Johannes van der Kemp
Encyclopedia
Dr Johannes Theodorus van der Kemp (17 May 1747, Rotterdam
– 15 December 1811, Cape Town
) was a military officer, doctor and philosopher who became a missionary
in South Africa
.
. He subsequently enrolled at the University of Leiden in 1763 where he studied medicine
, but when his elder brother Didericus was appointed as professor of church history he abandoned his studies
and fathered an illegitimate child, Johanna (‘Antje’), whom he brought up himself. In 1778 he fell in love with Christina (‘Stijntje’) Frank (d. 1791). He lived with her for a year before being reprimanded by the Prince of Orange
on this irregular state of affairs. As a result he both married Stijntje, on 29 May 1779, and quit the army.
, he completed his Medical Doctorate within two years. He also prepared for publication a treatise in Latin on cosmology, entitled Parmenides which was published in 1781. He returned to the Netherlands
, where he practised as a doctor first in Middelburg
and then near Dordrecht
. On 27 June 1791, his wife and daughter Antje were drowned in a yachting accident from which he only just escaped. As a result of this incident he experienced an emotional conversion back to the reformed Christianity of his family.
He served as a medical officer during the revolutionary campaigns in Flanders
and then as hospital superintendent at Zwijndrecht
, near Dordrecht. Whilst there in 1797 he came to hear of the formation of the London Missionary Society
, arriving in March 1799.
Whilst there he set up the first mission press and in 1799 printed the first work in book-form in South Africa, which was an 8-page translation into Dutch of the London Missionary Society's letter to the inhabitants of the Cape
Once in South Africa, after working at Gaika's Kraal near King William's Town
he journeyed beyond the eastern frontier of the colony to work among the Xhosa under Chief Ngqika. From the Xhosa he received the name Jank' hanna (‘the bald man’). War between Cape Colony and the Xhosa soon drove him back and from 1801 onwards he worked exclusively within the colony, mainly with dispossessed Hottentots. In 1803 he established a mission settlement for vagrant Hottentots at Bethelsdorp where local farmers accused him of harboring lawless elements. He countered with a list of alleged ill-treatment of the Hottentots by local farmers, but the evidence proved unsatisfactory and the farmers were acquitted.
On 7 April 1806 he married Sara Janse, a freed slave 45 years his junior, and had four children with her. This situation and his attitudes caused great opposition from within the colony, and he was for a time ordered by the government to leave Bethelsdorp.
Armed with a background in European and classical philology, he pioneered in the study of Xhosa and Khoikhoi
languages.
He was recalled to Cape Town by the Governor in 1811 and died soon afterwards
, one of the most popular English-language novelists in South Africa during her lifetime wrote The Burning Man about the life of van der Kemp.
The life of Johannes van der Kemp during his mission in Bethelsdorp is included in the novel "Praying Mantis" by André Brink
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
– 15 December 1811, Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
) was a military officer, doctor and philosopher who became a missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Early life
The second son of Cornelius van der Kemp, Rotterdam's leading reformed clergyman, and Anna Maria van Teylingen, he attended the Latin schools of Rotterdam and DordrechtDordrecht
Dordrecht , colloquially Dordt, historically in English named Dort, is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, located in the province of South Holland. It is the fourth largest city of the province, having a population of 118,601 in 2009...
. He subsequently enrolled at the University of Leiden in 1763 where he studied medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
, but when his elder brother Didericus was appointed as professor of church history he abandoned his studies
Army career
He joined the dragoon guardsDragoon guards
Dragoon Guards was the designation used to refer to certain heavy cavalry regiments in the British Army from the 18th century onwards. While the Prussian and Russian armies of the same period included dragoon regiments amongst their respective Imperial Guards, different titles were applied to these...
and fathered an illegitimate child, Johanna (‘Antje’), whom he brought up himself. In 1778 he fell in love with Christina (‘Stijntje’) Frank (d. 1791). He lived with her for a year before being reprimanded by the Prince of Orange
Prince of Orange
Prince of Orange is a title of nobility, originally associated with the Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France. In French it is la Principauté d'Orange....
on this irregular state of affairs. As a result he both married Stijntje, on 29 May 1779, and quit the army.
Return to medicine
Returning to his medical studies again, this in EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, he completed his Medical Doctorate within two years. He also prepared for publication a treatise in Latin on cosmology, entitled Parmenides which was published in 1781. He returned to the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, where he practised as a doctor first in Middelburg
Middelburg
Middelburg is a municipality and a city in the south-western Netherlands and the capital of the province of Zeeland. It is situated in the Midden-Zeeland region. It has a population of about 48,000.- History of Middelburg :...
and then near Dordrecht
Dordrecht
Dordrecht , colloquially Dordt, historically in English named Dort, is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, located in the province of South Holland. It is the fourth largest city of the province, having a population of 118,601 in 2009...
. On 27 June 1791, his wife and daughter Antje were drowned in a yachting accident from which he only just escaped. As a result of this incident he experienced an emotional conversion back to the reformed Christianity of his family.
He served as a medical officer during the revolutionary campaigns in Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
and then as hospital superintendent at Zwijndrecht
Zwijndrecht
Zwijndrecht may refer to:* Zwijndrecht, Belgium* Zwijndrecht, Netherlands...
, near Dordrecht. Whilst there in 1797 he came to hear of the formation of the London Missionary Society
London Missionary Society
The London Missionary Society was a non-denominational missionary society formed in England in 1795 by evangelical Anglicans and Nonconformists, largely Congregationalist in outlook, with missions in the islands of the South Pacific and Africa...
Missionary work
After making contact with the Society be helped found the Dutch version Nederlandsche Zendinggenootschap. He was ordained in London in November 1798 and began recruiting men for the society. He sailed from London in December 1798 as one of the first three agents sent by the society to CapeCape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
, arriving in March 1799.
Whilst there he set up the first mission press and in 1799 printed the first work in book-form in South Africa, which was an 8-page translation into Dutch of the London Missionary Society's letter to the inhabitants of the Cape
Once in South Africa, after working at Gaika's Kraal near King William's Town
King William's Town
King William's Town is a town in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa along the banks of the Buffalo River. The town is about 40 minutes' motorway drive WNW of the Indian Ocean port of East London...
he journeyed beyond the eastern frontier of the colony to work among the Xhosa under Chief Ngqika. From the Xhosa he received the name Jank' hanna (‘the bald man’). War between Cape Colony and the Xhosa soon drove him back and from 1801 onwards he worked exclusively within the colony, mainly with dispossessed Hottentots. In 1803 he established a mission settlement for vagrant Hottentots at Bethelsdorp where local farmers accused him of harboring lawless elements. He countered with a list of alleged ill-treatment of the Hottentots by local farmers, but the evidence proved unsatisfactory and the farmers were acquitted.
On 7 April 1806 he married Sara Janse, a freed slave 45 years his junior, and had four children with her. This situation and his attitudes caused great opposition from within the colony, and he was for a time ordered by the government to leave Bethelsdorp.
Armed with a background in European and classical philology, he pioneered in the study of Xhosa and Khoikhoi
Khoikhoi
The Khoikhoi or Khoi, in standardised Khoekhoe/Nama orthography spelled Khoekhoe, are a historical division of the Khoisan ethnic group, the native people of southwestern Africa, closely related to the Bushmen . They had lived in southern Africa since the 5th century AD...
languages.
He was recalled to Cape Town by the Governor in 1811 and died soon afterwards
In print
Sarah MillinSarah Millin
Sarah Gertrude Millin, née Liebson was a Kimberley, South African-born writer. In her lifetime, she was one of the most popular English-language novelists in South Africa...
, one of the most popular English-language novelists in South Africa during her lifetime wrote The Burning Man about the life of van der Kemp.
The life of Johannes van der Kemp during his mission in Bethelsdorp is included in the novel "Praying Mantis" by André Brink
André Brink
André Philippus Brink, OIS, is a South African novelist. He writes in Afrikaans and English and is a Professor of English at the University of Cape Town....