Houd den Bek Slave Rebellion, February 1825
Details of Galant's Criminal Trial
Information taken from Theal, Records of the Cape Colony, Vol 20, pp. 188-341
Links to Supporting Material |
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| People & Places | ||||
| The Accused | ||||||||
| Prisoner | Status | Age | Master | Birthplace | Accused Crimes | Verdict | Punishment | |
| 1 | Galant | Slave | 26 | late W.N. vd Merwe | master's mother's place | 1. sedition 2. sedtion, violence, housebreaking, murder 3. resisting the Commando |
guilty: High treason, murder, armed violence | hanged in Worcester; beheaded, head displayed on a pike; costs of prosecution |
| 2 | Abel | Slave | 26 | Barend vd Merwe | Bokkeveld | 1. being second in command 2. assisting in violence and murder 3. assisting resisting the Commando; attemping to shoot slave Carel |
guilty: High treason, murder, armed violence | hanged in Worcester; beheaded, head displayed on a pike; costs of prosecution |
| 3 | Isaak Rooy | Hottentot | 18 | late W.N. vd Merwe | Zwartberg, @ Joseph Fourie's | 1. likewise stirred up and joined the gang 2. actively executed the plans 3. assisting resisting the Commando |
guilty: accomplice | public exposure tied to a stake, beaten, branded, hard labor in irons on public works for life; costs of prosecution |
| 4 | Isaak Thys | Hottentot | 19 | late W.N. vd Merwe | Zakriver | accomplice to the three charges, Isaac in particular | guilty: accomplice | hanged in Worcester; costs of prosecution |
| 5 | Hendrik | Hottentot | ~24 | Jan Dalree | @ Nicolaas Janssen | accomplice to the three charges | guilty: accomplice | public exposure tied to a stake, beaten, branded, hard labor in irons on public works for life; costs of prosecution |
| 6 | Klaas | Slave | ~35 | Barend vd Merwe | Berg Valley, @ Arnoldus Bothma | accomplice to the three charges, warned that Verlee didn't die from first shot | guilty: accomplice | public exposure tied to a stake, beaten, branded, hard labor in irons on public works for life;costs of prosecution |
| 7 | Achiles | Slave | ~40 | late W.N. vd Merwe | Mozambique | accomplice to first two charges; took part in volence & murder | guilty: accomplice | tied to a stake, beaten, branded, hard labor in irons on public works for 15 years;costs of prosecution |
| 8 | Antony | Slave | ~40 | late W.N. vd Merwe | accomplice to first two charges; took part in volence & murder | guilty: accomplice | tied to a stake, beaten, branded, hard labor in irons on public works for 15 years;costs of prosecution | |
| 9 | Valentyn | Hottentot | 16 | late W.N. vd Merwe | @ Carel vd Merwe | accomplice to first two charges | guilty: accomplice | witness public execution, the severely flogged;costs of prosecution |
| 10 | Vlak | Hottentot | 11 | late W.N. vd Merwe | @ Carel vd Merwe | accomplice to first two charges | guilty: accomplice | witness public execution, the severely flogged;costs of prosecution |
| 11 | Adonis | Slave | ~35 | J.A. du Plessis | Uikhoek | accomplice to first two charges | acquitted | lack of proof; costs of prosecution |
| 12 | Pamela | Slave | ~25 | late W.N. vd Merwe | Breede River | passiveness and silence | absolved | costs of prosecution |
| 13 | Petrus Josephus de Campher | Inhabitant | 34 | living on Dalree's farm | Brabant, Netherlands | 1. instigating the people of W.N. van der Merwe 2. participating in planning the attack; prevented from participating by "accidental absence" |
acquitted; accusations "groundless" | released Fri. 18 March 1825 |
| Order of Capture of those who fled | |||
| Day 1 | 2 February | Klaas, Hendrik, Isaac Rooy | @ kraal of Piet van der Merwe's grazing post |
| Day 2 | 3 February | Lea, Valentyn, Vlaak | @ Dalree's |
| Day 3 | 4 February | Abel | in Theron's Field Cornetcy |
| Day 6 | 7 February | Pamela | |
| Day 13 | 14 February | Galant & Isaac Thys | @ Shurfteberg, btwn places of Jan du Plessis & Barend van der Merwe |
| Witnesses | |||
| Name | Age | Birthplace | Other information |
| Willem Francois du Toit | 30 | Colony | FieldCornet |
| Barend Petrus van der Merwe | 30 | Colony | lives at Riet River, Cold Bokkeveld, Worcester district |
| Hester Johanna Hugo | 23 | Colony | Wife of Barend vd Merwe |
| Goliath | 20 | @ old Pieter vd Merwe | slave of Barend vd Merwe |
| Jannetje | ~25 | slave of Barend van der Merwe | |
| Betje | ~28 | Bruintjes Hoogte | |
| Roos | 41 | Breede River | b @ Piet Theron's Place, in serve of W.N. vd Merwe |
| Martha Elisabeth Swanepoel | 20 | Colony | widow Johannes Verlee |
| Lea | ~25 | b @ Abraham du Plessis @ Olifantsberg | |
| Helena Elisabeth vd Merwe | 11 | daughter of WN vd Merwe | |
| William Pearson | 34 | Prussia | Schoolmaster @ du Plessis; formerly in Drakenstein |
| Johannes Dalree | 52 | Italy | living on WN vd Merwe's land; a tailor |
| Moses | ~50 | slave of Piet vd Merwe of Laken Valley | |
| Admiral Slinger | 20 | b @ Piet vd Merwe's in the Bokkeveld | |
| Andries Wildschut | 20 | Bastaard Hottentot, service of P. vd Merwe of Laken Valley, herdsman @ Winkelhaale | |
| Karel | 26 | Colony | slave of George Muller |
| Widow W.N. van der Merwe | summoned but unable to attend b/c wounded | ||