Abraham van Guinea1

M, #15371, b. circa 1646

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Last Edited12/11/2016
BirthOrigin*Abraham was from Guinea and was perhaps born there circa 1646. This estimate is based on the assumption that he arrived with other slaves from the region around Benin as a youth or young man on the Hasselt in 1658.2 

Family

Cathrijn van Bengale b. c 1651
Child
(Slave) ShipVoyage On 10 September 1657 the Hasselt departed the Cape (after an earlier false start) for Angola and the coast of 'Guinea' with orders to acquire slaves for the Cape. They had been deterred from attempting to purchase slaves at the bay of Luanda de St. Paulo by the presence of four other ships anchored there, and sailed on. They went first to Cape Lopez on the Gabonese coast for water and wood, and then proceeded to Andra, a slave-trading centre on the coast of upper Guinea. The vessel arrives at the Cape with 226 or 228 [different figures recorded contemporaneously] remaining from 271 originally embarked. Forty three or 45 died enroute and some women were already pregnant according to a later account. Eighty of the best 'Guinea' slaves were sent on to Batavia, and at the Cape a few abscond and many succomb to illness — by 5 March 1659 only 41 remain. The slaves had been purchased at what is now Grand Popo in present day Benin and would have come from as far afield as Sudan. The Hasslt arrived back at the Cape on 6 May 1658 and its slave cargo was discharged the following day. The following slaves would most likely have been among those who survived at the Cape: Abraham van Guinea, Adouke van Guinea, Anna van Guinea, Claas van Guinea, Deuxsous van Guinea, Evert van Guinea, Koddo van Guinea, Louis van Guinea, Maria van Guinea, Oude Hans van Guinea, Pieter van Guinea, Regina van Rapenberg van Guinea and Gegeima van Guinea.3,4 
Names in the record, in publications, etc.Abraham van Guinea is probably the slave known as Serry van Guineau I have assumed this to be Abra[ha]m van Guinea.5,6
Monsterrollen and Opgaafrollen (Muster and tax rolls)1688 Abraham van Guinea was enumerated on the opgaafrol (census/tax roll) in Cape District.7
1692 Abraham van Guinea was enumerated on the opgaafrol (census/tax roll) in Stellenbosch district Koddo van Guinea.8
Slave TransactionsAbraham van Guinea was sold to Ds. Petrus Wachtendorp after 19 October 1666, this transaction is assumed.6
After 18 June 1668 Abraham van Guinea was sold along with Maria da Costa van Bengale and Lysbeth van Bengale by Maria Prignon the widow of the minister Ds. Petrus Wachtendorp for f 660. Included in the transaction were Lijsbet's two unnamed children, probably Anna Pieters and Anthonij van de Caep. The purchaser was the incoming commander Jacob van Borghorst.9
On 31 December 1669 Andries van der Kust Coromandel, Claas Gerrits van Bengale, Mathijs van Angola, Anthonij Jansz van Bengale, Jeronimus van Coromandel, Titus van Bengale, Baddou van Bali, Ventura van Ceylon, Claesje van Angola, Abraham van Guinea, Maria da Costa van Bengale and Lysbeth van Bengale were sold by the departing commander Jacob van Borghorst to the Company for f 2 842:10:-, the amount he had originally paid for them. Included in the sale were three children, who, because they fit the profile, I have for the present presumed to be Lysbeth van de Caep, Anna Pieters and Anthonij van de Caep; the first the child of Pollecij/Maaij Claesje van Angola and the third and fourth the daughter and son of Lijsbeth van Bengale. However, at least some of these slaves came into the possession of Joan Bax van Herentals, Borghorst's successor.10
Slave EmancipationsOn 2 January 1687, Adriaen van Bengale, Abraham van Guinea, Leidsare Origin Unknown, Mirra Moor van Ceylon, Gratia d' Costa and Koddo van Guinea were emancipated in terms of a Resolution of the Council of Policy, in recognition of the long and faithful service — na veler jaren goede en trouwe diensten. They were described as old and decrepit — oud en afgeleevd — and no longer able to serve — buijten staat langer te konnen dienen. This begs the question how they would then be able to support themselves.11
Slaves owned by individualsOn 27 January 1671 Abraham van Guinea was owned by Elbert Diemer.1

Citations

  1. [S418] Anna J. Böeseken, Slaves and Free Blacks at the Cape 1658-1700 (Cape Town: Tafelberg, 1977), pp. 128.27.1.1671, IV, p. 19: Sijbilla (5½), the child of Abraham from Guinea who belonged to Elbert Dircx Diemer, and of Catharina, the slave of Adrianus de Vooght manumitted, but was to serve 10 years as a free person in return for food and clothes.. Hereinafter cited as Slaves and Free Blacks at the Cape 1658-1700.
  2. [S418] Anna J. Böeseken, Slaves and Free Blacks at the Cape 1658-1700, p. 127.17.4.1669, III, pp. 286-287: Abram from Angola, a slave belonging to the Company, sold by the Rev. Adrianus de Vooght for Rds. 100. (Unsigned document.).
  3. [S810] Mansell Upham 'At Earth's Extremest End… Op 't eijnde van de Aerd … The genealogical impact of the 'Angola' & 'Guinea' slaves at the Cape of Good Hope in the 17th century', First Fifty Years, Uprooted Lives - Unfurling the Cape of Good Hope's Earliest Colonial Inhabitants (1652-1713), (http://e-family.co.za/ffy/ui66.htm), August 2014. "pp. 5, 22-27."
  4. [S418] Anna J. Böeseken, Slaves and Free Blacks at the Cape 1658-1700, pp.10, 12.
  5. [S418] Anna J. Böeseken, Slaves and Free Blacks at the Cape 1658-1700, pp. 31.The widow of the Rev. Petrus Wachtendorp sold Borghorst a male slave
    named Serry who came from Guinea, together with two female slaves and two
    children, not mentioned by name, for f 660. In footnote 45 on this page, Böeseken notes that on his departure from the Cape in April 1670, Borghorst sold twelve slaves, including Serry, to the Company for f 2 842:10:-.
  6. [S203] Mansell Upham 'Cape Mothers: Groote Catrijn van Paliacatta (c. 1631-1683), her slave Maria van Bengale & her daughter-in-law Marguerite-Thérèse de Savoye (1673-1742)', First Fifty Years, Uprooted Lives - Unfurling the Cape of Good Hope's Earliest Colonial Inhabitants (1652-1713), (http://e-family.co.za/ffy/ui66.htm), October 2014. "Abraham (Abram) [Serry?] van Guinea. [purchased from the Company (17 April 1669) previously belonging to Johannes Petrus Wachtendorp (from Maasbommmel), his widow Maria Prignon (1668) & Commander Jacob Borghorst (1669)]"
  7. [S785] Monsterrol van de vrije luijden 1688 for de Caep de Goede Hoop (Cape Town) (Genealogical Society of South Africa, eGSSA Branch http://www.eggsa.org/) "1688 Opgaaf
    02491 Guinea van Abraham 1[male] C[ape]". (The monsterrolle or muster rolls were in effect a population census. In my view they were likely based on ships' musters of the period.).
  8. [S828] Monsterrol van de vrije luijden 1692 for de Caep de Goede Hoop (Kaap, Stellenbosch, Drakenstein) (Genealogical Society of South Africa, eGSSA Branch http://www.eggsa.org/) "1692 Opgaaf
    02461GUINEA VAN ABRAHAM 11 5[cattle] S[tellenbosch]
    02462VRYSWART VS PLADOOR". (The monsterrolle or muster rolls were in effect a population census. In my view they were likely based on ships' musters of the period.).
  9. [S418] Anna J. Böeseken, Slaves and Free Blacks at the Cape 1658-1700, pp. 31.The widow of the Rev. Petrus Wachtendorp sold Borghorst a male slave named Serry [Abraham/Abram] who came from Guinea, together with two female slaves and two children, not mentioned by name, for f 660. In footnote 45 on this page, Böeseken notes that on his departure from the Cape in April 1670, Borghorst sold twelve slaves, including Serry, to the Company for f 2 842:10:-.
  10. [S788] Webpage Tanap (http://databases.tanap.net/) "Reference code: C. 5, pp. 89-91.
    Dingsdagh den 31en December ao. 1669."
  11. [S788] Webpage Tanap "Reference code: C. 18, pp. 98?99.
    Donderdag den 2. Januarij 1687
    [My thanks to Mansell Upham for pointing me to this reference.]."
  12. [S418] Anna J. Böeseken, Slaves and Free Blacks at the Cape 1658-1700, pp. 128.27.1.1671, IV, p. 19: Sijbilla (5½), the child of Abraham from Guinea who belonged to Elbert Dircx Diemer, and of Catharina, the slave of Adrianus de Vooght manumitted, but was to serve 10 years as a free person in return for food and clothes. [This transaction was misinterpreted by Böeseken, see the Hattingh citations.]
 

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