Armosyn Claasz – Slave Lodge matron who founded a dynasty

Armosyn Claasz’s written legacies show the central struggle of her life which was her determination to free her children. Her sacrifices and only partial success make for painful reading.

She was one of the first children to be born into slavery in the Cape in about 1660. Her parents’ names are unrecorded but Armosyn appears to have been a heelslag, meaning that both her parents were slaves. Her name, Armosyn, meaning a kind of fine silk from the Far East, suggests her mother’s origins.

Armosyn grew up in the Slave Lodge and became its matres. As such, she was responsible for the women in the Lodge and its schoolmistress, and was given the special privilege of her own room. As a result of her “good service”, Armosyn was granted her freedom in 1702, aged about forty. She was given a land grant, most unusual for an unmarried free black woman. She chose to live next door to the Slave Lodge in present-day Parliament Street, probably to be near her children still enslaved in the Lodge. In 1711 she asked the Company to free her daughter Marie van de Caap. The VOC granted her request but required that Marie remain enslaved for three more years before she could be bought by her mother. At the same time another daughter, Manda Gratia, was denied freedom because of her duties as matres, the position she inherited from her mother.[i]

In 1713 Armosyn made the first of her two surviving wills. Her fierce determination to protect her free and unfree children from the VOC (“all magistrates or whoever else would presume to be authorised … and most especially and seriously the Honourable Orphan Masters”) is explicit: [ii]

“The Testatrix now nominates and institutes as her universal heirs her three children named Claas, Maria and Magtella, in all her possessions, both moveable and immovable, deeds and credits, houses, erfs, nothing excepted, which will be relinquished and left behind by the Testatrix upon her death, to be accepted by the three heirs as permanent and hereditary without the gainsaying or contradiction of anyone, whoever they may be.

The Testatrix nominates as executors and administrators of her estate and possessions her aforesaid three children, and this with such right and authority as all testamentary executors are entitled to, not wanting them to need anyone else in this regard, as she has entrusted her said three children and heirs herewith, and excluding hereby all magistrates or whoever else would presume to be authorised thereto, and most especially and seriously the Honourable Orphan Masters of this place, or wherever the place of death might be, thanking their honours respectfully for whatever other trouble they may have taken.

The Testatrix has appointed as guardians of her aforementioned minor child Magtella the aforesaid Claas and Maria, as well as another daughter of the Testatrix named Maandor, that is to say, however, not before she has been emancipated and manumitted, with the power and authority which all guardians are entitled to, therefore explicitly excluding anyone who would wish to interfere with the guardianship of the said Magtella.”

Many of Armosyn’s descendants were absorbed into white society and her granddaughter Machtelt Smit is considered by some historians to be the first South African woman to become famous in her own right. Smit devoted much of her life to the London Missionary Society, preaching to the “surrounding heathen” as she called the slaves of the Tulbagh district. Her autobiography was published after her death in English as the life of “Mathilda Smith” or “Mother Smith”.

Armosyn Claasz – Slawe Losie matrone wat ‘n dinastie gestig het

Armosyn Claasz se geskrewe legendes toon die sentrale stryd van haar lewe, haar vasberadenheid om haar kinders te bevry. Haar opofferings, en slegs gedeeltelike sukses, maak vir pynlike leeswerk.

Sy was een van die eerste kinders wat ongeveer in 1660 in slawerny in die Kaap gebore is. Haar ouers se name is nie aangeteken nie, maar Armosyn was waarskynlik ‘n heelslag, wat beteken dat albei haar ouers slawe was. Haar naam, Armosyn, wat vernoem is na ‘n soort fyn sy vanuit die Verre Ooste, dui op haar ma se oorsprong.

Armosyn het in die Slawe Losie grootgeword en die matres geword. Dus was sy verantwoordelik vir die vroue in die Losie en skoolmeester, en het die spesiale vergunning van haar eie kamer gekry. As gevolg van haar “goeie diens” is Armosyn in 1702 vrygespreek, toe sy ongeveer veertig jaar oud was. Sy het ‘n grondtoelaag ontvang, dit was ongewoon vir ‘n ongetroude vrye swart vrou. Sy het gekies om langs die Slawe Losie te woon, waarskynlik om na aan haar kinders te wees, wat steeds in die Losie slawe was. In 1711 het sy die maatskappy gevra om haar dogter, Marie van de Caap, te bevry. Die VOC het haar versoek toegestaan, maar het vereis dat Marie drie jaar lank steeds ‘n slaaf bly voordat sy deur haar ma gekoop kan word. Terselfdertyd is ‘n ander dogter, Manda Gratia, haar vryheid geweier weens haar pligte as matres, die posisie wat sy van haar ma geërf het.

In 1713 het Armosyn die eerste van haar twee oorlewende testamente gemaak. Haar vurige vasberadenheid om haar vrye en onvrye kinders van die VOC te beskerm (“alle landdroste of enige ander wat veronderstel is om gemagtig te wees … en veral en ernstig die Edele Weeskind-Meesters”) is uitdruklik:

Die Testatrix nomineer en instel as haar universele erfgename haar drie kinders, genaamd Claas, Maria en Magtella, in al haar besittings, sowel roerende as onroerende dade en krediete, huise, erwe, niks uitsluitend nie, wat verlos en agtergelaat sal word deur die Testatrix na haar dood, om deur die drie erfgename as permanente en oorerflike aanvaar te word sonder dat hulle enigsins betwis of teengestaan is, sonder die teenstand van enigiemand, ongeag wie hulle mag wees.
Die Testatrix benoem as eksekuteurs en administrateurs van haar boedel en besittings haar voorgenoemde drie kinders, en dit met so ‘n reg en gesag dat alle testamentêre eksekuteurs geregtig is op, en nie wil hê dat hulle enigiemand anders in hierdie verband nodig het nie, aangesien sy haar drie kinders toevertrou en erfgename hierby, en sluit hierby alle landdroste of enigieen anders wat sou vermoed dat hulle daartoe gemagtig sou wees, uit, en veral en ernstig die Eervolle Weeshuis Meesters van hierdie plek, of waar die dood van die plek dalk mag wees, bedank hul eerbiedwaardige vir enige ander probleme wat hulle mag neem.
Die Testatrix stel aan as die voogde van haar voormalige minderjarige Magtella, die voormelde Claas en Maria, sowel as ‘n ander dogter van die Testatrix met die naam Maandoor, dit wil sê, egter nie voordat sy geëmansipeer en vrygelaat is nie, met die mag en gesag wat alle voogde daarop geregtig is, dus eksplisiet enige persoon wat die voogdyskap van genoemde Magtella wil inmeng, insluit.

Baie van Armosyn se afstammelinge is geabsorbeer in die wit samelewing en haar kleindogter, Machtelt Smit, word deur sommige geskiedkundiges beskou as die eerste Suid Afrikaanse vrou wat in haar eie reg bekend geword het. Smit het ‘n groot deel van haar lewe aan die Londense Sendinggenootskap toegewy, en het aan die “omliggende heiden” gespreek, soos sy die slawe van die Tulbagh-distrik genoem het. Haar outobiografie is na haar dood in Engels gepubliseer as die lewe van “Mathilda Smith.”

UAsmosyn Claasz umphathi wendawo ehlala amakhoboka (Slave Lodge) owasungula umbuso

Imbali yamagugu ngo uArmosyn Claasz isibonisa phandle unxwalo ebekulo nomonde ebenawo wokukhulula abantwana bakhe kumakhamandela obukhoboka. Izibhalo ngokuzityanda kwakhe igila, nempumelelo engephi yaloo mizamo ziyitsho intliziyo ibelihwili xa ufunda ngaye.

Wayengomnye wenzalelwane yokuqala yamakhoboka eKapa kwiminyaka eqikelelwa kwiminyaka ye 1660. Abazali balentwazana akukho apho kutyikitywe khona amagama abo, kodwa kubonakala ngathi uArmosyn ebeyinzalelwane yamakhoboka (heelslag). Igama uArmosyn, elithetha intsilika ya lee eMphuma, likhomba umnombe kanina kulo mpuma.

UArmosyn ukhulele elugcinweni lwamakhoboka, waze waba sisikhukhukazi (matres) apho. Uxanduva lwakhe apho yayikuku jongana nazo zonke iimfuno zabafazi awayesisicaka sabo, kuquka notitshalakazi; into eyayisenza ukuba abenechamu legumbi elingelakhe kuloo nkomponi yamakhoboka. Ngokuzibalula ngomsebenzi, uArmosyn waazuza Ubuntu bakhe kwakho, ebuzuza ngomnyaka we 1702 sele esexabisweni leminyaka engamashumi amane walibona ilanga. Wathiwa jize ngomhlaba wesisa, nto leyo ebingaqhelekanga kumakhosikazi amnyama angatshatanga. Waakhetha ukuhlala ebumelwaneni baloonkomponi yamakhoboka, apho kumi khona Indlu yowiso mthetho yalemihla (palamente), ekwenzela oko – xa kuqikelelwa – ukuba abekufutshane nabantwana bakhe ababengakhululekanga nje ngaye kwimbandezelo yobukhoboka. Waye wacela ngomnyaka ka 1711 ukuba I VOC ikhululele intombi yakhe u Marie van de Caap ukuba nayo iphume kuloo mbandezelo yobukhoboka. Yasamnkela iVOC isicelo sika Armosyn, isithi: uMarie lo makamkhobokele iminyaka emithathu phambi kokuba unina angaluthenga lubuyele kuye usana lwakhe. Ntombiyimbi ka Armosyn, uManda Gratia, bayalela inkululeko yayo, ngenxa yoxanduva lwayo lokuba sisikhukhukazi (matres), ilifa lobukhoboka uwalincanca kuninai.

Ngomnyaka we 1713 uArmosyn waatyikitya incwadi yokuqala kwezimbini zamafa ekunanamhla iyabalulwa kwezikhoyo. Inzondelelo awayenayo ngokonga nokuqoqosha abantwana bakhe, abakhululekileyo nabangakhululekanga, kwimpatho ye VOC yikat’ emhloph’ ehlunqwiniii kulemibhalo:

“Lo ngumyolelo welifa elishiywa nguArmosyn: uchonga futhi esenza ummiselo wokuba abantwana bakhe abathathu, uClass, uMaria, noMagtella ngabo iindla lifa zayo yonke into ebizwa ngegama lakhe, kuquka: izinto ezibume buphathekayo nezikwanjalo kodwa zingancothuki egadeni, amaphepha omthetho agunyazisa intengo yezinto ezisegameni lakhe (deeds), namatyala abantu abamtyala wona, izindlu zakhe, iziza zakhe (erfs), konke kuqukwe kulomyolelo, myolelo ndini kuwo ekungekho nanye into ebibizwa ngegama lakhe mihla esidl’ amazimba athi ngayo uzimisele ukugoba uphondo iphucwe kuye wakusutywa kukufa, makwenjenjalo ke ukwamnkeleka kwaba bathathu ubundlalifa babo, ze kungabikho namnye onxamnye okanye ogqwetha lo myolelo.

Lo ushiya ilifa utyumba futhi echonga abantwana bakhe abathathu abasele bekhankanyiwe apha ukuba ibengabo iinjoli zelifa nabaququzeleli belolifa elizizinto zonke ezibizwa ngegama lakhe nezibubutyebi bakhe, ngokwenjenjalo unikezela kwesisithathu ilungelo negunya elifanelwe nguye naye nabanina onemvume yokwaba ilifa, ekwenza oko lomyoleli uthi: makungabikho mabi mafa wumbi obandanyekayo, njengoko esisithathu esizindlalifa sinikezwe lonke igunya, noomantyi bona gaqa maze bangabandakanyeki, kungabandakanyeki naye nabanina oqhele ukwenjenjalo kwimeko zokwabiwa kwelifa, ingakumbi umhlonitshwa oyintsumpa yeentandane (orphans) yalapha, okanye naphina apho ukufa kumfikele khona, ekuthetha oko lo myoleli ukutsho ngongazenzisiyo umbulelo kwabo bebethwele uxanduva ukuzokuthi ga ngoku.

Unomafa lo uchonga oodade bemveku, uMagtella, ababizwa Claass no Maria, kuquka nenye yeentombi zakhe ebizwa Maandor, ukuba babeliliso kulo umncikane – Magtella, uMaandor yena wokwenza oko akukhululeka ebukhobokeni, oko kubek’ iliso kuMagtella, libekwa ngaba sebathe dlundlu, kuquka ukwambeswa kwabo ngalo lonke igunya lobuzali elisemthethweni.

Kwaye kwaya isizukulwana sika Armosyn safunxwa bubulungu, sabizwa ngohlanga olumhlophe. Umzukulwana ka Armosyn, uMachtelt Smit, ubalulwa – ngabomlando nembali – njengenkosikazi yokuqala engummi weli lomzantsi ukubanendumasi, ndumasi leyo ezenzela yena ngokunokwayo buqu. Wabuqongqotha ubomi bakhe uSmit lo esebenzela e-London Missionary Society (ngelasemzini). Incwadi ayibhale ngobomi bakhe yapapashwa emva kwesithonga sokundulukela kooyisemkhulu; loomibhalo eyapapashwa ngesingesi ibizwa: ubomi buka-“Mathilda Smit”.

[i] C28: Armosyn’s daughter’s freedom granted, 3 April 1711

[ii] C2650, p376-379: Armosyn’s will with a copy of her mark as signature, 6 May 1713