Abraham Carel Greyling and Isabella Susanna van Staden

Many years ago I received a gedcom file from Christo Heymans with extensive notes for many of the individuals in the file. This is one of those notes.

Abraham Carel Greyling married Isabella van Staden on 21 November 1853.

Abraham Carel Greyling and Isabella Susanna van staden were married by Ds. P Roux in marriage confirmed. The witnesses were A P van Wyk and C F du Toit.

Abraham Carel Greyling was probably born on his parents’ farm, Roodedam, district of Rouxville, along the Caledon River. Abraham Carel Greyling was a 20-year-old livestock farmer from the farm Roodedam, district Smithfield, when he was married to Isabella Susanna van Staden.

The farm Bankkraal which belonged to Abraham Carel Greyling’s father, Paul Jacobus Greyling, from which Treurfontein (large 480 acres and 480 sq. rod) was cut off, lies on the farm Goedehoop which belonged to Abraham Carel Greyling until 1897. Abra ham Carel Greyling and his family lived on the farm Goedehoop on the Caledon River, district Rouxville, until about 1896/1897. The farm Goedehoop borders the farm Bankkraal, which belonged to his father Paul Jacobus Greyling. All the children of Abraham Carel Greyling were born in the area. The farms are close to the border with Basutoland and it is likely that Abraham Carel Greyling was involved in incidents and skirmishes with the Basuto from a very young age.

The old house of Goedehoop, district Rouxville, still stands, as well as several horse stables. Everything is surrounded by a neat stone wall which may have been an improvement on the original wall. The surrounded area is so large that riding horses could be taken here by their passions. An imposing residence was erected in 1906 within the surrounding grounds and was for years the residence of the Fouche family. Currently, this house is also empty.

The Greylings were great horse experts and horse lovers. However, their love of show horses has on occasion led to tragedy. On April 11, 1894, two of the boys, Abraham Carel Greyling, then 14 years old, and his younger brother, Jacobus Frederik Gre yling, then 10 years and 7 months old, had to cold-lead two stallions and let them drink water. The stallions heard the neighing of other horses and started running. A halter strap formed a knot around Jacobus’ hand from which he could not free him self. He was dragged over the rough terrain and crushed to death under the horses’ legs. Few family members today still know about the incident and about the location of the grave. Fortunately, in 1991, Mr. Stefaans Fouche from the neighboring farm , Constantia, was able to point out the graph where it was hidden under a karee tree about 300 meters from the farmstead.

The gave inscription reads: “Aandenken voor het nageslagt van A.C. Greyling. My zoon Jacobus Frederik Greyling is geboren in het jaar 1883 den 1 September en overleden in het jaar 1894 den 11 April. Met deze woorde GOD roept my. Nu volgt Gezang 186 : Spoedig zal het uurtje kom in dat uit deez jamren haalt. Zy vassohe ligchaam rust in vrede”.

It seems as if the hymn version has been memorized. It is not clear what is meant by “vassohe”. The old Psalm 186 is a hymn with beautiful words of resignation. It consists of 5 verses. The first reads:

“Spoedig zal het uurtje komen,
Dat mij uit deez’ jamren haalt;
Bij GODS zacht ontslapen vromen
Is de rust mij reeds bepaald:
Waarom dan zoo lang geklaagd,
Daar mijn heil in ’t sterven daagt?”.

Early in the year 1897 he purchased the farm Groenfontein, 4,068 acres and 475 sq. rod large, adjoining the town of Smithfield, purchased from Burt Hugo for the sum of Pounds 5,055. Abraham Carel Greyling must have been a capable man at that time. It is suspected that he still had cattle on Goedehoop while he was already living on Groenfontein. According to the estate of Abraham Carel Greyling, he later also owned the adjacent farm, Klipplaatsfontein Nr. 31, which was 174 mors old, bought. It was part of the farm that was later known as Vierhoek. Groenfontein was one of the first surveyed farms of the Smithfield district.

According to an official state certificate or land deed, dated 15 Jul 1850, citizen Smit was the owner (probably then also the first owner) of the farm Groenfontein in the Wilgebosspruit district. The “gutter rent” was two pounds a year. According to a list of the Land Commission of 9 April 1849 citizen Smit was also the owner of the farm Groenspruit (Prinsloo, p111).

Groenspruit later formed part of the large farm Groenfontein. The certificate reads as follows: “This entire farm was sold on 8 April 1862 and transported and registered in Bloemfontein on 12 April 1862 in favor of Burghert Johannes Stephanus Hugo. Purchase price Pounds 1,250”.

The following paragraph reads: “Voor deze plaatz word ene grondbrief (met kaart door Landmeter F.H. Hopley) in de volgende termen uitgereikt: Gelegen in de wyk “Wilgeboomspruit”, district Caledonrivier. Groot (volgens kaart) 4.064 morgen. Jaarlyksc he recognitie Pond 2. Verleent aan Burghert Johannes Stephanus Hugo, op regt van aankoop, als boven vermeld. Grondbrief gedateerd 22 Mei 1862. Grondbrief getekend J.W. Spruyt, W. President, O.V.S. Gerigistreerd te Bloemfontein op 24 Jun 1862 en aan (onduidelik) op 3 Jul 1862 uitgereikt”.

Burghert Johannes Stephanus (Burt) Hugo lived and farmed at Groenfontein for many years. It was a nice farm with good pasture that was particularly suitable for sheep farming and cattle on a limited scale. The main homestead lies only 4.5 km east o f the town of Smithfield, adjacent to the town land. There was a sturdy dwelling house with 18 dm exterior walls (45 mm). The high ceiling is supported by strong yellowwood beams, with an attic spanning the entire length and width of the house. Clo se to the house was the large carriage house and spacious horse stable. The house and outbuildings were so solidly built that it is still inhabited today by the current owner, Hendrik Swanepoel, his son Willie and their family. North of the house, in the Groenspruit, a giant earthen embankment forms one of the largest earthen dams in the district. In good rainy times, several moraines are pushed under water. For a large livestock farmer, it is an ideal watering place for animals, while wheat and green fodder can be placed under irrigation on the fertile banks of the creek at the bottom of the dam embankment.

True to the way of life of the time, the large farm of more than 4,000 acres in the last century and until late in the 20th century housed several less well-off farmers in “guest house” houses. Today Groenfontein forms three separate farms. The Groenspruit section, like Groenfontein, is permanently inhabited in the original house.

Abraham Carel Greyling started farming on the farm Groenfontein in 1897. Abraham Carel was in the prime of his life, a strong, imposing figure. According to his children, he was immensely strong and extremely strict, with a fearlessness that border ed on indifference.

Together with Abraham Carel Greyling (now 50 years old), also his sons, Paul Jacobus (22 years), Abraham Carel (Klein Abraham - 20 years), Hendrik Petrus (18 years), and his son-in-law, Gert Robbertze Botma from Limburg , accompanying the Smithfield commando. Two other sons-in-law, Abraham Carel Heymans and Hendrik du Plessis, were also somewhere with a commando. According to the War Museum in Bloemfontein, Abraham Carel Greyling was taken prisoner of war on 15 March 1901 on his farm Groenfontein.

On 2 May 1912, the three farms were divided as equal parts of the farms Groenfontein Nr. 201 and Klipplaatfontein with the title deed registered in the names of the three boys.