Die woord Jonker beteken letterlik ‘jong heer’, of jong, ongetroude man. So hoekom het die vallei aan die oostekant van Stellenbosch hierdie naam? (Sowel as die straat wat daarheen lei).
Jonkershoek is een van die gewildste plekke vir dié wat die buitelug geniet. Die reservaat beslaan omtrent 11,000 hektaar, waarvan 204 aan Assegaaibosch behoort.
Voor die settlaars het Jonkershoek heelwat meer inheemse woud gehad, meeste waarvan gebruik is as brandstof, boumateriaal en vir die maak van waens (lees hier). In vandag se ekologiekringe is Jonkershoek steeds beroemd vir sy fynbos diversiteit; die vallei huisves ‘n plantlewe van meer as 1100 spesies. (Gaan kyk na enige van ons blogs oor fynbos om hierdie interessante erfenis te verken:)
Die oorsprong van die naam
Die eerste jong man wat grond in Jonkershoek besit het was Jan Andriessen (of Johan Andries), ‘n Hollander gebore in 1660 in ‘n dorpie met die naam Arendsdorff, naby Den Haag.
Jan het op 19-jarige ouderdom by die Kompanjie aangesluit en is spoedig na kadet bevorder. Junior offisiere soos Jan Andriessen is blykbaar aangespreek as ‘jonkheer’, iets wat in Jan se geval ‘n bynaam geword het lank nadat hy weg is by die Kompanjie.
Nadat die skip waarop hy was by die Kaap van Goeie Hoop vasgehaak het (waarskynlik op reis na Batavia), het hy vir twee jaar (ouderdom 20 en 21) by die kasteel se garnisoen gewerk en daarna aansoek gedoen tot vrystelling. Op 22 is hy as vryburger verklaar.
Op 24 begin Jan bou aan die eerste huis in die Jonkershoekvallei (‘n stuk grond wat hy op aansoek saammet sy vryburgerskap gekry het), en trou met die dame Lysbeth Jansen van die Kaap, wat vroeër gewerk het in die huishouding van Van der Stel.
Toe Jan Andries ‘de Jonker’ 28 jaar oud was, het hy amper 7 hektaar goed bewerkte grond gehad, en was in ‘n posisie om geld te leen aan sy bure (wie se plase minder suksesvol was). 4 Jaar later is deeltitels beskikbaar gestel in die vallei (amper 25 hektaar), en het die vallei heelwat meer inwoners gekry. Jan werk vir die volgende 5 jaar saam met sy nuwe bure om die vallei en paaie tussen die Jonkershoekvallei en Koelenhof (toe Kromme Rhee) in stand te hou.
Vir die volledige tydlyn van Jonkershoek, click hier.
Om te sien watter wilde diere eens in Jonkershoek geleef het (en nogsteeds leef), click hier.
The word ‘Jonker’ literally translates as ‘young man’ or bachelor. So why is this valley called Jonkershoek? (as well as the street leading to it)?
Jonkershoek nature reserve is one of the most popular places in the Western Cape for those who love the outdoors. The reserve covers almost 11,000 hectares, of which 204 belongs to Assegaaibosch. Before permanent settlement the valley contained much indigenous forest, a lot of which was used as firewood, building material and to make wagons of (read more here). In ecological circles today Jonkershoek is still valued for its fynbos diversity and rich plant life, housing more than 1100 species. Read any of our fynbos blogs to explore this rich heritage:
The first young man to own land in Jonkershoek was Jan Andriessen (or Johan Andries), a Dutchman born in 1660 in a small town with the name Arendsdorff, close to the Hague.
At 19 years of age he joined the Company, soon promoted to Cadet. Junior officers like Jan Andriessen was addressed as ‘jonkheer’, (young man or batchelor) a nickname that stayed with him long after leaving the Company.
When the ship he was on got delayed at the Cape of Good Hope (probably on its way to Batavia), Jan found himself working at the Castle’s garrison for two years (age 20 and 21), after which he applied for a discharge. At 22 he was declared a free burgher.
At the age of 24, Jan started building the first homestead in the Jonkershoek valley (a piece of land granted by application) and got married to the young lady Lysbeth Jansen van die Kaap, working for some time in the household of Van der Stel.
When Jan Andries ‘de Jonker’ was 28 years old, he had almost 7 hectares of well cultivated land, and was in a position to lend money to his less fortunate neighbours. Four years later shareholdings were made available in the valley (almost 25 hectares), and for the next 5 years Jan teamed up with others in the valley to sustain the roads between Jonkershoek and Koelenhof (then Kromme Rhee).
Jan de Jonker died at the young age 37 of and was the father of 3 children.
For the complete timeline of Jonkershoek, click here.
To find out which wild animals once lived in Jonkershoek (and still do), click here.
Research done by Penny Pistorius and Stewart Harris, available at www.stellenboschheritage.co.za