| Notes |
- * Pieter refers to Pierre Jaubert.
It has always been accepted that Pieter Joubert and his son Jan were in 1714 granted two of the prime areas in the valley, namely Plaisante on the Breede River and Montpellier on the Klein Berg River. However recent research has proved that while the father did indeed receive Plaisante, Jan Joubert never owned Montpellier. Variations in the form and spelling of surnames in the early days at the Cape have caused more than one problem.
The many renderings of Joubert and Imbert which appeared as Juber, Jubert, Jugbert and Inber, Niber, Nibeer, Nibier, Nieber, Juber and Jubeer respectively have added very considerably to research difficulties in general, and in particular with regard to the original owner of Montpellier.
The grant of Montpellier discloses that the property had already been on loan for some years and that 60 morgen of land had now been granted in freehold to "Jean Jugbert".
27 Not without reason this was construed as "Jean Joubert". However this assumption has now been dispelled as a result of more extensive research. The transfer deed that was responsible for this revelation was registered in 1733 and was the first transfer after the grant.
28 By this Susanna Garde, widow of Josua Joubert was registered as the owner of
"a farm and estate lying in the district of Drakenstein in the Land of Waveren named Montpellier".
The transferor was her mother-in-law "Elisabeth Richard widow of the late Pieter Joubert" and by this document Elisabeth made to her daughter-inlaw a donatio inter vivas or free gift of this property. Elisabeth had acquired her title under the will of her husband. This transfer deed makes it quite clear that Pieter in turn had acquired his title under the will of Jean Imbert who had held it from the
"freehold grant and attached diagram of 30.8.1714,"
in other words the grant and diagram of Montpellier to "Jean Jugbert"
of that date.
29 There had been no intermediate registration in favour of either Pieter Joubert or his widow Elisabeth Richard, a situation that 47 occurred quite frequently during the 18th century.
30 Despite the obvious name confusion in the grant the authorities of the day were perfectly satisfied that the"Jean Jugbert" mentioned in the document was indeed Jean Imbert.
The extremely enlightening Joubert Papers in the Cape Archives,
31 covering the period 1693-1739, contain several hundreds of documents, which tell us much about the life-style of the Jouberts and those with whom they had dealings. These documents confirm the truth of the above and in addition provide very valuable information on the early days of both Montpellier and Le Rhone.
The most important item in this Joubert collection is a document dated 25.6.1716 terminating the partnership made "some years ago" between Jacques Theron and Jean Imbert. No trace has been found of the original contract which was subsequent to that between Imbert and Terblanche.
Imbert and Theron had arrived at the Cape together as soldiers in 1688 and both settled down to farm in the Paarl area, Theron on a hired farm
32 and Imbert on Languedoc on the Palmiet River which was granted in 1694
33 and which was named after the region of his birth. This property was sold to Esias Costeux in 1702
34 and shortly afterwards he proceeded to the "Land van Waveren". In 1711 Theron purchased Languedoc from the Costeux estate
35 and it remained in the family till the death of Theron's widow in 1764.
Imbert's early involvement with Terblanche in the valley has already been discussed. At some date in 1713 Theron too had left for Waveren, retiring from the office of heemraad for Drakenstein. In 1714, described as retired from this office, he was appointed as supervisor of the roads in that area. This post had formerly been held by Imbert.
36 The departure of Terblanche in 1713 had precipitated Imbert into seeking a new partner, probably on account of his failing eyesight and the choice fell on Theron.
That the two men intended to make permanent homes in the area is borne out by the adjoining grants made to them in August 1714 on the Kleine Berg River, which they named Le Rhone and Montpellier.
37 This was followed in December of the same year by loan farms registered in the name of both men.
38 Boucher considers that both Theron and Imbert came from Nimes in the Languedoc, watered by the Rhone and with Montpellier about 30 miles distant. Hence probably the names of their farms. These transactions were obviously legalising de facto situations of some years standing, particularly in the case of Imbert.
When the earlier Terblanche partnership is considered, that with Theron, probably dated from 1713. Its termination in June 1716 reveals an extraordinary state of affairs, namely that at that date no dwelling yet stood on Montpellier, the farm granted to Imbert two years previously. No vines had been planted, nor was there a kraal for the livestock.
39 48 From this it seems that the land which was first settled by Imbert was that which became Le Rhone. No reason for the termination of the partnership has come to light, but by its conditions Imbert was obliged to move to Montpellier which was quite undeveloped. Compensation for his years of work which had established the Le Rhone vineyards and farm complex was the least that he could expect, and Theron was to supply this.
The conditions laid down that Jacques had to duplicate the Le Rhone situation on Montpellier. A dwelling of identical size, height and type, 40 feet by 12 feet, with similar doors to that on Le Rhone was to be built on Imbert's farm. An equal-sized kraal was to be constructed and Theron was to plant "half as many vines as now stood on the partnership property" on his ex-partner's farm.
40 The conditions which dealt with the common movables were more equitable and with the divided stock and equipment each man now settled on his own property.
In 1716 Imbert had to start work anew on Montpellier, a daunting task for a man with failing sight and no family. Presumably the conditions imposed on Theron were fulfilled: a new house and kraal were provided and vineyards were planted with a three to four year period intervening before a vintage could be expected. Two census returns during the period 1716-1723 in which year Imbert died, are available and in neither does his name appear, but the name Jan Joubert appears twice with different details.
41 It has now been established that an error resulted in Imbert' s name being transcribed as Jan Joubert.
42 Thus in 1719 no vines are listed on Montpellier, the only items being 40 cattle, 200 sheep and 3 weapons.
Despite this it is quite clear that some time in 1716 Imbert did have vines on his farm, probably those newly planted by Theron. This is confirmed by an item in French, presented to him by an unknown French labourer which reads as follows:
"Account of what I have done for Jan Imbert 1716 firstly 8 days pruning the vines, then 15 days digging in the vineyards, then 3 days picking up the pieces.
1717 8 days pruning and 9 days digging in the vineyard."
42a The fact that the vines were pruned in 1716 is disturbing for this process should not have been necessary for newly planted vines. However the work was obviously done and this must be accepted. The 1723 census repeats that of 1719, leaving Imbert with no vines. Once again demonstrating the unreliability of such records.
Various isolated references in the Joubert papers indicate that Imbert received considerable assistance from that family, notably from Pieter senior to whom as a gesture of friendship Imbert bequeathed his entire estate, including Montpellier.
43 It is more than likely that one of the Joubert sons, Jan or Josua, helped Imbert during the last years, but there is no confirmatory evidence. He died in 1723 and from then until 1733 no information on the occupancy or activities on the farm has been located.
By that date Pieter Joubert and his sons Pieter and Josua had died, and these events brought Montpellier back into the picture with the transfer of the property into the name of Josua's widow, Susanna Garde.
44 Allied to this vital transfer deed in the history of Montpellier is an extremely valuable document dated 30.3.1726
45 which laid down that Pieter "Jounbert" agreed to sell to his son, Josua:
"a certain farm in the "Land van Waveren" named Montpellier, 1 man slave, 8 oxen, 5 empty vats, 2 iron pots, a tea-kettle and 2 buckets for 3 000 guilders with payment in three instalments".
Josua signed "josias"; the father with barely recognisable initials.
This contract had no conditions attached and by its provisions Josua should by 1733 already have been the owner of Montpellier. However no transfer to him had taken place and at his death he was living on Welvanpas in Wagenmakersvallei.
46 The Montpellier property now fell into Pieter's estate and thence to his widow Elisabeth Richard, who by her donatio inter vivas to her daughter-in-law, Susanna Garde, carried out the spirit of her husband's wishes with regard to the disposition of the property. Despite the fact that this was stated to be a free gift, yet the estate of Elisabeth Richard demanded, and received, the sum of 2 500 guilders from Susanna for Montpellier.
47 For almost fifty years Susanna lived on Montpellier where she died in 1771.
48 Her home was reasonably furnished by the standards of the day with a typical well-appointed kitchen. The brandy still, leaguers of wine and many empty vats and four balies show that this was essentially a wine farm. A mill with two stones was also discovered.
49 The several mills mentioned in "Land van Waveren" indicate that the people of the area were not overzealous in complying with official prohibitions on private milling.
The labour force on Montpellier was a meagre two slaves and one woman.
No assessment of Susanna's activities over the years was possible, for she is completely ignored by the census returns after 1741, where she appears with no vines. It is possible and even probable that the property was hired out to, or managed by another farmer, in which case his name and not Susanna's would be recorded in the census returns. So once again there is a gap in the history of this farm where she died. What happened to the property in those thirty missing years will probably never be known. In the year after her death Montpellier, less two small deductions of previous years, was sold to Willem Heydlee50 who has not been identified. He retained the property for six years and then sold it to Jan Theron, Pieter's son, in 177851 in whose name it remained until 1814. [2]
|
Search | Advanced Search | Search Families | Search Site
Abt 1689 - 1733 (44 years)
, d. 30 Jun 1732, Drakenstein, Cape, South Africa