| Notes |
- «u»The story of Louis van Bengale and Lijsbeth Sanders van de Kaap«/u»
Louis (Louijs, Lowijs) van Bengale arrived at the Cape as a young slave on 2 April 1662 on the ship «i»Angelier«/i» with Commandeur Zacharias Wagenaer van Batavia. Wagenaer brought 5 slaves to the Cape. Maria de Buquoij, stepdaughter of Wagenaer sold Louis (then about 14 years old) to the "secunde" Hendrik Lacus for 80 Rixdollars. Lacus had a drinking problem and beat his wife. Louis declared that he saw "dat hij, Lacus, zijn vrou, hij dronken zijnde, veeltijs sloeg en smeet als zeer qualijk bejegende".
When Lacus was found guilty of the offence, Isbrandt Goske the Kommssaris offered Louis the opportunity to purchase his freedom in 1671. Louis could not afford it, but by April 1672 his request went to the Politieke Raad. If Louis paid 50 pieces of eight, they agreed he could have his freedom.
Louis was baptised on 5 May 1675 as an adult ('den 5 Maij een bejaart persoon en vrij
jonghman synde een Bengaall van natije, out ontrent drij en twintigh jaar en was genaamt Louijs ') in Cape Town, but only became a member of the church in 1697. He was granted a piece of land in the Table Valley (present day Cape Town) in 1675. The land was bordered to the north by the land of Jan van Oldenrijck, and in the south by Anthony van Bengale. On 1 September 1676 he obtained a piece of land on Bergstraat (now George Steet), and three years later built a house there. Later he farmed in the Jonkershoek on his farm Leef-op-Hoop, the land grant was drawn up on 15 October 1692. Today Leef-op-Hoop in the Jonkershoek is a wine farm producing high quality wine.
Louis was fined 4 Rixdollars in September 1680 for cutting wood without a permit.
His first wife was a khoi-khoi named Zara. An archive reference dated 31 October 1667, noted he had the following people in his service: "zijn slaaf genaemt Louijs, ende zijn huijsvrouw d' Hottentotinne Zara" (his slave named Louis and his house wife the Hottentot Zara")
In 1680 he bought the slave, Lijsbeth. Lijsbeth was either the daughter of two slaves, Abraham en Pladoor van Guinea, or the child of Lijsbet van Angola).
In 1683 Lijsbeth and her two children were freed by Louis ("mijn meijt genaemt Lijsbeth van de Kaap"). As far as is known at least one of the children was a child of Louis. Her name was Elizabeth, and at her baptism in 1680 the witness was the slave Groot Armosyn. From the Cape baptismal register 6 October 1680 "«i»den 6 Octob. Elisabeth Elysabet een slavin van Louys van Bengale Annesy de Grote"«/i»
In 1685 Louis had another child named Anna by Maria van de Kaap.
In 1686, he had another child named Maria by Lijsbeth van de Kaap
Louis and his former slave, Lijsbeth van de Kaap, were married in 1687. Shortly thereafter Lijsbeth had a relationship with the 56 year old English servant and cattleherd, Willem Teerling. She became pregant with Teerlings child and left Louis.
Louis brought Teerling before the courts, but not for his relationship with Lijsbeth. Instead, Teerling was accused of negligence in watching Louis' cattle. According to the charges a "tiger" (leopard) killed 25 sheep one nightand a wolf killed a cow and calf. Teerling also apparently took 16 chickens without permission, and stole two blankets and five pillows, and spoiled some butter and milk.
Shortly thereafter, Louis accused Teerling of a relationship with his wife Elisabeth (Lijsbeth). Elisabeth acknowledged she was pregnant with Louis' child. Teerling was sentenced to two months hard labour, and on 19 April 1687 was ordered to pay damages of 450 guilders and a fine of 25 Rixdollars.
Louis divorced Lijsbeth in 1687 for 'afwesigheid' (abandonment) and requested that she be made a slave again. He claimed she fought with Evert van Guinea and his wife, who brought her up. She accused Louis of mistreatment 'met smijten en slaan en dreijgementen van doden' (with blows and threats of death). Die Raad van Justisie allowed the divorce but Lijsbeth retained her freedom because Evert and his wife and daughters were known for their "quade en oneerlijcke huijshouding".
Lijsbeth and Louis' children would stay with Louis, though the youngest would still be fed by for one year, and Louis had to pat her 25 guilder maintenance.
Lijsbeth was accused in 1696 of theft of jewelry belonging to Jacob Cornelissen van Bengale.
Lijsbeth began a relationship with the German Free Burgher Jan Herbst (Herfst), and became known as Lijsbeth Sanders.
Louis married a third time on 21 March 1694 with the freed slave Rebekka van Macassar. She was a Christian and member of the church in Batavia.
Louis van Bengale owned a slave, Anthonie van die Kus van Koromandel. Thsi slave escaped in 1681. After Lijsbeth left him, he purchased Matthijs van Java for 35 Rixdollars. He sold his slave Matthijs van Mallabar (33 or 34 years old) on 25 October 1689 Abraham de Hertog the Provoost, for 30 Rixdollars (probably the same slave) His signature appears in the document as L VB
His possessions were sold in 1705 to pay a debt of 451 guilders to Hendrik Ploege. His furniture included an ordinary bed, a canopy-bed, and six ebony chairs. In 1708 he was accused of owing the church 300 guilder. In 1715 "Swarte Louis van Bengalen" was supported for three months by the church. He most likely died in the same year - he would have been 64. His wife obtained help from the church until 1724.
Some of Lijsbeth's more famous descendants through her daughter Clara include President Paul Kruger, General Louis Botha, the Voortrekker leader Andries Hendrik Potgieter and General Koos de La Rey.
According to Shell in Children of Bondage, Louis at one time owned the Lanzerac estate, now a famous Stellenbosch hotel
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Abt 1652 - Abt 1715 (63 years)