Herman COMBRINK

Stamvader Herman(n) COMBRINK arrived in South Africa in 1717 from Bielefeld, Germany as a soldier. He became burger in 1719 and was a barber. He became a corporal on 4 December 1725 and was promoted as a seargent on 8 April 1727. In December 1732 he was appointed as head fire brigade officer.

He was a member of the Lutheran church, and on 30 June 1742 he was one of the petioners who requested permission of the VOC to build a Lutheran church. On 14 April 1720 he married the 23 year old Magdalena (Mactheld) LEY, she was baptised 26 August 1697, daughter of Armozyn from the Cape. Magdalena's mother was a slave in the Company Lodge. Magdalena was her self born as a slave and when she was baptised on 26 August 1697 she is referred to as 'een kint van Armosyn van de Kaap, halfslag. Magdalena Ley died in 1738 within a month of the birth of her youngest child. Herman after his wife's death bought the farm Varietas (latter known as Driekoppen) at Mowbray. Herman died 16 June 1744.

Herman and Magdalena had nine children.
b1 Christan Armozyn baptised 13 October 1720, she died young
b2 Jan Hendrik baptised 9 August 1722, died Feb 1777, X 26 July 1744 Maria Magdalena van Deventer
b3 Johanna Elizabeth baptised 26 November 1721, X 28 June 1744 Wilhelm Ackerman
b4 Hermanus baptised 5 January 1726, X 20 May 1753 Johanna Nel
b5 Maria Magdalena baptised 6 February or March 1729, X 7 February 1745 Nicolaas Frans Alberts
b6 Michiel baptised 8 June or July 1731, X 19 November 1752 Dorothy Grobbelaar
b7 Johanna Hendrina baptised 8 November 1733, X Nicolaas Grobbelaar
b8 Jan Frederik baptised 10 June 1736
b9 Jacobus baptised 9 March 1738, he died 1738, his mother died soon after giving birth to him

Sources:
M Cairns "Armosyn Claasz of the Cape and her Family" Familia XVI 1979 no 4
Lombard and Heese
de Villiers and Pama, Genealogies of old S A Families 1981
Werner Schmidt-Pretoria, Der Kulturanteil des Deutsches am Aufbau des Burenvolkes. 1938
Argiefjaarboek 1938, no 2, p 43
Information from Frans Fouche

Thanks to research by:

Thanks to submissions by:

AM van Rensburg
Mark Barker mabarker@mweb.co.za