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

Thomas van Bengale¹

M, #15386, b. circa 1646

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Last Edited

03/03/2016

BirthOrigin*

Thomas was from Bengal and may have been born there circa 1646. He was 25 when sold as a slave in 1671. It should be born in mind that the toponym 'van Bengale' or from Bengal was a term loosely applied during the period of VOC dominance to enslaved or formerly enslaved people from any of the countries bordering the Bay of Bengal.¹

Slave Transactions

Thomas van Bengale was sold on behalf of Gillis van Breen by Cornelis Zwart to Adrianus de Vooght on 30 September 1671, for Rds. 70.^2,3,4

Citations

[S418] Anna J. Böeseken, Slaves and Free Blacks at the Cape 1658-1700 (Cape Town: Tafelberg, 1977), p.129.. Hereinafter cited as Slaves and Free Blacks at the Cape 1658-1700.
[S418] Anna J. Böeseken, Slaves and Free Blacks at the Cape 1658-1700, p. 129: 30.9.1671, V, pp. 133-134: Thomas from Bengal (25), sold by Cornelis Zwart from Amsterdam on the Burght van Leiden on behalf of the Rev. Adrianus de Vooght to Gillis van Breen for Rds. 70. [DR: Böeseken misinterpreted this transaction. See next citation, i.e. Hattingh.]
[S606] J.L. (Leon) Hattingh, "A.J. Böeseken se Addendum van Kaapse slawe-verkoopstransaksies: Foute en regstellings", Kronos (Foute en regstellings) 9 (1984): Ook nog op bladsy 129 van die addendum, onder die datum 30.9.1671, lees ons:
"Thomas from Bengal (25), sold by Cornelis Zwart from Amsterdam on the Burgh van Leiden on behalf of the Rev. Adrianus de Vooght to Gillis van Breen for Rds. 70"
Verkeerde rolle word hierin aan die verkeerde persone toegeken.
Cornelis Zwart was wel 'n reisiger op die betrokke skip, maar hy tree egter op names Gillis van Breen, wat 'n onderkoopman te Batavia was, en verkoop die slaaf aan die Kaapse predikant, ds. De Vooght, en nie andersom nie.. Hereinafter cited as "Foute en regstellings."
[S607] J.L. (Leon) Hattingh, "Kaapse notariële stukke waarin slawe van vryburgers en amptenare vermeld word (II), Die tweede Dekade 1671-1680", Kronos (Die notariële stukke II) 15 (1999): 30.9.1671 CTD 5, p. 133
Cornelis Zwart van Amsterdam, skipper van De Burgh van Leyden, verkoop aan ds Adrianus de Voogt, predikant aan die Kaap, die slaaf Thomas van Bengale, 25 jaar oud, volgens opdrag van Gillis van Breen, onderkoopman te Batavia, vir 70 Rds. [Geteken C J Swart.]. Hereinafter cited as "Die notariële stukke II."