Estate inventory, deed MOOC8/45.139, 12 March 1831

TANAP transcription, Huygens Institute (GLOBALISE), CC0-1.0; read from the project's local copy of the series on 2026-09-23. Online: MOOC8/45.139.

What this establishes

The sheet is in English, the first in this collection that is: the Beaufort district was writing its Orphan Chamber business in the government's language by 1831. It records an estate of one ox wagon, two guns, a wagon chest, two mares and a horse, no money and no debts, and then it records what happened to them. Louis Nel and three sons were murdered at Konkasfontein in the Nieuweveld on the evening of 28 June 1828. Dina Carolina escaped. She was pregnant; the fifth child, another Louis, was born on 9 September, ten weeks later. By March 1831 she was living at the Zwarteberg, in the Beaufort district, and had sold the horses "for my immediate maintenance". The wagon and the guns had been carried off and had turned up, she had been told by the field commandant of the Nieuweveld, with "zekere bastaards van de Groote Rivier" who brought them to the field commandant Redelinghuis of the Nieuwe Hantam in the Worcester district.

Why it is here. Her father died on Buffelsvlei on the south side of the Groot Swartberg that same June (MOOC8/44.45). Three years later she is on the north side, "at Zwarteberg, this district", which in 1831 is the Zwartberg ward of the Beaufort district, the ward Klaarstroom lies in. The shared tree has her dying on 13 November 1834 at Venterskloof, which is Middelwater's northern neighbour (PAR-000091). If that place holds, she is an Oosthuizen of this family on the basin's ground seven years before the grants of 1841. §5 applies to the place string; the 1833 Venterskloof diagram is the test. not yet verified

The text as the clerk wrote it

MOOC8/45.139

{18310312} 12 March 1831 Louis Nel , Dina Carolina Oosthuisen

A true and perfect inventory of all and every the goods, chattels wares, etc:a, as well moveable as not debts, credits and other personal effects of the late Louis Nel and surviving widow Dina Carolina Oosthuisen, which former was murdered at the place Konka’s Fontein in the Nieuweveld in this district on the 28:th June 1828 between the hours of 7 and 8 o clock p:m: and given up as follows, viz:

<table> <tbody> <tr> <td>one ox waggon</td> </tr> <tr> <td>two guns</td> </tr> <tr> <td>one waggon chest</td> </tr> <tr> <td>two mares and one horse</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>

<table> <thead><tr><td colspan='100%'>Ready money</td></tr></thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>nihil</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>

<table> <thead><tr><td colspan='100%'>Credits of the estate</td></tr></thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> <td>Rd:s</td> </tr> <tr> <td>from Adriaan de Neys the amount of butcher’s bill</td> <td>210</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>

<table> <thead><tr><td colspan='100%'>Debts of the estate</td></tr></thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>nihil</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>

<table> <thead><tr><td colspan='100%'>Heirs of the estate</td></tr></thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>1) Gert Cornelis Nel born 12 February 1821 (murdered 28 June 1828)</td> </tr> <tr> <td>2) Johannes Jacobus Nel born 1 January 1823 (murdered 28 June 1828)</td> </tr> <tr> <td>3) Louis Nel born 12 December 1824 (murdered 28 June 1828)</td> </tr> <tr> <td>4) Aletta Catharina Johanna Nel born 10:th March 1826</td> </tr> <tr> <td>5) Louis Nel born 9:th September 1828</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>

Thus done and registered in the town of Beaufort on Saturday the 12:th day of March 1831, in the presence of Hartwig Johannes Luttig and Joseph Kirsner to the statement of Dina Carolina Oosthuisen widow of said Louis Nel, who declared in her above statement of the estate to have acted honestly and truly that nothing has been held back to the best of her knowledge and belief and to be at all times ready if called upon to solemnise the same by oath. Further promising and binding herself in the event of any thing else belonging to the estate coming to her recollection and knowledge to amplify this with the same.

For the statement: Diena Carolina Oosthuijsen w: Nel

Witnesses: J: Kersner, H: Luttig

J:J: Meintjes, A:O:C:

Copy

On this the 12:th March 1831 appeared before me J:J: Meintjes Agent to the Orphan Chamber at Beaufort Dina Carolina Oosthuisen widow of the late Louis Nel, residing at Zwarteberg , this district, who states:

The articles, namely the waggon, guns and chest mentioned in the inventory are in the possession of the Field Commandant Redelinghuis of the Nieuwe Hanton , Worcester district, as I have been informed by a letter from the Field Commandant Pieter Daniel Jacobs of the Nieuweveld of this district.

The two mares and one horse I have given up in the inventory I have been obliged to sell for my immediate maintenance after I had escaped from the place Konkasfontein where my husband had been murdered on the 28:th June 1828.

The debt against De Neys is the amount of a butcher’s bill passed by Frans Caverneels for cattle bought from my husband and the said bill has alse been taken away amongst my other possessions.

At Beaufort 12:th March 1831

Witness (signed): Dina Carolina Oosthuysen w: Nel

Sig:d J: Kersner

Signed/: J:J: Meintjes Ag:t to the Or: Chamb:

A true copy: J:J: Meintjes, Orph: Camb: Agent

Copy

Beaufort den 12:e Maart 1831

Myn heer!

Ik heb u edele te melden dat ik door den commandand Redelinghuis van het district Worcester , een brief heb ontvangen, waarin hy meldt dat door zekere bastaards van de Groote Rivier by hem zyn aangebragt, een wagen, en twee schietgeweeren, welke medegevoerd zoude geworden zyn, door den benden die wylen Louis Nel en zyn kinderen hebben vermoord.

Ik heb de eer te zyn, myn heer, u edelen dienaar

P:O: Jacobs

A true copy: J:J: Meintjes, Orph: Chamb: Agent

Den Heer J:J: Meintjes, Agent der Weeskamer Beaufort

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Transcription © TANAP / Globalise; published with the repository and reference named, as above.