Skildery deur onbekende kunstenaar
Oos-Indië-vaarder "Noordt Nieuwlandt" 21 Augustus 1763
AFRIKAANS
Die van der Walt stamvader, Gaele Andries' gebore te Veenwouden, Friesland, het in 1727 as matroos
vir die VOC by die Kaap de Goede Hoop aangekom. In 1742 tree hy in die huwelik met die agtienjarige
Johanna Weijers, dogter van Heinrich Weijers van Eppe, Duitsland. en Anna Elizabeth Gerrits. Die egpaar
vestig hulle op die plaas Uijtkijk in die Roggeveld omgewing waar Gaele waarskynlik reeds voor sy huwelik
geboer het. Gaele Andries' van der Walt sterf in Februarie 1757 op die ouderdom van 52 jaar. Uit die
huwelik is agt kinders gebore, vyf seuns en drie dogters.
b1 Andries
b2 Hendrik
b3 Renske
b4 Tjaart
b5 Johannes Petrus
b6 Anna Maria
b7 Johanna Catharina
b8 Nicolaas
In die volgende generasie was daar reeds 86 kleinkinders, 43 seuns asook 43 dogters. Uit die seuns se
nageslag het een van die grootste gedokumenteerde familie in Suider Afrika ontstaan. Vanaf die
Roggeveld het die nageslag ooswaarts getrek tot in die noordelike Kaap waar hulle uiteindelik permanent
agter die Sneeu en Renosterberge gevestig het. Dit is dan ook uit hierdie gebied vanwaar die van der Walt
familienaam later regoor die res van Suider Afrika en deesdae ook oor die hele wêreld sou versprei.
Op 24 November 1758 hertrou die weduwee Johanna Weijers met Christian Godlieb Lessing, stamvader
van die Lessings in Suid Afrika. Dit maak haar dus die stammoeder van beide die van der Walt en Lessing
geslagte.
ENGLISH
The development and affordability of ground breaking technology in the last 15 years changed the way we
lived for ever. These days it doesn’t have to take serious and long consideration to travel to any destination
in the world. Most of our traditional borders fell away with the advance in air travel. With a drop of a hat we
can visit family on another continent or go and work in some remote region for any length of time.
With this new trend of living it is not surprisingly to find people with the van der Walt surname in every corner
of the globe. These families, like most South Africans, have the ability and the skill to adapt to changing
circumstances with ease. Van der Walt’s can be found in every level and profession of society.
The aim of this website is to stay in touch with all those that carry the surname or has a mutual interest in the
record keeping of it. Family research is a past time that is growing incredible fast under all South Africans.
A topic that was mostly indulged by the elderly in the past is now keenly explored by a much younger generation.
Since genealogy is an ongoing study, it is not only the gathering of data that’s important but also valuable stories
that’s been transferred from generation to generation. It is therefore essential to have an effortless system of
communication to excess and exchange information. The internet is with out doubt the most effective medium
in the quest to learn more about our ancestors.
“To forget ones past is like a brook without origin. Like a tree without roots” – Anonymous.