in Hottentots Holland, but later gave up farming and settled in Cape Town.
Daniel was married to Margaretha Johanna Susanna van Niekerk. After farming for 10 years in the Swellendam district, Daniel moved to the Transvaal in 1838. Finally he settled on Brandbach near the present Cullinan.
Jacques, author of Die Malan Gedenkboek (1951) is a descendant of Daniel.