| 2. | Wilhelmus (Willem) KEMPEN (KEMPER) was born on 26 May 1765 in Norf, Rheinland, Germany (son of Gerhardus KEMPER and Helena DRESEN); died on 7 Nov 1838 in Kafferskraal, Nieuweveld. Notes:
Stamvader van die Suid-Afrikaanse Kempenfamilie.
In 1798 onderwyser by J H Hattingh.
MOOC 7/1/148 nommer 95 Ingedien 1838. Inventaris........MOOC 7/1/148 nommer 96 Ingedien 1838
Sterfte Kennis MOOC 6/9/14 nommer 3072 Ingedien 1838.
Sources: Cape Archives, Belinda Bacon, LDS, Opgaafrollen, De Villiers Pama, Heese & Lombard, Deidre Du Plessis as reasearched at the Rijksagrief in Amsterdam.
WILLEM boarded the Dutch East India Company ship HOORNWEGH under the command of Captain Simon Vaartjes. The HOORNWEGH, a ship of 880 metric tons, sailed for the Cape of Good Hope from the Island of Texel, Netherlands on 18th January 1790. He disembarked at the Cape on 29th April 1790. He was employed as a soldier by the Dutch East India Company until 27th December 1793. By 1798 he was teaching at J.H.Hattingh School at Graaff Reinet. On 19th March 1809 he married ANNA CATHARINA NEL in Graaff Reinet. They had 6 children. WILLEM died on 7th November 1838 at his farm Kafferskraal, Nieuweveld (Beaufort West district), South Africa at the age of 73 years, 5 months and 12 days.
According to the book by South African Authors, J.A.Heese and R.T.J.Lombard, Suid Afrikaanse Geslagsregister, Vol 1-V1, Willem was teaching at the JH Hattingh School,Graaff-Reinet by 1798. It appears that he went farming at a later time and owned the farm Kafferskraal which lies in the Nieuweveld Mountains on the road between Loxton and Beaufort West. I have found a record of Willem and Anna and their family in the Opgaafrollen (tax returns) for the district of Beaufort in 1825.
On his Death Notice it is stated that his fathers name was Gerhardus but that his mothers name was not known. It must be noted that there is a general acceptance that mothers names were not so important in this period of time. Their place of residence was not known either.
It is interesting to note that Willem did not marry until he was 43 years of age. His first child was born twelve months prior to his marriage to Anna. Anna was 18 years of age when her first child was born. Then there is a 10 year interval before the next child is born. His last child was born when he was 67 years of age. The OPGAAFROLLEN (Tax and census returns) of 1810 and 1811 of the Graaff Reinet area shows Willem but Anna 's first names are not given. It also shows that they do not have a child. It is possible that the birth date for their first child is 1818 and not 1808 !! In 1810 and 1811 Willem and Anna had 160 sheep and one wagon.
I found Wilhelmus Kemper ( with an R ) christened the same day, in the same town and with the same father as mentioned on the Death Notice of Willem. It has to be him. There is only one Catholic ( not Roman Catholic ) church in the small parish of Norf in the 1700's. I have a copy of the christening record of Wilhelmus and of his siblings as well as the Marriage record of his father Gerardus and Helena. I also have the marriage record of Gerardus' father and mother. Christoph Kemper and Catharina Schwartz and also the christening records of their children.
Wilhelmus married Anna Catharina NEL, b10c5d3e5 on 19 Mar 1809 in Graaff-Reinet, Cape, South Africa. Anna (daughter of Stephanus Johannes NEL, b10c5d3 and Anna Margaretha JANSE(N) VAN RENSBURG, b1c4d3) was born about 1789 in Boesmansrivier, Swellendam; was christened on 11 Apr 1790; died on 11 Jul 1847 in Beaufort West, Cape, South Africa. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
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1821 - Yes, date unknown
