WEEBER, Marthinus Johannes

   Other names for Marthinus were WEEBER, Johannes Marthinus, WEEBER, Martinus Johannes and WEEBER, Matthys (Thys).²

  Events

• Family. ¹ His Death Notice Ref.MOOC 6/9/32 7267, says his mother was Elizabeth Christina Hendrikse (surname?) but his wife's name or his father's name could not be deciphered. This contradicts Pama who gives his mother as Lea van de Kaap, as also does this source. C.C.de Villiers in Register der oude Kaapsche Familien No. 1052 he is mentioned as of unknown parents.

• Name Change. On his Death Notice MOOC 6/9/32 7267 his given names were reversed from that given in the previous source PAMA II, i.e.to Marthinus Johannes WEEBER, and he died on 25 Apr 1844 at age 60. Accordingly this would mean that he could be identified as the M.J.WEEBER we are seeking. Until proved otherwise, we are using the latter as the preferred name.
Again on the DN for his son Oltman Carel WEEBER, MOOC KAB 6/9/145 Ref 9977, his name is also given as Marthinus Johannes WEEBER, whence adding further confirmation of this version being correct.
The DN is not clear on the names of the parents of M.J.Weeber nor of his spouse, whereas the Legacy entry is definite about them. But he is stated to have been a gaoler and this identifies the person referred to in the source Hooy-Vlakte

• Historical, 1786. ¹ This source says that Johannes Marthinus and his mother Lea v.d. Kaap were freed from slavery in 1786 and both baptised on 29 Jun 1787

• Occupation. ³ He was a Gaoler. In this source, (Hooy-Vlakte) on page 47, it states that M.J. WEEBER was the first Gaoler(sipier) at the Old Prison located west of the magistrate's residence between 34 and 36 Bird Street, Beaufort West.On page 48, there is a photo of M.J.WEEBER, with the note (in Afrikaans) that he was a Jailor (sipier) and also a Deacon and Elder in Duminee Colin Fraser's Church Council. (Kerkraad). Finally on page 49, it states that on the 23 May 1844 Magistrate Meintjes, following the death (heengaan) of M.J.Weeber, reported to the Colonial Office that his (M.J.WEEBER's) son J.A.WEEBER be appointed in his place. Whilst, apparently, this did not happen, it is significant that M.J.WEEBER who died on the 25 April 1844, did have a son Jan Abraham WEEBER who was then 21years old. Also lower down on this page was a statement that (in Afrikaans) " At this stage, there were only 3 constables in charge of 14 prisoners, namely, a sixty year old white (man), an under-aged son, and an old man of colour with a defect in both legs" This also adds support to my contention that we have correctly established the identity of this M.J.WEEBER.
R.B.Anderson

• Emmigration. (Repeat Information) M. J. WEEBER's father was the son of a German Baron Von Weber. He refused to have (follow) a military career and ran away to South Africa with a French wife (Brevere?) who later was "blinded" (became blind?) and reared 13 children (12 only recorded here) In South Africa the name was changed to Weeber (i.e. from Weber)

• Alt Name. Robert Blyth gives his name as Matthys which is a shortened version of Marthinus

Marthinus married Anna Johanna Wilhelmina BREWERS.