Catharina van Paliacatta, SM/PROG (c.1631 - c.1683) - Genealogy
(c.1631 - c.1683) MP
‹ Back to van Paliacatta surname
Is your surname van Paliacatta?
Research the van Paliacatta family
Catharina van Paliacatta, SM/PROG's Geni Profile
Records for Catharina van Paliacatta
South African Settlers - Indian
South African Stamouers/Progenitors - Slaves Nicknames:
"Groote Catrijn in Batavia", "van Bengale"
Pulicat, Coromandel Coast, Tamil Nadu, India
in Cape Town, Cape, South Africa
Slave, VOC company slave
Hans Christoph Snijder
Cornelius (Kees de Boer) Claesz
Nicolaes del Bort
Pieter (van Bruijsaert) Everaerts
Anthonij Jansz van Bengale, SV/PROG
About Catharina van Paliacatta, SM/PROG
See detailed history here: First Fifty years
Alternative birthplace from merge - Pulicat, Tamil Nadu, India
She was taken to Batavia as a slave where she was raped by a friend called Claes van Malabar. During the assault she hit him with a piece of leather and he died of his injuries 4 days later. She was found guilty of murder and received the death penalty.
For unknown reasons, her death penalty was commuted to being exiled to the Cape in South Africa.
On 21 feb 1657 she arrived in the Cape on the ship Prince Willem.
She was the first documented prisoner to arrive in the Cape as a slave.
On 29th April 1668 she was baptised in the Cape Church with her friend Mooi Ansela.
From - http://www.facebook.com/board.php?uid=4658693363 - -
Groote Catrijn FROM BENGALS
Born: Cir 1631, Paliacatta, Dravida, India
Christened: 29 Apr 1668, Cape Town
Unmarried (1): Pieter EVERAERTS (Stamvader) Unmarried (2): Unknown UNKNOWN Unmarried (3): Hans Christoph SNIJDER (Stamvader) Marriage (4): Anthonij Jansz FROM BENGALS on 20 Dec 1671 in Cape Town Died: Between Dec 1682 and Feb 1683, Cape Town about age 51
General Notes: Groote Catrijn was charged with the murder of Claes from Malabar on 8 Oct 1656 in Batavia (Jakarta, island of Java, Indonesia). She hit Claes with an angular hay ladder and hit him until his bladder burst. He died during the night of 11/12 Oct 1656.
On 16 Nov 1656 Groote Catrijn was sentenced to be tied to a stake and strangled until she died.
On 18 Nov 1656 the Governor-General, Joan Maetsuyeker, reviewed the case and found that Groote Catrijn had been sexually abused by Claes and she was pardoned. She was however banned from Batavia and sentenced to work as a company slave in the Cape of Good Hope for the rest of her natural life.
Noted events in her life were:
• Residence, 1656, Batavia. • Emigration: as slave on the ship "Prins Willem", 21 Feb 1657, Paliacatta, Dravida, India. Groote had a relationship with Pieter EVERAERTS (Stamvader). (Pieter EVERAERTS (Stamvader) died in Mar 1664 and was buried on 17 Mar 1664 in Cape Town.)
Groote also had a relationship with Unknown UNKNOWN. Groote also had a relationship with Hans Christoph SNIJDER (Stamvader). (Hans Christoph SNIJDER (Stamvader) died circa 1668 in Robben Island, Cape Town.)
Groote next married Anthonij Jansz FROM BENGALS on 20 Dec 1671 in Cape Town. (Anthonij Jansz FROM BENGALS was born circa 1650 in Bengals, India, christened on 12 Sep 1670 in Cape Town and died in Dec 1682 in Cape Town.)
Catharina van Bengale / Groot Catrijn ..... Snyman connection.
(article taken from the internet)
Groot Catrijn, was also known as Catharina van Bengale. She was a slave woman from Paliacatte, on the Coromandel Coast, India. She was born about 1631 and died about 1683. She was a slave in Batavia to the free woman Maria Magdalena (we don't know whether she had a surname).
Catrijn was sexually assaulted on 8 October 1656 by her lover, the slave Claes van Malabar, in a stable at Fort Rijswijck. In the altercation, she hit Claes with a ladder across his stomach. Claes died four days later due to a burst bladder from the blow he received. Catharine then faced charges of murder and received the death sentence. She was however pardoned, being banished as a slave to the Cape. She arrived at the Cape on 21 February 1657 on the ship Prins Willem. This ship was part of the return fleet which left Batavia on 4 December 1656. Catrijn was the first recorded female slave convict at the Cape. Groote Cathrijn then gets baptised as an adult with her fellow slave friend Mooij Ansela on 29 April 1668.
The soldier Hans Christoffel Snijman had a relationship with Groot Catrijn who was a slave woman. From this relationship was born Christoffel Snijman. Christoffel Snyman was baptised on 9 March 1669.
Groot Catrijn later got married the free black (mardijker) Anthonij (Jansz) (de Later) van BENGALE on 20th December 1671. In a letter dated 6 January 1672 it is mentioned that Groot Catrijn was freely pardoned. A tragedy must have taken place since the whole family died between December 1682 and February 1683, the only one who did not die was Christoffel Snijman. Many people wrongly consider the father of Snijman to be this free black, but he was the stepfather. Christoffel is the stamvader of the Snyman family.
-------------------- 'n slavin van Paliacatta (vernaamste VOC vesting in Bengale - tans bekend as Pulicat, geleë op die walle van die meer van Pulicat op die Coromandel-kus op die Indiese subkonitent). Ook bekend as Catharina van Bengale en Catharina van Paliacatte. In 1656 is sy die slavin van Maria Magdalena (van onbekend) in Batavië (teenwoordige Jakarta in Indonesië). Op 8 Oktober 1656 was sy seksueel aangerand in 'n perdestal by die Fort Rijswijk deur haar minnaar, die slaaf Claes van Malabar. Sy verdedig haarself en slaan hom met 'n leer oor die bekken, as gevolg waarvan sy blaas bars en hy vier dae later sterf. Sy word tot die dood veroordeel om aan 'n paal vasgemaak en verwurg te word, maar Goewerneur-Generaal Joan Maetsuycker begenadig haar en verban haar lewenslank as bandiet' na die Kaap van Goeie Hoop. Sy arriveer aan die Kaap op 21 Februarie 1657 aan boord van die Prins Willem en werk as wasvrou in die Fort, die eerste slavin aan die Kaap. Sy het twee voorkinders, een by die vaandeldaer en garnisoenhoof Pieter Everaerts van Cruijsaert en een by die soldaat Hans Christoffel Snijder (of Schneider) alias Snijman, van Heidelberg in die Palatinate. Op inststruksies van die Raad van Indië was Groote Catrijn vrygestel en toegelaat om in die huwelik te tree met die vryswarte (mardijker) Antjonij (Jansz) (de Later) van Bengale op 20 Desember 1671. Groote Catrijn, haar eggenoot, haar dogter en kleindogter - met die uitsondering van Christoffel Snijman Jnr - het almal gesterf in 'n gesinstragedie tussen Desember 1682 en Februarie 1683. Anthonij Jansz van Bengale se aansienlike boedel het vir die seun se opvoeding gesorg, asmede 'n aansienlike erflating.
After being freed married: Antonie van Bengale'; vryswarte; ofskoon hy sy naam teken as Anthonij van Japan' word ook na hom verwys as Anthonij de Chinees'; eerste vryswarte aan die Kaap van Goeie Hoop wat grond gekoop en 'n boer geword het. Hy koop 100 skape, 'n stuk tuingrond' in Tafelvallei, en 'n erf in Zeestraat van die vryburger Cornelisz Roosendael van Amsterdam. Vanweë wanbetaling moet hy en sy gesin in Mei 1673 plak op 'n stuk oop grond in Bergdwarsstraat. Dié grond word op 12 Februarie 1675 aan hom toegeken. Oorlede, saam met sy vrou, in 1682; in sy boedel van 17 Des 1682 laat hy 'n boedel ter waarde van f2608 aan sy aangenome seun Christoffel Snijman na
Catharina VAN BENGALE also known as Groote Catrijn was a slave from Bengale born about 1631 and she died about 1683. She was a slave woman from Paliacatte, on the Coromandel Coast, India. She was a slave in Batavia to the free woman Maria Magdalena (we don't know whether she had a surname)
She was sexually assaulted on 8 October 1656 by her lover, the slave Claes van Malabar, in a stable at the Fort Rijswijck. In the altercation, she hit Claes with a ladder across his stomach. Claes died four days later since his bladder had burst. Catharine then faced charges of murder and received the death sentence. She was however pardoned, being banished as a slave to the Cape. She arrived at the Cape on 21 February 1657 on the ship Prins Willem. This ship was part of the return fleet which left Batavia on 4 December 1656. She was the first recorded female slave convict at the Cape.
She had 2 voorkinders, one by the ensign and chief of the garrison, Pieter Everaerts from Bruijsaert and one by the soldier Hans Christoffel Snijder (this is the Dutch version of Schneider) also known as Snijman, from Heidelberg in the Palatinate.
Groote Catrijn had a relationship with Pieter Everaerts, who was a high Company official (he served in both the Council of Policy and the Council of Justice), she had his child. Everaerts died 15 March 1664. On 6 September 1665 there are two seperate entries for Company slave Catharina baptising two children Petronella and Anthony (there is greater certainty that Petronella was Groote Catrijn's child)
VOORKIND with Pieter EVERAERTS Petronella. This daughter, Petronella, when she grew up she gave birth to a child also named Petronella (the father was a soldier Willem Jansen), both of them must have died in some tragedy with the other members of the family, maybe some disease.
TWO MORE CHILDREN BAPTISED BY GROOTE CATRIJN (Father unknown) Susan = 2 Oct 1667 Anthoni = 13 Nov 1667
Hans Christoffel Snijman (also recorded as Christoffel Snijman) was a soldier in the garrison convicted and banished to Robben Island on 30th July 1667 for not standing guard - instead he had been sleeping on a regular basis with Groote Catrijn - washerwoman at the Fort to successive commanders. Thereafter, Snijders disappears from the records at the Cape. On instructions from the Council of India, Groote Catrijn was again pardoned.
VOORKIND with Hans Christoffel SNIJMAN Christoffel Snyman baptised on 9 March 1669. (He became the stamvader of the Snyman family).
Groote Cathrijn then gets baptised herself as an adult with her fellow slave friend Mooij Ansela on 29 April 1668.
Catharina later married a free black (mardijker) Anthonij (Jansz) (de Later) van BENGALE on 20th December 1671. In a letter dated 6 January 1672 it is mentioned that Groot Catrijn was freely pardoned.
Groote Catrijn, her husband, her daughter and granddaughter - with the exception of Christoffel Snijman Jnr appear to have all died, in some family tragedy sometime between December 1682 and February 1683.
Antjonij Jansz van Bengale's sizeable estate provided for the boy's education and a substantial inheritance. Christoffel Snyman was the stepson of Anthonie van Bengale.
Sources: M Upham "In Hevigen Woede ... Groote Catrijn: Earliest Recorded Female Bandiet at the Cape of Good Hope - A Study in Upward Mobility" Capenis, Sept 1997. Part of a series. -------------------- Emigration: 21 Feb 1657 as slave on the ship "Prins Willem" view all 14
Catharina van Paliacatta, SM/PROG's Timeline
Birth of Louis van Bengale, SV/PROG
Catharina started working at Commander Jan van Riebe...
Birth of Catharina Wagenmakers, SM/PROG
Birth of Marritie Pieterz
Birth of Jannetje Bort
Birth of Anthony Everaerts
Birth of Petronella Everardsz
March 9, 1669
December 20, 1671
Marriage of Catharina van Paliacatta to Anthonij van...