Die Barlows van Die Kas

My Oupa het in Die Kas gewoon en altyd daarna verwys as sy deeltjie van die Kolonie. 

Later sou hy 'n nuwe lewe in Bechuanaland begin.

James Charles Barlow was die tweede seun van James en Magdalena en ons het hom oupa Jimmy genoem. 

Wanneer jy op die stoep gesit het en hy het jou nader gehak met sy skaaphakkierie en jy die blare van die laventelboom tussen jou vingers vryf kon jy die heimwee van Die Kas in sy oë sien.  

Hierdie is sommer net 'n poging om vir julle meer te vertel van die Barlows soos wat dit deur die jare met ons gedeel is.  Dankie aan Eddie Barlow wat die datums en spesifieke name vir my laat kry het.  

Ek gaan begin by James Barlow wat in 1842 in Engeland gebore is en met Magdalena Schoultz getroud was. Die inskrywing in die argief van hul huwelik lees soos volg: 

James Barlow – 32 Jaar oud, Jongman, Messelaar woonagtig te Matjesfontein is na 

gebooie op 24 September 1877 

en 

Magdalena Jacoba Schoultz – 19 Jaar oud, Jongedogter woonagtig te Matjesfontein

Met wie se toestemming: die vrou, met die van haar ouders.

Getuies: Geen

Hulle het in Die Kas gewoon.  James het op 7 September 1889 in Sandvlakte gesterf.  

Groot-oupa het die oorspronklike kerk op Willowmore gebou 

Die oorspronklike kerk is in 1878 gebou en was in gebruik tot in die sestigs.
 Hy was een van die bouers van die kerk.
Volgens oorlewering was James baie lig van vel en hy het soms van die grond aan sy vel gesmeer om die sonskade te verminder

James en Magdalena se kinders is of in Willowmore of in Cambria Baviaanskloof gebore. 

Hulle was  

John Bates (Jannie) Barlow 1878 

James Charles (Jimmy) Barlow 1880 

Johan Frederik (Tennie) Barlow 1881 

Charles (Charlie) Barlow 1883 

Maria Aletta (Miems) (Tant Meraai) 1886

Salomon Johannes Barlow 1888 

Magdalena Jacoba Barlow 1889

Volgens oorlewering id dit Jannie, Jimmy, Tenny, Charlie en Meraai. 

Ons weet darem watter ene is Tant Meraai 

Vandag wil ek 'n staatjie van Tenny met julle deel 

Die storie is deur Andrew Barlow geskryf en ek deel dit graag 

(Andrew is my Oupa Jimmy se broer, John Bates se kleinkind)

A Cape Rebel

Old men make wars in which young men fight and die.

Brave men die once, cowards die a thousand deaths.It is a young man's world.

To understand this story you have to know a little bit about the surrounding circumstances.

Most, certainly not all, but most of the Afrikaners who had had enough of the British government had left the Cape Colony and had settled in the Orange Free State and the Transvaal where they created their own republics.

However, Onze Jan Hofmeyer had united by far most of the Afrikaners in the Cape Colony and they had become the deciding political factor in the Cape Colony. They and Cecil John Rhodes and his party had formed an amicable alliance which promised well for the future of the Colony.

Then in 1895 Jameson, the right hand man of Rhodes invaded the Transvaal.

This caused a furor both In South Africa and internationally. 

The Cape Colony Afrikaners were immediately estranged from the British and naturally from Rhodes and the English speaking Cape Colonists.

When war broke out in 1899 it was feared that many thousands of men in the Cape would rise and take up arms against Britain.Martial Law was declared in most districts of the Colony. Harsh measures were introduced. Food was rationed and farmers in most areas had to collect their food from the nearest town and were not allowed to produce their own food.

So food was scarce.

Horses and weapons were confiscated.

It was very difficult for would be rebels to reach a Boer Commando.

My Great Uncle J.T. Barlow, George F. Rautenbach and W.J. Vosloo setr out on foot one night to join a commando somewhere near Graaff Reinet, a few hundred miles away.

They came across a large piece of dry cow hide and Uncle Tênie picked it up. His companions told him to throw it away. He said it might come in handy.

Then during the second night, early, it was just becoming really dark they heard several horses trotting. It could only have been a British Patrol. The area was bush veld and they hid. The patrol rode to a deserted sheep kraal, hob tied their horses and bedded down in the kraal..

The three rebels waited and uncle Tênie cut the hide in three pieces. He told his companions what the plan was that he had thought out and they waited, When they were satisfied the soldiers were asleep uncle Tênie went to the kraal wall and held his stick over the wall. His companions started to hammer on their pieces of hide - it sounded like galloping horses. 

He shouted: "hands up" and jumped over the wall, ran to the stacked rifles, grabbed one and pointed it at the surprised soldiers. His companions joined him, each grabbed a rifle and the soldiers surrendered.

They made them take off their boots, each took two rifles and all the ammunition which the soldiers had and all their horses and all their food.

They joined a commando near Graaff Reinet.

I am not sure which commando they joined but the name of Kritzinger resonates in my memory. 

My father and grandfather told me this story with glee. As I said I was very young then and regret more than I can say that I did not ever question them more.

What was this uncle like, what did he say about his experiences as rebel, how did all this affect him, what happened to him, for how long was he deprived of all civil rights, did he go to prison for having rebelled, what happened to him.

And all that is left is a dim memory in the mind of a nephew who remembers him with a great deal of admiration and affection - a nephew who never even ever saw him.

Will you join me in a toast to him?

Men who do things like this are men even though hey might be fifteen year old lads at the time, they do not die a thousand deaths of regret and shame, they die like the heroes that they are.

If you realize that all things change,
there is nothing you will try to hold on to
Thank you to Estelle van Niekerk for this beautiful painting
(Estelle is Jimmy's great-granddaughter) 

Groetnis tot 'n volgende keer 
Sandra Cronje