Hendrik de Vries and his family had lived in the Noordwyk flats area of Mauritius and, upon the abandonment of the Dutch East India Company's settlement there in 1708, he was one of the Mauritius freemen who elected to go to the Cape (rather than to Batavia). According to a letter of 24th August 1708, he requested permission to proceed with his family from Mauritius to the Cape in the 'Blenheim', an English ship. I have not yet established if this was indeed the ship that carried them to the Cape but the timing seems right since their four chidren were baptised in Cape Town on 4th November 1708 . See also the addtional notes by A.M. van Rensburg. Hendrik de Vries was born circa 1676 in Amsterdam and died, presumably in Cape Town, between 13 April and 22 May 1744. He had two wives and his children are listed partly from the baptismal registers and partly as given in his several wills drawn up jointly with his second wife, Johanna van Es, and from the latter's Deceased Estate Accounts of 1745.

Maijke Zaaijman was his first wife. They were presumably married on Mauritius. She was the daughter of Daniel Zaaijman, one of the free farmers on Mauritius. The date of her birth is not known. She died between 1711 and 1714 at the Cape.

The children of Hendrik de Vries and Maijke Zaaijman:

1. Abraham de Vries sailor with the Dutch East India Company (1718) born Mauritius and died between 1718 and 1731 He seems to have joined the service of the Dutch East India Company as a 'young sailor'. A voyage on the ship 'Sleewijk', belonging to the Rotterdam Chamber, is recorded as departing from Goeree 2nd January 1718, arriving at the Cape 4th September 1718 and in Batavia 29th December 1718.

2. Daniel de Vries born Mauritius baptized 4 November 1708, Cape Town he was still living in 1746 when he was mentioned in the will of his sister-in-law, Susanna Bosman he married between 1737 and 1738 Maria Coster, bthe widow of Godleb Christiaan Opperman and Coenraad Feijt. She was born at the Cape in 1703. There would seem not to have been any children of this marriage.

3. Jacob de Vries born Mauritius baptized 4 November 1708, Cape Town died before august 1738 when his widow remarried. he married Margaretha Plooij 12 September 1728 at Cape Town. They had one son, Hendrik who was still living in 1744.

4. Pieter de Vries born Mauritius baptized 4 November 1708, Cape Town He must have died before 1st December 1714 since he is not named in the Inventory drawn up on that date, after the death of his grandfather, Daniel Zaaijman.

5. Izaak de Vries born 1711 and baptized 12 April 1711, Cape Town one would assume that he was born at the Cape. died circa January 1746 married 3 August 1732 Drakenstein Susanna Bosman , the daughter of Abraham Bosman and Susanna de Villiers. She was born in 1712 at the Cape and died 9th July 1755. They lived in a house on Zee Street, Cape Town. They had four daughters and four sons.

Johanna van Es was the second wife of Hendrik de Vries she was born in Amsterdam around 1695 and died around 1745. circa 1695-circa 1745

The children of Hendrik de Vries and Johanna van Es:

1. Hendrik de Vries baptized 23 September 1714, Cape Town In the records known as Hendrik de Vries de jonge, he was taken into service by the Dutch East India Company as a sailor towards the end of 1737, sailing from the Cape on the ship 'Sellak' on 21st July 1740 and arriving in Batavia on the 11th September 1740. By 1741 (exact date yet unknown) he was dead, his father requesting the Council of Poliy to allow him to remit some money belonging to his late son Hendrik

2. Pieter Jurgen de Vries baptized 16 August 1716, Cape Town When he was 19 he was granted permission by the Council of Policy at the Cape to return to the Netherlands with the then present return fleet.

3. Johannes de Vries born Cape of Good Hope, he died 1762 or later he married Hester Mostert There appear not to have been any children.

4. Hermina de Vries baptized 21 January 1720, Cape Town She was baptised 'Ermtje' and was also referred to thus when she stood as witness to the baptism of her nephew Abraham de Vries. she married firstly 21 Apr 1735 at Cape Town Cornelis van Vollenhoven and secondly Helmoet Luttig 5. Barend de Vries baptized 11 April 173, Cape Town died 1778, (or later)

6. Johanna Maria de Vries baptized 18 November 1725, Cape Town married Frans Joseph Holweg master gardener (1744)

7. Aletta Margaretha de Vries baptized 2 March 1727, Cape Town

8. Catharina Elisabeth de Vries baptized 8 March 1732, Cape Town

Thanks to research by:  Richard Ball who would have been unable to do this research without the help of André Kellerman, Helena Liebenberg and Graham Lloyd. This family will be found on his web site at: the Zaaijman, Bosman, De Vries and Buys families

SOURCES:

Cape Archives Online Index
Naairs online site
Cape Town Congregation
Nederduites Gereformeerde Kerk Archive, Cape Town
Cape Town Congregation - index of baptisms and marriages 1665 - 1742
It indexes registers G1/1, G8/1 and G8/2
Estate Accounts - Van Es, Johanna - 1745
Cape Archives,MOOC 13/1/3,62
Estate Accounts - Zaaijman, Daniel - 1714
Cape Archives,MOOC 13/1/1,89
Geslagsregister van ou Kaapse Families
A.A. Balkema, Cape Town, 1966
Inventory - Bosman, Susanna - 1755
Cape Archives,CJ 2661, 97
Inventory - Zaaijman, Daniel - 1714
Cape Archives,MOOC 8/3, 61
Letters Received, 1695-1708
by H.C.V.Leibbrandt, Cape Town, 1896
Muster rolls of Freemen at the Cape
Cape Archives,VC 39 and VC 49
Precis of the Archives of the Cape of Good Hope - Requesten (1715-1806)
H.C.V. Leibbrandt, Cape Town, 1905
Resolusies van die Politieke Raad
published by the Director of Archives, Johannesburg. TANAP web site
Scheepssoldijboeken - VOC
Uitgevaren voor de Kamers van de VOC
Will - De Vries, Hendrik & Johanna van Es - 1718
Cape Archives,CJ 2599,45
Will - De Vries, Hendrik & Johanna van Es - 1731
Cape Archives,CJ 2653,91
Will - De Vries, Hendrik & Johanna van Es - 1744
Cape Archives,MOOC 7/1/6,127
Will - De Vries, Izaak & Susanna Bosman - 1746
Cape Archives,CJ 2658,13
Will - De Vries, Johanna Hermina - 1803 Will - De Vries, Johannes & Hester Mostert - 1762
Cape Archives,MOOC 7/1/12,53

Additional notes by AM van Rensburg

Hendrik Abraham DE VRIES was born in Amsterdam and served the VOC for a number of years in Mauritius. He returned to the Cape in 1708. He married Maria Zaayman. She was the daugher of Daniel Zaayman and Pieternella van de Kaap. Thus Maria's grandparents were Pieter van Meerhof and Eva, also known as Krotoa, a native Khoikhoi. Van Meerhof was murdered in 1667 at Antogil on an expedition to Madagscar. Eva was banished to Robben Island. Maria's mother was raised in the house of Jan Reyniers from 1669-1677. Eva died 1674.

In 1724 he purchased the farm Louwvleit and Questenburg from Jan Valk. After four years he sold these farms to his son Jacob for 10,000 guilders. The family swam cattle out to passing ships shich called for supplies.

De Vries was a partner in the cattle business with Henning Huising, and also with Gysbert le Febre. He was also a corporal in the Brugher Militia and a deacon in the church. In 1719 he obtained a liquor license at ronde boschje. He also owned a block of land on the corner of the present Castle and George's streets.

Shortly before he died he obtained a freehold grant near Mamre, which he named Vriesfontein onder die Klein Dassenberg. Today it is known just as Dassenberg.

Sources: AE Read, A Research into the History of the Family: Bruijns/ Bruyns/ Bruins/ Broens