Ds. R.A. Weerman

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Full name: Rutger Andreas (or Andries) Weerman

Lifespan: 1712 Netherlands - 1751 Asia [38]

Occupation: N.G. Kerk (Dutch reformed) minister

Reverend Weerman was the very first minister of the Swartland / Zwartland (Malmesbury) congregation.

Personal Background and Early Life

He was born on Monday morning, 25 August 1712, and baptised on 31 August 1712 in the Reformed Church of Denekamp, Netherlands.

His father was Rev. Johannes Henricus Weerman (also a minister) and his mother was Aleida Palthen. His wealthy godparents, Land Rentmeester (Land Bailiff/Treasurer) Patthull and his wife (née De Lintels van den Marsch), held him at the font. He was named "Rutger Andreas" directly after his godfather.

He registered as a theology student at the University of Groningen on 14 September 1736.

VOC Career and Arrival at the Cape

On 23 January 1745, he set sail from Enkhuizen, Holland, as an official VOC minister aboard the ship Huis ter Duine (Huijs ten Duijne). He was originally bound for the East Indies (Batavia).

He arrived at the Cape of Good Hope on 3 May 1745. The Political Council minutes from Sunday, 9 May 1745, show that Governor-General Gustaf Willem van Imhoff had given authority to "detain" (aangehouden) arriving ministers for local service. Because Weerman expressed a willingness to stay, they intercepted him from his ship to serve the newly formed church in the Swartland.

Founding of the Swartland Congregation

After the comforter of the sick, Wietse Botes, was sent to the area, the Political Council secured Rev. Weerman. The Swartland congregation was formally established on Saturday, 27 June 1745, making it the fifth oldest Dutch Reformed congregation in South Africa (preceded by Tulbagh).

The original congregation was tiny—just 55 souls. Only 28 male members voted in the election to establish the very first Church Council (Kerkraad).

Auction records from the Cape Town Orphan Chamber (Weeskamer) track his household purchases. In 1745 and 1747, he bought items to furnish his parsonage and construct the church, including blankets, curtains, firewood, tools (axes, pickaxes), building supplies (nails, rafters, laths), livestock (4 cattle, 2 horses), a horse-drawn wagon, and barley.

During his tenure, he regularly petitioned the Political Council to transfer portions of his salary back home to his legal representatives in the Netherlands.

Departure for Batavia and Death

By January 1748, Rev. Weerman grew tired of the hardships or isolation and formally requested a transfer to Batavia (Jakarta). His request was forwarded alongside a separate petition from two local Chinese residents who were requesting travel or residency changes and were noted as upstanding citizens.

In November 1748, the Political Council officially informed the Swartland Church Council that Batavia had granted the transfer. Rev. Weerman departed the Cape on 20 November 1748 aboard the ship Dishoek, arriving in Batavia on 30 May 1749.

He served as a minister in Batavia in 1749 and moved to Ambon (Indonesia) in 1750.

He died in Asia on 26 January 1751 at the age of 38.

Sources

  1. Lapikás, L. (2018) Kwartierstaat Van Schothorst Generatie 8.
  2. Dreyer, A. (1924) Eeuwfeest-Album van de Nederduits Gereformeerde-Kerk in Zuid-Afrika.


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