First Fifty Years - a project collating Cape of Good Hope records

April van Ceylon¹

M, #19334, b. circa 1700

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Last Edited

07/01/2022

BirthOrigin*

April was from Ceylon — now Sri Lanka — and was perhaps born there circa 1700. The date is estimated.¹

Family

Child

Johanna van de Caep⁵ b. c 1720

(Slave) Will

Anna Rebekka van Bengalen left a will on 13 August 1731 in which Arnoldus Coevoet was appointed executor and in which she granted freedom to April van Ceylon and Johanna van de Caep. She also bequethed 1 ketting goude stenen, 2 stricken met stenen, 2 goude ringen, 1 silvere beugel, 1 silvere tuijgje, 1 silvere kalkdoosje plus 100 rix dollars to Johanna, the balance of her estate was to go to her husband Arnoldus.²

Names in the record, in publications, etc.

21 December 1735, the name of April was incorrectly written in the record as Johannes van Ceijlon.³

Slave Emancipations

After 21 December 1735 April van Ceylon and Johanna van de Caep were emancipated by Arnoldus Coevoet, in accordance with the testamentory wishes of their owner Anna Rebekka van Bengalen as expressed in her will of 13 August 1731.⁴

Slaves owned by individuals

Before 13 August 1731 April van Ceylon and Johanna van de Caep were enslaved human beings owned by Anna Rebekka van Bengalen.⁵

Citations

[S432] Robert C-H Shell compiler, Changing Hands, A calendar of bondage in southern Africa, 1550 to 1888, CD-ROM; ISBN 1-86918-063-1; (Cape Town: Ancestry24, September 2007). Hereinafter cited as Changing Hands.
[S502] Website Family Search (www.familysearch.org) "The original record is held in the Western Cape Archives Repository under reference MOOC 7/1/4 No. 159."
[S788] Webpage Tanap (http://databases.tanap.net/) "Reference no.: MOOC8/5.136; Testator(s): Arnoldus Coevoet; 21 December 1735 … de vrijswart Johannnes van Ceijlon …."
[S432] Robert C-H Shell compiler, Changing Hands, Slave First Name:      April
Toponym:      van Ceylon
Descent:      Full breed
Name Type:      Month
Continental Origin:      Indian sub continent
Slave Place Origin:      Ceylon
Gender:      M
Simplified Age:      Adult
Repatriation:      Testamentary
Slave Status:      Free Black
Owner Related:      No
No Of Slaves In Manumission Related:      2
Owner Surname:      van Bengal
Owner First Name:      Rebecca
Owner Ethnicity:      Indian sub continent
Owner Toponym:      van Bengal
Owner Death Status:      Dead
Owner Death Year:      1731
Owner Gender:      Female
Owner Status:      Free Black
Owner Marital Status:      Married
Owner Occupation:      Housewife
Owner District:      Table Valley
Manumitter Surname:      Koevoet
Manumitter First Name:      Arnoldus
Manumitter Gender:      Male
Manumitter Status:      Freeblack
Manumitter Marital Status:      Widow
Sale Transaction Year:      1735
IDNO:      541
Manumission Type:      Testament
Service Years:      4
Right Of Manumission:      Other
Year Freed:      1739
Reference:      Leibbrandt; Requesten 2
Page Number:      Page 631
----
Slave First Name:      Johanna
Toponym:      van der Kaap
Name Type:      Owner's name pool
Continental Origin:      Creole
Slave Place Origin:      Creole
Gender:      F
Simplified Age:      Adult
Repatriation:      Testamentary
Slave Status:      Free Black
Owner Related:      No
No Of Slaves In Manumission Related:      2
Owner Surname:      van Bengal
Owner First Name:      Rebecca
Owner Ethnicity:      Indian sub continent
Owner Toponym:      van Bengal
Owner Death Status:      Dead
Owner Death Year:      1731
Owner Gender:      Female
Owner Status:      Free Black
Owner Marital Status:      Married
Owner Occupation:      Housewife
Owner District:      Table Valley
Manumitter Surname:      Koevoet
Manumitter First Name:      Arnoldus
Manumitter Gender:      Male
Manumitter Status:      Freeblack
Manumitter Marital Status:      Widow
Sale Transaction Year:      1735
IDNO:      542
Manumission Type:      Testament
Service Years:      4
Right Of Manumission:      Other
Year Freed:      1739
Reference:      Leibbrandt; Requesten 2
Page Number:      Page 631.
[S1001] Susan Newton-King, "Credit and debt in the lives of freed slaves at the Cape of Good Hope: The case of Arnoldus Koevoet, 1697-1735," in Bonded labour and debt in the Indian Ocean world, Gwyn Campbell and Alessando Stanziani, editors. (Abingdon-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis, 2013), April of Ceylon and his daughter Johanna would be freed at her death and Johanna would get the jewellery which 'belonged to the body' of the deceased, plus 100 rix dollars.. Hereinafter cited as "Arnoldus Koevoet, 1697-1735."