Name Armosyn CLAAS
Description: Hierdie slavin was in 1686 vrygestel (Attestasie 1664 in C 326 pp 478-9, p 6 en 27).
Armosyn was described as being "from the Cape" and was a slave of the VOC. Until 1699 she spent her years in the Slave Lodge, which functioned as the brothel of Cape Town. Four of her children were born in the Lodge. She later became the matron of the slave children at the Lodge. Some of the duties as matron included being the schoolmistress and she lived in a separate room next to the Lodge's schoolgirls.
Armosyn was granted a title of a property in June 1708. This property was opposite the Company gardens. She later transfered (T 1349/ 30 Sep) this property to her son-in-law, Hermanus Combrinck - he was married to her daughter Magdalena Ley.
Simon van der Stel gave her to stamvader Willem Schalk van der Merwe, and she was set free in 1686 (Attestasie 1664 in C 326 pp 478-9, p 6 en 27). In 1664 she had an illegitimate daughter, Maria, with Van der Merwe. It has been told how lovingly he supported her during the birth in the kitchen of the Schuur. He prepared food and fetched firewood and even asked for some brandy from the caretaker, Pieter Kruijthoff, to give to her.
Her Inventory is taken in 1733. (MOOC 8/5 no 76 26 Nov 1733). Everything was left to her daughter Magdalena, apart from the slave Sabina van Mallebaar, who was given to her granddaughter Margaretha Geertruy Frisnet.
Her name possibly comes from the term used for silk, "armozijnen".
(Research):Willem het 'n dogter gehad met 'n slavin wat Simon van der Stel aan hom geskenk het, die kind se naam was Maria. Hierdie slavin was in 1686 vrygestel (Attestasie 1664 in C 326 pp 478-9, p 6 en 27). Maria het die stammoeder geword van die Heyns familie, sy trou in 1696 met Paulus Heyns.
Karel Schoeman in Armosyn van die Kaap bladsy 535 haal die volgende aan uit 'n hofsaak:
"'n sekere slavin by wie hy teenswoordig 'n kind verkryhet, en wat hy, Schalcq, met haar bevalling in hierdie kombuisie (by die Skuur) ondergebring het; hy het haar ook ten alle tye versorg deur kos te berei en water en brandhout te haal, ja, wat meer is toe sy moes beval, het Schalq my Kruijthoff, opgeklop en gevra dat ek hom tog sy brandewyn (rantsoen) sou gee, waarop ek hom twee mutsjes verstrek het, wat hy vir hierdie slavin gebring het, en (hulle?) het dit as hartversterking genuttig."
Person ID I2087 LCJoubert
Family Willem Schalk VAN DER MERWE, b. Oud Beyerland, near Rotterdam, Netherlands , d. 12 Jul 1716