FIVE
INSTITUTIONS AT THE CAPE
1. Fort de Goede Hoop in Tafelbaij
2. The VOC Caep Siekenhuijs
3. The Compagnie Tuin
4. Die Kerk
5. The Slave Lodge
6. "A Huge Gate to Eternity"
THE
SLAVE LODGE
AM van Rensburg
Drawing
by van Staden 1710
Lodge is in front of Church with tower
-
Model of Slave Lodge, the Church Tower is missing in this
model.
Notice cemetery between Church and Lodge.
Notice
water well. See also picture below of well
The
VOC needed workers to perform all kinds of work. Slaves formed
an integral part of the social and labour network of the Company
at the Cape. They performed manual work, domestic, clerical,
hospital, garden, and skilled artisans etc. The slaves helped
built the present Company Fort, which was completed in 1674.
In
the late 1658 Angolan and Guinea slaves were brought to the
Cape. The slaves had to be housed and the Slave Lodge eventually
became their home. Those who became Company slaves were first
housed underneath the granary in the earth walled fort. Then
a Lodge was build as part of the Fort's outbuildings, known
as Corenhoop. A new Lodge was build just below the Company
gardens (9 acres in size), and opposite the Company Hospital.
A number of years later the Church was build right opposite
the Slave Lodge.
This
Lodge was rebuild in 1669 because it had become to small and
was falling apart. It was the first building providing high
density housing in South Africa. This Rebuilt lodge was a single
storey building made of plastered brick. It had a pitched, tile
roof in 1679 this building was burned down.
It
was rebuild in 1679 as a quadrangular building with a courtyard.
The building which replaced it was made of four feet solid
thick walls. The average number of people living in the
Lodge was 476 persons per year. At its peak the Lodge housed
1,000 persons. The Lodge also served as a lunatic asylum
and a prison, for which separate rooms were set aside. It
was build in the shape of a big rectangular panopticon.
The highest Company official who was in charge of the Slave
Lodge was the Fiscal. The building eventually was 30 feet
high. The lodge was expanded enlarged in 1716, in 1732 a
flat roof design was given to it. In 1753 it was enlarged
again. Most external walls had no windows, however the internal
walls had narrow slits with iron cross bars. In the centre
of the courtyard was a fountain.
Between
1702 and 1713 over 500 slaves died from epidemics. At first
the Company hospital treated slaves but by 1685 they provided
a separate hospital for the slaves. One of the reasons was
that the demands was to much on the existing hospital. A
small hospital was then housed on the east side inside The
Lodge. It is rather ironical when the big Company Hospital
was immediately opposite, and taking into account the number
of slaves which would have been working in the Company Hospital.
The Lodge also had a little school for the slave children.
AJ
Böeseken in, Simon van der Stel en sy Kinders states
p 113, 115: The Company slaves received only one set of clothes.
She quotes Van Rheede, "slavinne om haer voor die koude
te bewaren, gekleet waeren met alderhande oude lappen en vadden
... en dat den geheelen troup seeer onordentelijk en miserabel
aen kledingh schenen gebrek te hebben." "Die beddegoed
was smerig, die dak het gelek, die siekes met geen meerder gemak
lagen als beesten". Böeseken
also states on p 115, that if a Dutchmen wanted to marry a slave
woman he had to pay f100 to the Company and also supply a substitute
slave. On p168, she refers to Van der Stel who increased the
amount to f150.
The Lodge also served as the brothel for many a VOC worker or
Cape Burgher. The Slave Lodge was located right in the heart
of the town. It was an integral part of the VOC life at the
Cape. Today one is able to go and look at the totally altered
and renovated Slave Lodge since it houses the South African
Cultural Museum.
Inside
the Lodge was a well. Very close to the Slave Lodge was the
old slave tree where the slaves were sold. Today there is a
plaque that marks the spot where the tree stood. Inside the
South African Cultural Museum is a slice of the old slave tree.
Looking at the plaque where the old slave tree stood, one can
see the Slave Lodge behind it and part of the rebuilt Church
on the right hand side.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Robert-H Shell, Children of Bondage
H Vollgraaff, The Dutch East India Company's Slave Lodge
at the Cape
Cape
Gallows 'Galg'
By
AM van Rensburg
The
Cape Gallows was referred by Sparrman, as "A huge gate
to Eternity". There were ten wheels around the gallows
where offenders could be broken on.
The
Galg was located just beside the footpath between
the Castle and the plein. Here executions were done publicly.
Near Greenpoint was the buitegalg, it was below Lions
Head. Looking at the offenses that was committed and the
punishment that was handed out gives one a different picture
of the early Cape and its inhabitants. For the faint hearted
this topic may be hard to take, so please be warned proceed
at your own volition.
The
Court of Justice was the legal arm of the VOC at the Cape.
At the Cape criminal cases was heard by the Court of Justice,
which was made up of 11 members, they functioned as judge
and jury. The first three quarters of a century the Governor
functioned as the head of the Council. The Fiscal had to
put in place the Courts decision, he was detested by all.
The first Court met in the Commander's Hall, built in the
centre of the old earth fort. The verdict of the Court was
taken by ballot and majority ruled. In South Africa the
memories of the Fiscal continues in the naming of the bird
Jan Fiscal who impales little insects on thorns or barbed
wire.
Two
main places of execution: the one where the old Custom House
was located in Buitenkant street, close to the Castle. The
other was named "outside place" where the bodies
were exposed as a warning to others and the body was subject
to the elements and the birds, this was at the Base of the
Lion's Rump, facing the Amsterdam battery..TORTURE (latin
to turn) was considered part of the process of obtaining
the truth - in order to get a confession pain needed to
be applied, and as punishment
Between
1680 - 1795 average of one slave were publicly executed
per month at the Cape. The Caffres would rehang the corpses.
"You
will be in hot water"
Desertion
the slave and the VOC worker received different punishment.
When caught the slave was beaten. when the VOC servant was caught
he was hanged.
The
first person to be murdered was the herd boy David Lanszoon
who was killed at the same time 42 cattle of the Company was
stolen on the 19 October 1653.
Justice
must be seen - public, shame - stocks, drunkards cloak, stand
at the pillory, ride the stang
VARIOUS
FORMS OF PUNISHMENT
TUCHT
HUS
Women sent to work on spinning and knitting.
BREAKING
ON THE WHEEL OR THE CROSS
Person tied to a wheel loosely or two cross beams, then they
were beaten with a heavy iron rod until every bone was broken.
It was mainly only used for slaves, but here are occasions when
it was used on a sailor like Jean Baptiste Paradys was broken
on the cross, also a uprising at delagoa Bay led to many VOC
workers being broken on the cross
PIERCING
THE TONGUE
With an hot iron
HEADMAN'S
AXE
This was not used at the Cape, did they use the sword?
BRANDING
IRON
TORTURE
To ensure a confession. Known as 'pyn kaemer'. Domingo of Angola
stole some sheep and only admitted it after being tortured,
subsequently he denied it. He was then tortured again and upon
confession the Court of Justice immediately tortured him again
In case he changed his mind and also sentenced him to be hung
before he retracted.
DROWNING
Tied up in a bag and thrown into the sea, for murdering a child.
LEDEBRAKING
om `n veroordeelde lid vir lid uitmekaar te trek. "drawn
and quartered"
THE
WOODEN HORSE
Riding the wooden horse was used a lot for soldiers and sailors.
Being tied sitting on a thin beam and then strapping heavy weights
to the feet.
THE
STRAPPADO
A device where the person is pulled into the air and then dropped
to the ground in order to fracture his bones
THE
STOCKS
PIJNKAMER
PILLORY
IMPALED
Titus van Bengale was impaled, he and Mouton's wife murdered
her husband . For two days he lingered
BLACK
HOLE AT THE FORT (Donkergat)
Four to six weeks in solitary confinement only diet water and
bread. Pit Damoness and darkness and loneliness
HANGING
The prisoner had to climb a ladder, then the ladder is pushed
from underneath them. Woman was usually not hanged but burned
or strangled. Whenever an execution was to take place 99
men were assembled, then divided into 3 groups of 33. Two
groups armed with muskets and the third with pikes about
7 yards long. They then went and got the convicted person
from the castle and took him and the executioner and his
assistant to the place of execution. When they got there
they piked men formed a circle with their pikes facing outward.
the one group of of musketeers formed a circle outside and
the other group of musketeers formed a circle facing inward.
FLOGGING
Cat
of nine tails. Sjambok. Some farmers of slaves introduced the
method of flogging their slave as long it takes to smoke so
many pipes. Tied to a whipping post, at the Cape this rack was
called "Poolsche Bok"
THUMB
SCREW
MUTILATION
cutting of nose, or ears etc. Adulterer nose and ears cut
off to be unattractive to men. Thumbs being cut off. Tongues
being torn out. Later the Council of Policy stopped the
cutting of of ears and nose, and only allowed branding on
the back. The branding was applied to both sexes, free or
bond. Gallows on the back
BURNING
AT THE STAKE
Those who set fire to building often received the fate of burning
at the stake
DISEMBOWELING
Quartered
EXILED
Robben Island and Mauritius were often the destination.
HARDE
PAD
Building of the road across the Cape Flats
TAKING
THE LAW INTO THEIR OWN HANDS
In a remote district and farmer who would inspanned the slaves
naked in front of a wagon and then another slave would sit as
the coachman and beat them with a whip.
STRANGLING
POST
LEG
IRONS AND IRON COLLARS
BEING
STRETCHED
His feet fastened below to a bolt, then with a tackle fastened
his handcuffs the offending person was stretched and left as
such where nearly every joint is dislocated. Or fixing a heavy
weights on the big toes of the accused (25 or even 50 pounds
per toe), then fasting his wrist together and then hoisting
the person up a beam, thus dangling in midair.
PINCHING
WITH RED HOT THONGS AND HAVING THE FLESH TORN OFF
MUTINY
ON SHIP
Mutineers thrown overboard. Hunger strikers on board slave ship,
force feeding through a 'speculum oris'. Two men force the slave
on to his knees and then a live coal was placed on the slaves
lips, when the slave screamed the 'speculum' was thrust into
his mouth and then they would shovel food down his throat, hitting
the Adam's Apple every now and then making sure that he was
swallowing
Keel
hauling - lengthy submersion, cut by sharp barnacles. Murderers
on ship were tied to the dead and thrown overboard, the same
fate awaited homosexuals.
The
yard arm -the great wooden cross piece at right angle to
the mast. A person would have weights tied to him and then
dropped into the sea, being eventually pulled up half drowned.
This sentence were sometimes executed three times in a row.
The
Scold's bridle
Stop speaking.
THIEVES
Having
their hand nailed to the mast, sheep stealers have their hands
cut off. Cauterising iron -to sear the veins and stump after
the amputation.
FISKAAL
AND CAFFRES
Harsher
punishment against slaves
Payment
for the executioner:
Breaking
limbs Rds 12
Pinching with red hot thongs Rds 4
Burning Rds 12
Decapitating
8
Hanging
8
Strangling
6
Scorching
2
Quartering
and hanging up pieces 6
Transporting
body to "outside Place" of execution 3
Torturing
10
Chopping
of the Hand 4
Scourging
3
Branding
with red hot iron 1
Placing
rope round the neck under the gallows 2
Putting
in the pillory 2
His
assistant received half the amount that he did. Those who
helped the executioner was know as 'Caffres', they wore
gray uniforms consisting of short coats with blue lapels,
waistcoats and trousers.
Desertion
and theft was most frequently committed.
Whipping
for slave first offence,plus branding on cheek, second offence
whipping plus branding on both cheeks. Third offence their noses
and ears were cut off, and tongues torn out.
Etienne
Barbier after deserting and stirring up ill feeling against
the authorities. He was bound to the cross, the executioner
chopped of his right hand, then his head and quarted him.
Then his remains were displayed in different parts as a
reminder to one and all. Desertion from the Company often
they were hanged
KINDS
OF CRIME
Suicide
- Abraham Bastiaansz Pyl cut his own throat with a knife
Marital
problems - Maria Kickers wife of Jan Cornelisz, had a child
of Ferdinandus Appel and had 7 children by Frederik Botha and
she was living with him.
Willem
Willemsz van Deventer murdered a Hottentot he was sent out of
the settlement, while away his knegt Ocker Cornelisz Olivier
had two children with his wife.
Helena
Bezuidenhout wife of Jan Wessels had an affair with Andries
Beets.
Mrs
van Bruel lived an evil life with her slave
Guillaume
Loret had an affair with his mother in law Isabeau Richard
Jacob
Aartsz Brouwer assaulted his wife Aagje Rijx
Claas
Laubscher was sentenced for fraud
Murdering
Hottentots Willem Willemsz van Deveneter, Jan Caspersz, Pierre
Cronje, Jan Andriesz and Claas Rymers
Jan
van As, Hendrik Visser, Willem Meyer guilty of murdering slaves
Arnoldus
Willemsz Basson - guilty of assault
Pieter
Becker - insurrection
Jan
Stevensz Botma, Dirk Coetzee - stealing
Barend
Burgersz - rioting
Jacomina
Carteniers wife of Jacob van den Berg - for assault
Isak
de Kock - selling illegal alcohol
Albert
Barentsz Gildenhuys - starting fire arson
Jan
Lambertsz Myburgh - stealing
Jan
Niemand - selling illegal alcohol, stealing
Pierre
Rousseau - assisting a criminal
The
Dutch was defeated by the Portuguese out of Angola in the mid
1600's. The Dutch was pushed out of Brazil by the Portuguese
in 1652. The Dutch was defeated by the English in 1654 and they
lost 1122 ships
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Geoffrey
Abbott Rack, Rope and Red-Hot Pincers: A History of
Torture and its Instruments
Hamlyn History of Punishment and Torture
An Illus. History Punishment - (David & Charles,
1972) by Peter N. Walker
P Spierenburg, The Spectacle of Suffering
M Weisser, Crime and Punishment
H F Heese, "Reg en Onreg - Kaapse Regspraak in
die Agtiende Eeu", (1994).
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