Stamvader Herman(n) COMBRINK arrived in South Africa in 1717 from Bielefeld, Germany as a soldier. He became burger in 1719 and was a barber. He became a seargent in 1727. In 1732 he was a fire brigade officer. On 14 April 1720 he married Magdalena LEY, she was baptised 26 August 1697, daughter of Armozyn from the Cape. Magdalena's mother was a slave in the Company Lodge. Magdalena was her self born as a slave and when she was baptised on 26 August 1697 she is referred to as 'een kint van Armosyn van de Kaap, halfslag. Magdalena Ley died in 1738. Herman after his wife's death bought the farm Driekoppen at Mowbray. Herman died 16 June 1744. Herman and Magdalena had nine children.
b1 Christan Armozyn baptised 13 October 1720, she died young
b2 Jan Hendrik baptised 9 August 1722, died Feb 1777, X 26 July 1744 Maria Magdalena van Deventer
b3 Johanna Elizabeth baptised 26 November 1721, X 28 June 1744 Wilhelm Ackerman
b4 Hermanus baptised 5 January 1756, X 20 May 1753 Johanna Nel
b5 Maria Magdalena baptised 6 February or March 1729, X 7 February 1745 Nicolaas Frans Alberts
b6 Michiel baptised 8 June or July 1731, X 19 November 1752 Dorothy Grobbelaar
b7 Johanna Hendrina baptised 8 November 1733, X Nicolaas Grobbelaar
b8 Jan Frederik baptised 10 June 1736
b9 Jacobus baptised 9 March 1738, he died 1738, his mother died soon after giving birth to himSources:
M Cairns "Armosyn Claasz of the Cape and her Family" Familia XVI 1979 no 4
Lombard and Heese
de Villiers and Pama, Genealogies of old S A Families 1981Thanks to research by:
Thanks to submissions by:
AM van Rensburg
Mark Barker mabarker@mweb.co.zaPassenger lists
Combrink Herman Bijleveldt Corselen (???)(ships name) soldaat 1715 1719
Magdalena LEY, she was baptised 26 August 1697, daughter of Armozyn from the Cape. Magdalena's mother was a slave in the Company Lodge. Magdalena was her self born as a slave and when she was baptised on 26 August 1697 she is referred to as 'een kint van Armosyn van de Kaap, halfslag. Magdalena Ley died in 1738.
National Archives of South Africa (NASA)
Database: Cape Town Archives Repository
NAAIRS - Result DetailsDEPOT KAB SOURCE CJ TYPE LEER VOLUME_NO 2600 SYSTEM 01 REFERENCE 66 PART 1 DESCRIPTION LEY, MAGDALENA. TESTAMENT. STARTING 17200000 ENDING 17200000
National Archives of South Africa (NASA)
Database: Cape Town Archives Repository
NAAIRS - Result DetailsChange Database Document 1 of 24
DEPOT KAB SOURCE CJ TYPE LEER VOLUME_NO 2598 SYSTEM 01 REFERENCE 66 PART 1 DESCRIPTION LEY, MICHIEL. TESTAMENT. STARTING 17130000 ENDING 17130000
Armozyn Claasz van de Kaap ..... Combrinck connection
Armozyn Claasz van de Kaap was born about 1661 according to her will which came into effect in 1728. Armozyn at the time of making her will was 67 years old, she was known as Armosyn Claasz van de Kaap. Her mother must have been a slave since when Armosyn had a child baptised on 15 Jan 1688, he is described as a child of Armosyn van die Kaap, a company slave. The father was most likely white and called Claas since she is given this patronym. A theory that I have presented gives the parents of Armosyn as Isabella van Angola and Cornelis Claasen, see Capensis 2/2000. Her first 38 years, at least till 1699, she spent in the Slave Lodge. In the court yard of the slave lodge they held pigs. The Lodge functioned as the brothel of Cape Town, the officials allowed one hour visit at night for this purpose. Armosyn must have also participated in providing for this need, from the births of children recorded for her, while in the Lodge. The Lodge housed the largest number of unattached women in the male dominated Cape, and was thus frequented. Sailors and slaves even danced stark naked at the Lodge: "als gantse onbeschaemde menshen see wel de Europeaanen als Slavinnen haar moedernaact ontkleeden en in't aspect en aensien van andere met malcanderen te dasen". In 1685 van Rheede stated "because of their poverty and lack of clothes, many slave-girls let themselves being used by whites in exchange for a dress or a blanket", he mentions that he noticed many slave women wearing soldier-coats. Continuing his remarks that many children in the Lodge both boys and girls were as white as Europeans. He states that out of 92 children under the ageof 12 years, 25 boys and 19 girls must have had white fathers, in his diary he mentions 32 boys and 26 girls (refer to p114 M.F. Valkhoff New Light on Afrikaans and Malayo-Portuguese, J. Hoge " Miscegenation in the seventeent and Eigteenth Centuries") . The Lodge had no external windows. The average number of inhabitants in the Lodge over the years were 476 persons per year. This was a unique community, in as much as they virtually operated autonomous. She had four children born during this time. Her first child, Frans was baptised 15 August 1677 and mention is made that the father is an unknown Christian. Johannes was her second child who was baptised 8 September 1686.In 1711 Armosyn made application to the authorities, she was then a free black, for the freedom of her daughter Marie, either out of mercy or at a set price. The request was granted on condition of another three years of service by Marie. This document also reveals that Armosyn held the position of matron of the slave children at the Slave Lodge. Some of the duties of the matron included, being the schoolmistress, she lived in a separate room next to the Lodge's schoolgirls. Her name came from the term used for silk: "armozijnen, a thin satin-like material named after the town of Ormuz and was much used for linings, and atlassen, which were both a fine silk and a kind of piece goods, made of the same material, Kristoff Glamann Dutch Asiatic Trade 1620-1740 p 21, 134. There were others names used for silk products: Allegiassen silk - conisted of brilliant colours, Gilams - silk from China or Persia, demasten - white heavy silk.
Due to her faithful service rendered, she was emancipated by Governor Willem Adriaan van der Stel. Margaret Cairns concludes that she must have been set free by mid-1704.
Armosyn was granted a title of a property in June 1708. This property was opposite the company gardens. She later transfered (T 1349/ 30 September 1720) this property to her son-in-law Hermanus Combrinck, he was married to her daughter Magdalena Ley. With the will that Armosyn made some of the jig saw puzzle fits together. Her Inventory is taken in 1733. (MOOC 8/5 no 76 26 Nov 1733. Everything was left to her daughter Magdalena, apart from the slave Sabina van Mallebaar, who was given to her grand daughter Margaretha Geertruy Frisnet.
The will mentions the names of the four children who did not die young, the known children of Armosyn:
1. Frans baptised 15 August 1677 most probably died young
2. Willem baptised 6 May 1685 most probably died young
3. Johannes baptised 8 Sept 1686 most probably died young
4. Claas Jonasz baptised 1 August 1688 he married 11 March 1725 Dina van Bima. Margaret Cairns p 92, discusses some difficulty in calculation of dates, regarding his baptism and the birth of his children.
5. Anna baptised 7 Sept 1692 most probably died young
6. Magdalena Ley baptised 26 August 1697. She was called 'halfslag' indicating that her father was white. She married Hermanus Combrinck 14 April 1720. Thus becoming the stammoeder of the Combrinck's. They had nine children. I am a descendant of their fourth child Hermanus Combrink who married Johanna Nel.
7. Manda Gratia, who died prior to the death of Armosyn, and had off spring. She was baptised 19 Nov 1679. She applied for her freedom on 3 April 1711.
8. and Maria Stuart, who also died prior to the death of Armosyn, had descendants. She had two children who took on the surname Cleef. Maria died round about 1713, it should be kept in mind that this was the time of the smallpox epidemic.
Armosyn displayed the characteristic of not remaining a victim of her circumstances but elevating herself, becoming the matron in the slave lodge and then becoming part of the freed community.
Isabella van Angola => Armozyn Claasz van die Kaap => Magdalena Ley => b4 Hermanus Combrink => b2c2 Hermanus Adrian Combrink => b2c2d5 Johannes Jacobus Combrinck => b2c2d5e4 Jacobus Johannes Burger Combrinck => b2c2d5e4f11 Lodevicus Johannes Combrinck => b2c2d5e4f11 Jacobus Johannes Burger Combrinck => my mother => me
The father was most likely white and called Claas since she is given this patronym. A theory that I have presented gives the parents of Armosyn as Isabella van Angola and Cornelis Claasen, see Capensis 2/2000.
The father was most likely white and called Claas since she is given this patronym. A theory that I have presented gives the parents of Armosyn as Isabella van Angola and Cornelis Claasen, see Capensis 2/2000.