Rosetta van Bengale, SM/PROG - Java, Batavia, Ceijlon, Bengale, de Kust

I agree different ladies

Jaco Strauss, Em Lo, Delia Robertson & Private User know this terrain far better than I, so I'm hoping they will help untangle the threads.

Definitely 3 different people - in fact there were numerous Rosettas and even several Rosetta van Bengale's at the Cape in the 1700's. It requires careful analysis to work out who's who. ☺

My summary re the above-mentioned 3 ladies at http://www.geni.com/discussions/147847?msg=1027423 may be helpful.

From Em (Just putting it here to keep track in case the conversation develops)

Hi Sharon, this may help:

in short:

Rosetta van Java was the wife of Jonker van Makassar, both were free slaves, manumitted around 1717/8.

Prior to her manumission Rosetta van Java was the slave of Rosetta van Bengale. These two Rosettas were close friends and Rosetta van Bengale named Rosetta van Java’s children in two wills of hers. [Will: Rosetta van Bengale (30 Mei 1739). CJ 2609:6 1739 and Will: Rosetta van Bengale (18 Des 1747). CJ 2658:48 1747; MOOC 7/1/10 - 37.]

Rosette van Ceijlon was a slave of exiled Prins Catchiri Daijman Mamoeti from Ternate. She had no connection with the other two Rosettas.

In more detail:

Rosetta van Java (aka van Boegies or Makassar – from Indonesia)
Indonesian woman Rosetta van Java was the wife of Jonker van Makassar. She was born ca 1690-1700. Both her and Jonker were free slaves, manumitted around 1717/8. [Not in 1716 free persons Opgaafrol, but 1719 onwards].

We know from Rosetta van Bengale’s wills (1939 and 1947), that Jonker’s wife Rosetta van Java/Boegies was free black woman Rosetta van Bengale’s slave prior to her manumission, and that they had become such close friends that Rosetta van Boegies’s children were named in these wills as beneficiaries. [Will (1739): CJ 2609:06 Rosetta van Bengaelen; Will (1747): CJ 2658:48 1747; MOOC 7/1/10 - 37. Rosetta van Bengale.]

Before marrying Jonker van Makassar,Rosetta van Java had a son Jacob Jansz with a Dutchman from Amsterdam. Jonker helped raise him and treated him as his own son, and mentioned him in his will together with his own children. Together this Muslim couple had 3 free born children of their own:
• Abdul(lah) born ~Okt 1718, baptised Adolf on 25 Jan 1733 aged 14; became a burgher on 16 Oct 1734 aged 16. We know he was 16 when he became a burgher because it was a requirement that men register within 6 weeks of turning 16, thus we know he would have been born between 4 Sept 1718 en 16 Oct 1718. [Resolutions of the Council of Policy of the Cape of Good Hope (18 Okt. 1708): C.26, pp 107-109].
• 2 Daughters Jamela en Raja born 1722-1724 [HEESE H., Opgaafrolle for Cape Town and District 1719-1735], baptised Johanna and Catharina, on 2 Dec 1731, aged about 7 and 9 (after Jonker van Makassar’s death in 1727).

After Jonker van Makassar’s death in about Oct 1727, Rosetta remarried another free slave Bastiaens van Ceijlon (aka Arij Bastiaans). Sometime thereafter she accepts the Christian faith and she baptises their 2 sons (Johannis baptised 24/9/1730, Adriaan baptised 14/1/1731) as well as her two daughters with Jonker van Makassar before her own death in Dec 1731.

Rosette van Ceijlon (recorded as van Batavia when baptising a child in 1717 )
Rosette van Ceijlon was one of the slaves of exiled Prins Catchiri Daijman Mamoeti from Ternate, aka Ketees Malocco.

She had a Creole (mixed race) daughter, born ca Jan 1716, whose owner the prince of Ternate manumitted her named Johanna van der Kaap when she was 1 year old on 14/1/1717. [Slave manumission: Slave Johanna van der Kaap, ID nr 3252, aged 1 (14 Jan 1717). Cape Town Archive Court of Justice 3074] Rosetta baptised her a month later on 14/2/1717.

Thereafter Rosette van Ceijlon had 3 slave children by her owner exiled Prins Catchiri Daijman Mamoeti from Ternate - born 1717-1722: Amel, Talie en Adel. His 3 children with slave Rosette van Ceijlon were only manumitted 11 years later on 24 Apr 1733 on their incarcerated owner and father’s request. [Slave Manumission - Obligatiën, Transporten van Slaven, Vrijbrieven: CJ 3083 (1733); Resolutions of the Council of Policy of the Cape of Good Hope (2 Feb. 1733) C. 91, pp. 108-117] Their mother Rosette van Ceijlon was still a slave then.

The exiled prince ran a brothel and persisted in such serious immoral and criminal behaviour at the Cape that he was sentenced to incarceration on Robben Island – where he stayed from 28 Nov 1722 untill his death in 1747. [Resolutions of the Council of Policy of the Cape of Good Hope (24 Nov. 1722): C 61, pp 27-34]

Em Lo, what evidence is there that Rosetta van Batavia (mother of Johanna b 1716) is the same woman as Rosetta van Ceijlon?

Are there docs linking Rosetta van Ceijlon to her 3 kids (3 sons?) Amel, Talie & Adel; & linking her as Rosetta van Ceijlon to Prince Mamoedie?

I agree Sharon. Yes I do think seeing that Jaco has done this extensive research he will be most capable to help. Then Delia as well.
But if you need any help, anywhere please just send an e-mail then I get it much quicker, while working here as I see the little screen.
Lekker slaap
Juds

Also - how do we reconcile Rosetta van Java (freed c 1717 according to http://www.stamouers.com/index.php/stamouers/surnames-h-to-j/231-jo) as being the slave of Rosetta van Bengale - when she was only freed in 1734
"Die slavin, Rosetta van Bengale, is op 12.10.1734 vrygestel." (Vgl. C.J.3084, Obligatiën, Transporten van Slaven &c., 1734, pp. 133−134.) http://databases.tanap.net/cgh/make_pdf.cfm?artikelid=22995?

Please I need help with the next: Rosetta was born and baptize in the Cape.
Do we keep her surname as Macassar?

Name: Rosetta Van Macassar
Event Type: Baptism
Event Date: 20 Jan 1715
Event Place: Cape Town, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa
Father's Name: Albert Van Macassar
Mother's Name: Lena Van De Kust
Parents' Residence Place: El Dienaars
GS Film number: 2214107 , Digital Folder Number: 4322620 , Image Number: 00195

Marie - post the link.

There a profile on Geni for her as well as the baptism document.

Geographically speaking

1) Makassar is on the South Sulawesi Island of Indonesia, & Ternate on the North Maluku Island of Indonesia.
http://www.sott.net/image/s10/215897/full/ternate.png

2) Batavia (now Jakarta) is on Java
So, Rosetta van Java could be Rosetta van Batavia (who, documentation tells us , baptised her daughter Johanna by herself in 1717. This daughter previously freed by her owner Prince Mamoeti) – (although that contradicts the Stamouers article.)

3) Bengal & Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) are both next to India – but sufficiently far apart as to be unlikely to be confused.
-Whichever Rosetta married Bastiaens of Ceijlon could have accrued the van Ceijlon toponym in some documents, and it wouldn’t have to have been Rosetta van Bengal. (The Stamouers article links the Bastiaens to the Jonkers – who they see as connected to Rosetta van Java)
-But we also know that Rosetta van Bengale (freed 1734) married a Johannes Jansz van Ceylon

Post the link to the Geni profile

Hi Sharon, re your questions earlier: "what evidence is there that Rosetta van Batavia (mother of Johanna b 1716) is the same woman as Rosetta van Ceijlon? Are there docs linking Rosetta van Ceijlon to her 3 kids (3 sons?) Amel, Talie & Adel; & linking her as Rosetta van Ceijlon to Prince Mamoedie?"

The 3 documents I quoted above namely the Prince's request to have his 3 biological children with his slave Rosetta van Ceijlon manumitted [Resolutions of the Council of Policy of the Cape of Good Hope (2 Feb. 1733) C. 91, pp. 108-117], plus slave Rosetta (no toponym)'s slave child Johanna van der Kaap's manumission when 1 year old on 14 Jan 1717 by her owner the prince, plus this Johanna's baptism a month later by her mother Rosetta (here given as van Batavia).

As explained also in the recent Familia article Batavia was the VOC headquarters. The prince himself stated she was from Ceijlon, I do believe that is where she has originated from initially. If you look at the trade routes as illustrated in the Familia [35] 2015-2 article, you will see it is conceivable that people from India could have been taken to the Cape via Batavia (now Jakarta) - which could be what had happened to Johanna van Ceijlon, she may even have stayed there for some time. Some people may know her from there and for whatever reason this was what was recorded on the 1717 baptismal record.

However, the 3 records do identify this Rosetta as the prince's slave, mother of the 1 year old Johanna manunitted by the prince in Jan 1717 and baptised by her Feb 1717 and thereafter mother of the 3 children of the Prince Amel, Adel and Talie. Unlike her Creole child Johanna, her and the prince's biological children were not baptised in the Christian Church or given European names as she did with Johanna.

There were numerous Rosettas at the Cape in the first half of the 18th century - it was a popular name amongst the slave population. There were indeed also several "Rosetta van Bengale's", so one must tread carefully to distinguish between the different ones.

It should thus definitely not be assumed that every Rosetta van Bengale mentioned is the same person - they definitely are not! One must avoid the temptation of linking people that merely have a similar name - there has to be supporting evidence or one will easily make errors with so many people having similar names and multiple toponyms.

The Rosetta van Bengale manumitted in 1734 was NOT at all the same person as the free black slave owner Rosetta van Bengale who owned Rosetta van Java prior to 1719. Please do not link them at all!!

The Rosetta van Bengale who owned Rosetta van Java prior to 1719 was the same one who drew up a will in 1739 with Rosetta van Java (Boegies)'s children Jacob Jansz and Adolph Jonker plus her slave Aron named as beneficiaries. [CJ 2609:6 1739] Then she freed her slave Aron van Balij in the same year. He was baptised 19 Aug 1742 and she married him on 21 October 1742 (her referred to here as Rosetta van der Kust - presumably she was from the Bengal coast bordering the Bay of Bengal).

Adolph also stood surety in 1742 for Aron van Balij to manumit his slave Coroydon on Bengal. [H.C.V. Leibbrandt: Precis of the Archives of the Cape of Good Hope. Vol 16, Requesten (Memorials) 1715-1806 Vol 1 A-E: 1742 Aron of Baly, free black, wishes to emancipate his slave Corydon of Bengal ; offers as surety himself and the Burgher Adolf Jonker. (No. 32, p5) ].

In Rosetta van Bengale and Aron van Balij's joint will (1747) they leave a sum of money for Rosetta van Java (Boegies)'s children. The will was finalised in 1757, seemingly after the death of Aron van Balij. [CJ 2658:48 1747; MOOC 7/1/10 - 37]

There was thus a very close friendship between THIS Rosetta van Bengale and her former slave Rosetta van Java/Boegies and the latter's children.

Hello Marie, I have no additional information about:
Name: Rosetta Van Macassar
Event Type: Baptism
Event Date: 20 Jan 1715
Event Place: Cape Town, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa
Father's Name: Albert Van Macassar
Mother's Name: Lena Van De Kust

There were many Rosettas at the Cape at this time. I suggest keeping her toponym as recorded here and do not link her to anyone but the parents mentioned in the baptismal document, unless clear evidence to that effect emerges.

Sharon thank you for keeping our tree in awesome shape - I don't have expertize on that area, but I do appreciate what you are doing. And I appreciate the learning curve!

Em Lo - thanks for all your input. You're a star!

-With regard to Prince Mamoedie's request to have his biological kids freed, I was wondering if you - or anyone else - had the actual wording of the document - [Resolutions of the Council of Policy of the Cape of Good Hope (2 Feb. 1733) C. 91, pp. 108-117] - with the children specified by name?

-With regard to Rosetta van Batavia (who, documentation tells us, baptised her Creole daughter Johanna by herself in 1717. This daughter previously freed by her owner Prince Mamoeti) –
I can't see the sufficient link that makes her more likely to be Rosetta van Ceijlon, rather than a different woman altogether.

I get the point that the slave routes stopped at all these ports, and that there is a chance this woman had travelled to both; or that someone had muddled her toponyms; but this seems more of a stretch than to simply assume (until evidence proves otherwise) that they were two women. Prince Mamoedi himself is unlikely not to have known the vast difference between Ceijlon and Batavia, and you yourself say that there were many Rosettas. Is there a good reason that I'm simply missing, to assume Rosetta of Ceijlon and Rosetta of Batavia are not two different women who Prince Mamoedi owned?

Until we establish that reason, I'm going to hold them as two different profiles, if everyone thinks that is logical.

No problem keeping them as 2 people Sharon! It seemed unlikely he would have had 2 slaves named Rosetta but it is not entirely impossible. So I agree, let's avoid any supposition and keep them as two separate persons for now. I see I made a typo error with teh resolution date before - it is 11 Feb not 2 Feb - please correct that. Here it is copied and pasted as is:

Resolusie van die Politieke Raad (11 Feb. 1733) C. 91, pp. 108-117

... Waarna ter vergadering verscheen den ondercoopman en negotie overdraager, Abraham Decker, dewelke uijt naame van den hier gebannen Ternataansen [8] prins, Ketees Malocco, versoek quam te doen dat aan hem mogt werden geaccordeert om zijne drie kinderen, met naame Amel, Talie en Adel, door hem Ketees Malocco bij desselfs slavin, Rosette van Ceijlon, ter deeser plaatse geteelt, in vrijdom te mogen stellen, op dat zij na zyn overleijden, alzoo hij oud en siekelijk word, in geen slaverneij mogten blijven of vervallen, over het welke geraadpleegt zijnde, is goedgevonden dat men dit bij deesen ter memorie sal noteeren, en is gem. ondercoopman Decker, bij wien twee deeser kinderen van den Ternataanssen prins, Ketees Malocco, en het derde bij de wed. Thibault [9] zijn woonende, verders aangesegt dat hij hem kan waarschouwen zorge te draagen dat deselve kinderen bij zijne uijtterste dispositie vrij worden verclaart en zoo het hem goeddunkt erfgenaamen gemaakt van het geene hij zal coomen na te laten, op dat het dies te klaarder blijkt dat hij haarlieden voor zijne kinderen komt te erkennen, en dat overzulx deselve niet als slaven kunnen gehouden of aangemerkt werden.
[8] Ternate was een van die Molukke-eilande in Nederlands-Oos-Indië. Dit was die middelpunt van 'n Maleisiese koninkryk wat die omliggende eilande en 'n gedeelte van die ooskus van Celebes ingesluit het en onder die Nederlandse resident van Ternate gestaan het. Vgl. Servaas de Bruin,Geographisch-Historisch Woordenboek, deel II, p. 1073 en A. J. Böeseken, Geskiedenis Atlas vir Suid-Afrika, kaart 33.

[9] Dit is waarskynlik Aletta de Beer, die weduwee van Daniel Thibault.

Thankyou so much Em Lo: That's exactly what I was looking for. I've appended it to the Abouts of:
Rosette van Ceijlon, Amel, Talie, Adel &
Prince Catchiri Daijman Mamoetie van Ternate

Than you so much to everyone helping for all your hard work to get the JONKER tree as accurate as we possibly can!

Logging additional geographical locators for further research on the Rosettas:

*Bugis is in South Sulawesi (as is Makassar) NOT Java. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugis
- so Rosetta van Java (aka Batavia?) is only likely to be an aka for Rosetta van Boegies/Macassar, if her husband, Jonker van Macassar, is from Bugis.

*Jaffna is in Northern Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) "In 1658, Portuguese lost Jaffapatao to the Dutch East India Company after a three-month siege"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaffna
- So the "Rosetta van Jaffnapatnam" who was sold on 12 May 1702 by Gerrit Koek to Cape Governor Willem Adriaan van der Stel for Rds. 95 - is likely to be an aka for a Rosetta van Ceijlon & not for a Rosetta van Java.

Hi Sharon, this is very interesting history! ☺

It is good to note that Jaffnapatnam and Ceijlon were geographically close, but so many slaves came form this area and Rosetta was such a popular name, that one can not conclude that these two people were the same person, unless we find other source data to connect them. Something may of course come up sometime, but I was unable to find a connection as yet.

What must be taken into account when reading about Java, Bugis and Makassar is that there was massive migration in the latter part of the 1600's in this area. There was an exodus of thousands of people, especially noblity involved in trade with the Portuguese from Sulawesi, after the Dutch took over trade there. They fled in their thousands to other nearby areas, including Java where diaspora communities were set up. A person could thus be from Java, previously from Bugis or Makassar - no problem. And depending on where they met or had connection with others, could easily be referred to by all or any of those toponyms.

As per Networks of Empire: Forced Migration in the Dutch East India Company: "perhaps the most dramatic demonstration of group flight were the migrations of Bugis and Makassarese nobles and their followers in the wake of cintinued disturbances during the course of the 17th century (1669-1696), especially after the Dutch combined with the Bugis leader Arung Palakka to defeat Makassar in 1669. As many as 2000 individuals could be included in one fleet, and because of their reputation as fighters and traders most kins were ready to receive them. In Sumbawa, Flores, Java, Madura, etc...."

There is a fascinating book written by Kerry Ward - Networks of Empire: Forced Migration in the Dutch East India Company, which we cited in our article. It deals with these migrations which sometimes were voluntary to other areas in Indonesia, and other times resulted in people being enslaved and taken to other VOC strongholds, including the Cape.

We wrote regarding Jonker van Makassar: "Makassar in Sulawesi had been a major Portuguese trade centre until the Dutch took over in 1667 and families (many of nobility) heavily involved in Portuguese trade, had to flee or were forcibly relocated to other parts in the Dutch empire.

Considering that he was called “Jonker” which was a Dutch form of address for a nobleman or son of a nobleman, it is quite possible that Jonker’s family could have suffered this fate, resulting in him eventually being enslaved and taken to the Cape. This is of course speculation.

While most freeblacks were very poor, soon after being manumitted Jonker was able to own a fishing boat and purchase slaves of his own. In his 1727 estate he left 4 slaves to serve his family members. He was without doubt very hardworking, but his business acumen, ambition and will to improve his family’s lifestyle could perhaps also be an indication of a privileged prior life. "

Em, I'm really just logging background info notes to myself here, as I come across them - so that I can remember it when we look at this in depth. I have a notoriously lousy memory for details.

I would envisage us creating a table that logs every reference to a Rosetta by exactly the name and date in the document, and using that to reconstruct likely / unlikely/ impossible groupings of data for chronologies that apply to the same woman.
It's quite a mammoth task - but could be fun - and great if we did it altogether as a 'flash mob' work group.

Great analytical minds think alike Sharon!! ☺

Jaco and I created a version of exactly such a table - database of Rosettas (Rosetta on the horizontal axis and time on the vertical - to separate and scrutinise the data from so many. It was at he heart of our analysis.

And as the additional data indicated which Rosettas belonged together and which not - clear patterns started to crystallise.

Good move! ☺ We'll be happy to contribute to such a table - is it possible to create such a large table on Geni?

I have to run off to work now (pity!) but will check in tonight.

Em, I've been pondering how we'd do it on Geni, and I can't picture any way that an excel type matrix table could be produced on Geni.
It's possible that we could use a shared spreadsheet off Geni.

What we can do here is use a profile's Timeline to get all the original references on first.
I've created Untangling the Rosettas to try it out. Anybody interested in helping PLEASE!!! - just request management. (Top right corner on the profile)

You can make tables on wiki.geni.com

Ahh Bjorn - what would Geni do without you. Okay - when we've got the data together, I'm going to get you (and maybe Shmuel) to prompt me step by step to making a table. Thank you.

Em - what is the Source evidence you have to prove that Rosetta van Bengale, SM/PROG owned Rosetta van Java, SM/PROG. I want to put it on the profile.

I'm having quite a lot of trouble getting the programme to add you as a manager to other profiles today - & I think it's because you've only added one profile to the tree & we may have exceeded the no of profiles you can manage without contributing to the tree yourself.
Can you add your ggrandparents (keep them private if you prefer) - I'm sure you'll link into the big tree only a few generations back.

Sharon I will email you our version of the table, and you can rework data from it however you want ☺