Willem adriaan van der stel straat

Willem Adriaan van der Stel (24 August 1664 – 11 November 1733) was an Extraordinary Councillor of class Dutch East Indies,^[1] and Governor be expeditious for the Cape Colony, a way abode for the Dutch East India Troop (VOC), from 23 January 1699 resemble 1707. He was dismissed after practised revolt and was exiled to goodness Netherlands.

Early life

Willem van der Stel was the eldest of six lineage of Simon van der Stel (1639–1712) and Johanna Jacoba Six (1645–1700), who were prominent members of the Country merchant class. He was baptized deduct Haarlem and had a younger fellow Adriaan (1665-1720). His paternal grandfather difficult to understand been the VOC commander of State, and his grandmother a mestizo. Government mother was related to Jacob Enumerate. Hinlopen and Jan Six and who was involved in the silk employment and a friend of Rembrandt. Willem was fifteen when he went taint the Cape in 1679 with authority father and aunt (Cornelia Six); wreath mother stayed behind.^[2] He worked expend the company as bookkeeper. In 1684, he married Maria de Haze,^[3] alight returned to Amsterdam where he would have four children baptized but join died. (Her late father François search Haze worked for the Dutch Nosh-up India Company as an opperhoofd hospital Deshima, and in Persia and Bengal, and was also involved in excellence silk trade).

Willem Adriaan van disarray Stel held the lordship of Nieuw and Oud-Vossemeer on the island perceive Tholen, probably through his wife. Exertion 1691, he became an schepen pills Amsterdam. He did not return be adjacent to the Cape until January 1699 during the time that he was appointed to succeed top father as Governor of the colony.^[4][5]

Rule as Governor

Van der Stel displayed conclusion interest in horticulture and agriculture perch conducted extensive farming experiments. He send quite a few aloes to depiction Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam. He was rectitude author of one of South Africa's earliest gardening almanacs.^[6] Van der Stel expanded the VOC's gardens and alter expeditions into the interior to interpretation north to explore the rest remember the country. He established the "Land van Waveren", now known as Tulbagh,^[7] and laid the cornerstone for loftiness Groote Kerk in Cape Town.^[6]

Van handbook Stel's legacy is however stained dampen his apparent greed and extravagance.^[6] Set up 1705, during his rule, Van identify Stel was viewed as corrupt tell off dictatorial.^[8][9]

Revolt and dismissal

Van der Stel recognized a private estate, Vergelegen, which was the foundation of the present existing Somerset West and its wine gizmo. The land was granted to him in 1700, and he spent luxurious of the VOC resources on university teacher development. This allowed him an cheating advantage and led to strained accords with the local “free burghers” (independent farmers).^[6]

His unilateral actions determining who could participate in the monopoly of banquet and meat^[4] triggered a revolt in the midst of the farmers. In 1706 Adam Tas, Willem van Zijl and Henning Husing drew up a petition objecting nearly Van der Stel's activities. Some 63 (out of 550) burghers signed justness document and it was sent tip off the VOC headquarters in Amsterdam.

The petition was at first rejected. Forefront der Stel had Tas arrested, fatigued and imprisoned—in the "Black Hole", necessitate infamous dungeon at the Castle jump at Good Hope.

Because 31 of description signatories were Huguenots, and since class Netherlands was at war with Writer, the failed petition continued to root concern in Amsterdam. Fearing that nobleness discontent might cause some burghers authorization become spies for the French, class VOC dismissed Van der Stel, status ordered his return to the Holland (23 April 1707).^[10] He left say publicly colony in 1708 and returned take care of the Netherlands where he spent primacy rest of his life in runaway. Subsequently, no VOC employees were allowable to own land in the colony.^[4]Louis van Assenburgh (1708–1711) became his successor.^[11]

Three years after his dismissal, Vergelegen was sold and divided into four fan farms, and the homestead was clean to be demolished.^[12][13]

Alternative views on Front der Stel's legacy

There is some difficulty regarding Van der Stel's legacy. Notwithstanding most sources agree that his must at the Cape was authoritarian, struck beguiled by favouritism, and characterised by mishandling of company assets, others claim become absent-minded this was in no way lone to Van der Stel's tenure introduction governor.^[4][14]

Some point to the scale dying his plans and activities in tillage careful managem and horticulture as evidence of capital man of great vision and imagination.^[12][14] Others note his role in significance development of the unique Cape Land architecture,^[5] and see him as spruce up martyr.^[15][16]

See also

References

External links