Persoonlike briewe geskryf en ontvang deur negentiende eeuse Damfontein Henning | Personal letter written and received by nineteenth century Damfontein Henning – Gert Frans Henning

Drie briewe gedateer 15 April 1867, 1 Julie 1868 en 25 Mei 1870 geskryf deur Gert Frans Henning *30-5-1827 (a2.b7.c5) aan sy broer Olivier Johannes G C Henning *1-12-1834 (a2.b7.c8)
Mens kan baie van die leefwyse van hierdie mense uit hierdie briewe wys word. Daar moet onthou word dat beide Gert Frans en Olivier nooit skool gegaan het nie. Hulle is in huis deur hulle ouers onderrig en geleer om te lees en te skryf en die Bybel was die enigste boek waaruit hulle kon leer.
Hierdie briewe is geskryf gedurende ‘n tyd wat alle Hennings ver van alle dorpe en die beskawing af op plase gewoon het. Daar was geen paaie, geen elektrisiteit, geen skole, geen telefone of telegraaflyne nie. Die poskoets het baie ongereeld tussen die dorpe in die Noord-Oos-Kaap gery. Die afstand tussen Cradock en Damfontein, Aliwal-Noord (soos die kraai vlieg) is slegs ongeveer 200 kilometers, maar in die dae van die ossewa, sonder paaie, was dit net sover as die maan vandag en ‘n reis met baie meer ontberings.
Vir ongeveer drie jaar vanaf 1837 tot 1841, toe beide Gert Frans en Olivier nog kinders van 10/12 en 3/5 jaar oud was, het hulle saam met hul hele familie in ‘n holkrans in een van die mees onherbergsame dele van Suid-Afrika gewoon en geleef.
Ten spyte van hierdie ontberings het al die kinders van pa Gert Frans Henning *April 1785 (a2.b7) en albei sy vrouens (Dorothea Vorster en Gerbreg Olivier) geleer lees en skryf en beskaafde lewenswyses aangeleer.
In die brief van 1870 vra Gert byvoorbeeld dat Olivier dele van sy brief vir hulle pa sal voorlees, omdat hy besef het dat sy pa al so oud was dat hy enige tyd kon sterf. Hulle pa was op daardie stadium reeds 85 jaar oud en het al blind begin word. Hy het besef dat hy dalk nooit weer sy pa lewend sou sien nie. Sy pa is dan ook drie jaar later, gedurende Oktober 1873 in die ouderdom van 88-jaar oorlede.

Die getikte weergawes van al drie briewe verskyn net onder elke brief

1. Brief gedateer 15 April 1867 deur a2.b7.c5. Gert Frans Henning * 30-5-1827 van die plaas Klipplaat, Cradock aan sy broer a2.b7.c8 Olivier Johannes Gerhardus Cornelis Henning *1-12-1834 van die plaas, Damfontein, Aliwal-Noord.
Gert Frans het ook as ‘n kind op Damfontein groot geword, maar na sy troue het hy teruggetrek Cradock toe.

Three letters dated 15 April 1867, 1 July 1868 and 25 May 1870 written by Gert Frans Henning *30-5-1827 (a2.b7.c5) to his brother Olivier Johannes G C Henning *1-12-1834 (a2.b7.c8)
A good picture of the life of these people can be formed from these letters. One must remember that both Gert Frans and his brother Olivier never attended any school. They were taught at home by their parents to read and write, and the only book they had to do this from, was the Bible.
These letters were written during a time when all Hennings lived on farms, far from towns and civilization. There were no roads, no electricity, no schools, no telephone- or telegraph lines. The mail-couch visited towns only now and then. The distance between Cradock and Damfontein, Aliwal North (as the crow flies) is only approximately 200 kilometres, but in the days of the oxwagon, without roads, it was just as far as the moon today and a journey with much more endurance.
For approximately three years from 1837 to 1841, when both Gert Frans and Olivier were still children of 10/12 and 3/5 years old, they lived like the rest of their family in a cave in one of the most inhostable parts of South Africa
In spite of these hardship al the children of father Gert Frans Henning *April 1785 (a2.b7) and both his wifes (Dorothea Vorster and Gerbreg Olivier) learnt to read and write and adopted a civilized life style.
In the letter of 1870 Gert ask his brother Olivier to read parts of his letter for their father, because he realized that their father was so old that he could die any time.Their father was at that stage 85-years old and has become blind. He realized that he, most probably, would not see his father alive again. His father died three years later, during October 1873 in the age of 88-years.

The typed versions of all three letters appear just below each letter

1. Letter dated April 15th 1867 by a2.b7.c5. Gert Frans Henning *30-5-1827 of the farm Klipplaat, Cradock to his brother a2.b7.c8. Olivier Johannes Gerhardus Cornelis Henning *1-12-1834 of the farm Damfontein, Aliwal North.
Gert Frans grew up as a child at Damfontein, but after his marriage moved back to the Cradock district.

2. Brief gedateer 1 Julie 1868 deur a2.b7.c5. Gert Frans Henning * 30-5-1827 van die plaas Klynkloof, Cradock aan sy broer a2.b7.c8 Olivier Johannes Gerhardus Cornelis Henning *1-12-1834 van die plaas, Damfontein, Aliwal-Noord

2. Letter dated 1 July 1868 by a2.b7.c5. Gert Frans Henning *30-5-1827 of the farm Klynkloof, Cradock to his brother a2.b7.c8. Olivier Johannes Gerhardus Cornelis Henning *1-12-1834 of the farm Damfontein, Aliwal North

3. Brief gedateer 25 Mei 1870 deur b7.c5. Gert Frans Henning *30-5-1827 van die plaas, Ezelshoek, Cradock aan sy broer b7.c8. Olivier Johannes Gerhardus Cornelis Henning *1-12-1834 van die plaas, Damfontein.

3. Letter dated May 25th 1870 by b7.c5. Gert Frans Henning *30-5-1827 of the farm, Ezelshoek, Cradock to his brother b7.c8. Olivier Johannes Gerhardus Cornelis Henning *1-12-1834 of the farm, Damfontein