Magdalena van Batavia – bought the freedom of her daughters
Sometimes the only way for a slave mother to save her children was to free herself and then buy her own children.
The poignant purchase document for Mengis and Elizabeth van der Caab shows a mother doing precisely this. In 1740 Magdalena van Batavia bought and signed for her daughters’ freedom in front of seven witnesses. Magdalena’s own signature is a large cross (“This is the mark of Madgalena van Batavia”)[i].
This was not enough to guarantee freedom for Mengis and Elizabeth. Magdalena died before the sale had become a formal manumission request, leaving her daughters still officially slaves. Perhaps the purchase had been the final, frantic act of a sick and dying woman?
A second undated request pleads for the Government to confirm the legality of Mengis and Elizabeth’s freedom[ii]:
Mangis and Elizabeth, both of the Cape, ex-slaves of the deceased Anna Schalkwijk, state that they had been bought free by their mother, Magdalena of Batavia, for a certain sum, they were therefore emancipated on 21 October 1740, as shown by the annexed document, but in consequence of her severe illness and subsequent death there had been no time to obtain the necessary authority from the Government, they therefore pray that the emancipation may be confirmed and a liberty letter (vrijbrief) may be given to them.
The original sale document of 21 October 1740 shows that one of the seven witnesses has the same surname as Mengis and Elizabeth’s deceased owner, Schalkwijk. One hopes this was enough to establish the validity of the sale, but there are no further records to confirm whether the daughters received their freedom.
Magdalena van Batavia – het die vryheid van haar dogters gekoop
Soms is die enigste manier vir ‘n slaafmoeder om haar kinders te red, om haarself te bevry en dan haar eie kinders te koop.
Die aangrypende aankoopdokument vir Mangis en Elizabeth van der Caab dui op ‘n ma wat presies dit doen. In 1740 het Magdalena van Batavia voor sewe getuies haar twee dogters gekoop en daarvoor geteken. Magdelena se eie handtekening is ‘n groot kruis (“Dit is die merk van Magdalena van Batavia”).
Dit was nie genoeg om die vryheid van Mangis en Elizabeth te waarborg nie. Magdalena het gesterf voordat die verkoop ‘n formele versoek vir vermaning geword het, wat haar dogters steeds amptelik as slawe gelaat het. Miskien was die aankoop die finale, woedende daad van ‘n siek en sterwende vrou?
‘n Tweede ongedateerde versoek pleit vir die regering om die wettigheid van Mangis en Elizabeth se vryheid te bevestig:
Mangis en Elizabeth, albei van die Kaap, ex-slawe van die oorledene Anna Schalkwijk, verklaar dat hulle vry gekoop is deur hul moeder, Magdalena van Batavia, vir ‘n sekere som. Hulle is dus op 21 Oktober 1740 vrygelaat, soos getoon deur die aangehegte dokument, maar as gevolg van haar ernstige siekte en daaropvolgende dood was daar geen tyd om die nodige gesag van die regering te verkry nie. Hulle bid dus dat die emansipasie bevestig kan word en dat daar ‘n vryheidsbrief (vrijbrief) aan hule gegee kan word.
Die oorspronklike verkoopsdokument van 21 Oktober 1740 toon dat een van die sewe getuies dieselfde van as Mengis en Elizabeth se oorlede eienaar, Schalkwijk, het. Mens hoop dit was genoeg om die geldigeid van die koop te bepaal, maar daar is geen verdere rekords om te bevestig dat die dogters hul vryheid ontvang het nie.
Magdalena wase Batavia – wathenga inkululeko yabantwana bakhe ababini abangamantombi
Maxa wambi beelinyembeleka ikhobokazana ukuba lizikhulule lona buqu kuqala emakhamandeleni, zelandule ukuthenga abantwana balo bakhululeke kuloo mbandezelo yobukhoboka.
Ibilusiz’ emnqamlezweni into ebiqulathwe kwezoncwandi zentengo nonaniselwano ngo Mengis no Elizabeth van der Caab. Ezoncwadi bezilubhentsisa elubala unxwalo ebeluthwele unozala olikhoboka, eluthwaliswa kukufuna inkululeko yakhe neyentsana zakhe. Ngonyaka we 1740 uMagdalena van Batavia wathenga inkululeko yeentombi zakhe, eyithenga etyikitya isivumelwano salontengo phambi kwamangqina asixhenxe. Apho watyikitya khona uMagdalena ngesandla sakhe kukho ungxabalaza oomkhulu (“uphawu luka Magdalena Batavia”)i.
Yayingumnqantsa inkululeko ku Mengis and Elizabeth, nezonzame zikanina zingonelanga ukuqinisekisa ukuba iyafumaneka. UMadgalena walishiya eli limagad’ ahlabayo singekaqukunjelwa ngokusesikweni isicelo sokukhululelwa ngumnini makhoboka, nto leyo eyamenza washiya iintombi zakhe zisephantsi kweempembelelo zamagunya obukhoboka. Mhlawumbi lo ntengo ingagunyaziswanga kaMagdalena yayizinzame zokugqibela zomfazi osekhukweni lokufa nolihlwili ngabantwana bakhe abhubha bengamakhoboka.
Ityeli lesibini lokukhululelwa kukaMagdalena ukuba abenokwazi ukuthenga abantwana bakhe baphume ebukhobokeni libonakala lisisingxengxezo kuRhulumente ukuba enze ngetarhu atsho anikezele ngesiqinisekiso senkululeko (freedomii:) ka Mengis no Elizabeth.
UMengis no Elizabeth, abaphuma eKapa, intwazana ezisakuba ngamakhoboka kalowo waswelekayo u Anna Schalkwijk, zilitsolisa ngelithi, bona bebobabini baathengwa ngunina uMagdelena Batavia, ngesixa esithile, nto leyo ethetha ukuba abasengomakhoboka ukususela ngomhla we 21 October 1740, nje ngoko iincwadi ezikhapha esisicelo ziyibonisa lo nto, nto nje ngokubangelwa kukugula ku Anna lo (ongumnini makhoboka), nokusutywa kukufa okwalandelwa kokokugula, suke laxhatshwa yinja ixesha kuRhulumente, kwacaca ukuba liyanquma inqatha ekwenzeni amalungiselelo afanelekileyo, kuloko bethandaza bebongoza besithi masikhutshwe isiqinisekiso senkululeko abayithengelwa ngunina, ukuze ngokwemfanelo babenokuyixhamla.
Iincwadi ngqangi zentengo yomhla wama 21 October ngomnyaka we 1740 zibonisa ngokuthe gca amangqina asixhenxe, ekuthi kuwo kubonakale omnye wawo enesifani esifanayo nalo mnini makhoboka (angu Mengis no Elizabeth), mnikazi ndini ongu Schalkwijk. Umlesi wothemba ke ukuba lonto iyasenelisa isigunyaziso esithi umnini makhoboka wayikhululela lentengo. Kodwa nangona kunjalo umlesi woqwalasela ukuba akukho bungqina bokuba ezintwazana zaakhululeka.
