rorkesdriftvc.com :: View topic - LIEUTENANT JOSEF ADENDORFF

Posted: Thu May 25, 2006 2:29 am

Another Adendorff note. In the Rev. John Stalker's The Natal Carbineers 1855-1911 there is a Trooper Adendorff listed as a member of the Martizburg Troop of the Natal Carbineers. This specific list is a muster dated 16 July, 1861. I posted this information on the old forum asking if anyone knew of a possible connection between this Adendorff and the Adendorff of Rorke's Drift but received no reply at that time.

Posted: Thu May 25, 2006 8:39 pm

In 1874, the New Germany Rifles of the Natal Volunteers were listed as an entirely German unit with orders given in German.
Damian

Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 12:54 am

You do know there is a place called 'New Germany' in South Africa - just outside Pinetown? I was lead to believe that this was where Germans settled and called it the 'New Germany'. I guess a lot of the troops for the New Germany Rifles would have come from this area.

Dawn

Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 1:53 am

OK, found this information:

In the early 1840's, just after the colony of Natal had been annexed by the British, the Natal Cotton Company was established. One of its directors, Jonas Bergtheil, went to Germany to attract settlers to Natal to grow cotton for the Company. After much searching, he found a group of people in the area of Bramsche, Osnabr�cker Land (now in Lower Saxony) who were willing to try their luck in this new colony.

The Bergtheil colonists settled in New Germany, Westville, just outside Port Natal (later renamed Durban). Initially they attempted to grow cotton, but soon failed. Some managed to make a living by supplying vegetables to the growing port town of Durban. The Natal Cotton Company disbanded and many of the settlers moved inland to Pietermaritzburg and the area around New Hanover.

It is largely due to the presence of the Bergtheil colonists, and epecially their pastor, Missionary Posselt of the Berlin Missionary Society, that the first group of Hermannsburg missionaries decided to settle in Natal, after their entry to Ethiopia had been blocked.

So endeth the history lesson.

Dawn

Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 8:32 pm

I am sorry to join in on this topic only now but as an Adendorff descendant iI have only in the last 6 years researched the family history and only this year became aware of your website. However here are the facts I have uncovered on the Adendorff family. Michiel Joseph Adendorp arrived in Cape Town on 20 Jan 1784 on board the Bleijenburg, en route to Batavia, stayed behind in Cape Town and practiced as "derde chirugyn am de Cabo" viz doctor he had 3 sons amongste his 12 siblings. 2nd Johan Christoffel b 1790 had a farm in Drakenstein near Stellenbosch he was also a ship underwriter tried to export wine to the UK lost all his Cape belongings and trekked to Natal, carried on trading death cert states Insolvent Shoptrader at Oliphants Hoek; the 6th Christian Michiel b 1795 of which I have very little information at present and 8th Michiel Joseph b1799 This MJ had 13 children 1 Michiel Joseph 3 Jeremie August 4 Jan 5 Edward Christiaan 6 Christiaan Hendrik 8 Frederik Barend 9 Frans Louis 10 Gert Wilhelm B 1848 11 Joseph Johannes b 1850 12 Louis Danel & 13 George Frederick. I have not found a James name in our ancestors up till the 4th generation in 1883 when James Turner was born to his father Christiaan Hendrik (5 above). Gert Wilhelm featured in a document of the Transvaal Republic which I am still trying to establish the connection but it was of a military nature. The Gerrit Adendorff tried and convicted for treason/rebelion is a later descendant from the Newcastle area. I am at present writing up my notes in word document. The ancestor documentation I have gathered is all on Excel spreadsheet at present.

Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 9:38 am

I believe the Transvaal Republic document that you refer to may well be a claim for war losses, [Anglo-Boer War], made by Gert W. Adendorff in 1903.

The document states that GW Adendorff had 'surrendered' when the British occupied Elandsfontein in January 1901. Writing from his home in Pretoria he later claimed for the loss of a 'Scotch cart' taken by the British after his surrender, and also for one horse and two mules taken by the late Transvaal Govt in February and May 1900 respectively.

Adendorff was then employed as "Responsible Clerk and JP at the Charges Office in Elandsfontein." As far as I can tell he remained at work in his office when British troops arrived.

Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 4:49 pm

Thank you very much Lee. The document I have has a date "6.3.99" written in several places and is numbered "2167/99 KANTOOR STAATSPROKUREUR Z A REPUBLIEK" and I translate the subject: Person G. W. Adendorff regards a sworn statemenr/affadavit against a Van Eenter, clerk in the Wachtkantoor, Boksburg. Under Minutes I make out a question to 1st PA Boksburg as to whether van Eenter said something - this person's handwriting is very difficult to decipher- but is followed with a question to Heer Van Eenter if he did use the words in the Wachtkantoor. {This seems to me to be a disciplinary action of 1899}

Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 8:15 am

From memory, I believe Adendorff gave evidence in the 'trial' of one of his colleagues. The man had stated, allegedly, that God did not exist and had questioned the status of Jesus. Without checking my file I can't remember whether this was in conversation with Adendorff directly or whether he'd overheard it. Either way the man's comments were reported to the 'authorities' and Adendorff was later called to give evidence.

If you'd like to contact me by private message I do have quite a large file on the Adendorff's, including an attempt at a family tree, which might be of some help to your research.

Lee

Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 10:49 am

Thank you Lee I will endeavour to contact you as said.
JohanAdendorff Very Happy