Notes |
- Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Haselau (or Hassleau or Haßlau) was born in Lower Saxony - the word "lower" in this instance means "low-lying" - on the 26 August 1851. This country is situated just east of the Netherlands and south of Denmark. At the time he decided to emigrate, he was employed as a mercantile clerk in the town of Brandenburg. He was probably influenced in his decision to emigrate to South Africa - instead of America, for instance - by the fact that Britain had recruited soldiers (British German Legion, 1855) and other emigrants (1858) from this area. At this time, Hanover, the capital of Lower Saxony, was a Kingdom under the rule of King George III of England.
However, Carl (27) and his wife, Justina (21), emigrated to South Africa on the 10 October 1877 aboard the Caroline Behn, departing from Hamburg, to take up work in Cape Town. The ship’s passenger list states that Carl and Justina came from Neu-Meichow (Brandenburg) and that Carl was an “arbeiter” or worker. Unfortunately he was unable to cope with the language problem, so was forced to seek other employment. He eventually made his way to British Kaffraria and was lucky to meet a Mr Crossman, who employed him to manage the farm "Buck Kraal" which is situated a short distance east of Peddie. "Buck Kraal" was named after a minor native chief.
After a number of years at "Buck Kraal" where most of their children were born and some educated (by the way, their school teacher was a Miss Pinkie Hartley), he was able to buy a small holding at Mngquesha/Umnxesha near the Pirie Forest (King Williams Town area). Here he started a timber business, selling everything he could produce to the local wagon and building trades.
He also farmed in a small way. On this property he built a school and re-built a church that had been destroyed during the Kaffir War of 1876. Both these buildings are still standing today (1985).
Unfortunately not much is known of his father and absolutely nothing of his mother. No information is available from overseas as these people lived at the same time when Saxony was under French domination (Napoleon) and later by Prussia. However, a little about this man has been gleaned from certain members of the family - time plays havoc with memories - and it seems certain that he was brought up on a farm, that he was a very tall man and that at some time or other he was a soldier. A portrait of him was in the possession of his grandson, Mr Otto Haselau of Mngqesha. This fact has been verified by Mr Walter Haselau, his great-grandson.
The name "Saxon" is derived from the Old Saxon word "Seax" meaning "knife" or "dagger" (Latin "secare" - "to cut"). This name was very appropriate as the Saxons were a very belligerent and hostile tribe. These people dwelt between the rivers Rhine and Elbe as early as the 2nd Century A.D. It was chiefly from the shores of the North Sea that the Saxons, Angles and Jutes salied to invade and colonise most of England during the 5th and 6th centuries. By the 7th Century the Saxons were the masters of what is now North West Germany.
In 804 A.D. they were conquered by Charlemagne ("Charles the Great" of the Roman Empire), after which their country was formed into the old Dutchy of Saxony which lasted until the 12th Century. Their fortunes fluctuated considerably during the following centuries, culminating with the Napoleonic Wars and finally submitting to Prussian invasion instigated by Bismarck in 1866. It was the Prussian arrogance and political pressure by Bismarck that caused such a large number of these people to emigrate.
REFERENCES
"For Men Must Work" by ELG Schnell (1954).
"Deutsche Wanderung Nach Sudaafrika in 19 Jahrhundent" (Berline 1955) : by Werner Schmidt, Pretoria.
"Encyclopaedia Britannica" (1875 Edition).
Kaffrarian Museum, King William's Town - Curator of History, Mr Denver A Webb.
(with thanks to Ralph Haselau)
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