Jan (Oom Thomas) Thomas Martins

Pres Kruger Dr Leyds on Jachtfontein. Jan Thomas is 5th from left Veldkornet J.T.Martins Krygsgevangenes in St Helena Kommandant J.T.Martins Kmdt Jan Thomas Martins1 Jan Thomas Martins en Elizabeth Jacoba van Wyk

Jan, known as Oom Thomas, was born on April 22nd, 1843 in Graaff Reinet.  Oom Thomas' father was Jozua Joachim Francois Martens  and his mother was Anna Catharina Maria Pretorius.  His paternal grandparents were Jacobus Martens and Maria Magdalena Joubert; his maternal grandparents were Roelof Gerhardus Pretorius (Petrus) and Anna Catharina Hatting. He had four brothers and six sisters, named Jacobus, Roelof, Jozua, Dewald, Anna, Maria, Johanna, Susanna, Elizabeth and Maria.  He was the second youngest of the eleven children.  He died due to a cardiac arrest, and Pneumonia, at the age of 58 on October 7th, 1901 in Boer Hospital, St. Helena.  He was buried in Knollcombe Cemetary, St. Helena.

• General Notes

  ABW POW
  Farmed Panfontein, Heidelberg
  then Jachfontein exchanged for
  the price of 7 springboks
  Jachtfontein registered under his name on 24ar 1851.
  
  http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol101ev.html
  Gatsrand is geleë oos van Potchefstroom en het tot teenaan die huidige Witwatersrand gestrek. Wyk Vaalrivier het die suidelike grens gevorm en wyk Boven-Mooirivier die noordgrens.
  Wyk Gatsrand, wat vermoedelik vanaf 1844 amptelik met dié naam bekend was, se blanke inwoners was feitlik almal nasate van die Trekgeselskappe wat gedurende die dertigerjare vanaf die Kaapkolonie weggetrek het. Die eerste plase in die wyk is in 1839 beset. Gedurende die dekade hierna is 42 plase toegeken. In die daaropvolgende agt jaar tot en met die Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR) se verkryging van 'n grondwet in 1857, het nog sestien plase eienaars gekry.(1) Al die weerbare man op die plase was verbonde aan die militêre aktiwiteite van die Potchefstroom distrik.
  Na die eerste Vryheidsoorlog moes kommando's by verskeie geleenthede weer op kommando gaan om mee te doen aan oorloë teen Swartstamme. Van die vernaamste was dié teen Mapoch en Mampuru (1882), Malaboch (1894 en 1897) en Mphephu (1895-1898).(12) Veldkornet J Geldenhuys, wat die Gatsranders in die oorlog teen Mapoch en Mampuru gelei het, het tussen 1882 en 1883 veertien blanke en vyf Swartmans beboet vanweë hulle onwilligheid om op kommando te gaan. Elke wyk se opgekommandeerde burgers moes sorg vir hulle eie voedsel en vir die doel het Geldenhuys gereeld vee, meel en kontant van die burgers in die Gatsrandwyk gevra. Ammunisie is deur kommandant P A Cronjé op Potchefstroom uitgereik.(13)
  
  VROEGSTE MILITÊRE BEDRYWIGHEDE
  Volgens die Volksraadsnotules van 1850 was daar 249 weerbare man in die Gatsrandwyk wat die patrollies kon meemaak.(2) P J W Schutte van die plaas Buffelsdoorn het in sy dienstermyn as kommandant (1850-1855) die burgers van Gatsrand in die oorlog teen die Bakwenastam gelei.(3) Hulle het ook die oorloë teen Sekwati en Segali (1852), Mapela (1860), Molappo (1868) en Sekhukhune (1876) meegemaak.(4) Die burgers in die wyk van veldkornet J H G van der Schyft (Boven-Mooirivier) het in 1861 ook die hulp van wyk Gatsrand gekry toe 'n patrollie na die 'Bossiemans' uitgestuur is om gesteelde beeste terug te neem.(5)
  
  Dit was die ZAR se betrokkenheid by die Sekhukhune-oorlog wat aan Brittanje die geleentheid gebied het om die Republiek in 1877 te annekseer.(6) In die daaropvolgende jare het die burgers hulle toegespits op die herwinning van hulle verlore onafhanklikheid. Toe dit geblyk het dat 'n verlore stryd gevoer is tydens vele onderhandelinge met die Britse regering en spanning geheers het oor die belastingkwessie het 'n volksvergadering op 8 Desember 1880 te Paardekraal besluit om die ZAR se verlore onafhanklikheid te herstel.(7)
  
  Assistent-kommandant-generaal P Cronjé het opdrag van generaal P Joubert gekry om met 'n patrollie van 400 man vanaf Paardekraal na Potchefstroom te vertrek en die vryheidsproklamasie by J P Borrius te laat druk. Die drukkery moes terselfdertyd teen 'n moontlike Britse aanval beskerm word. Cronjé het Potchefstroom met die poskoetspad vanaf Gatsrand genader. Van die Gatsranders onder leiding van assistent-veldkornet P Martins het die patrollie meegemaak asook Gatsrand se veldkornet, A J O Oosthuizen, wat as kommandant die wyke Gatsrand en Vaalrivier verteenwoordig het.(8)
  
  Prisoners Of War Deaths:
  Surname:         MARTINS
  Name:         JAN THOMAS
  Date of Death:     7 OCT 01
  Age:         58
  Cause:         PNEUMONIA AND HEART DISEASE
  Number:         3557
  Location:         ST HELENA
  Notes:         N/A
  
  Great Grandfather, Commandant Jan Thomas Martins of the farm Jachtfontein was captured at Paardekraal (PAARDEBERG?)  and sent to St Helena where he died. The farm Jachtfontein is one of the farms where gold was found in 1866
  
  http://www.anglo-boer.co.za/database-search/result.php?section=Prisoners_of_War&fldIDUnique=3267#sectionHeader
  
  The Federal officers who surrendered to Lord Roberts after their brilliant resistance during the ten days' battle were: General Cronje, Commandant M. J. Wolmarans, Commandants Roos and J. L. Martins, Assistant Commandants R. Woest, J. P. G. Vorster, and W. L. Jooste; Field Cornets Albert Naude, J. H. L. Bosman, W. A. Lemmer, H. G. Badenhorst, Frills (Scandinavian, D. H. Hattingh, Venter, D. J. Terblanche, P. V. de Villiers, G. J. du Plessis, Assistant Field Cornet P. W. Snyman, War Commissioner Arnoldi, Assistants P. J. Jooste, and A. K. Esselen, Adjutants J. T. A. Wolmarans, A. D. W. Wolmarans, R. A. Ning, G. S. Maree, J. B. Botha, G. H. Grobler, Bomas, and Moodie; Commandants J. P. J. Jordaan, J. K. Kok, J. C. Villiers, R. J. Snyman, L. Meintjes, J. Greyiing; Field Cornets J. Cronje, C. Oosthuizen, C. van Zyl, J. Nieuwenha, N. K. Hick, J. N. van der Walt; Major Albrecht, Commander of the Artillery ; Lieutenants V. Heester, Vondewitz, and Van Angesten.
  
  Extract From The War in South Africa (   ):
  "During the afternoon of the 15th, Major-General A. G. Wavell Jacobsdai had advanced on Jacobsdai with his brigade, the 15th (Vllth th P Feb. division), the 75th Field battery, and the mounted infantry of the City Imperial Volunteers, under Lieut. -Colonel H. C. Cholmondeley. The village was held by about 200 Boers,under Commandant Martins, but after some slight resistance it was carried by the British troops, at the cost of one man killed and eleven wounded. The Boer detachment retired to Bosjespan across the Modder, the passages of which, in the  neighbourhood of Lord Methuen's camp, they continued to hold, although, as the 1st division ascertained that morning, their outposts had evacuated the ground between the Riet and the Modder. "
  
  
  Het Panfontein geruil vir 7 springbokke.
  Prisoners Of War:
  Number:         3557
  Surname:         MARTINS
  Name:         JAN THOMAS
  Age:         57
  Address:         GATSRAND / JACHTFONTEIN
  District:         VEREENIGING
  Captured Where:    PAARDEBERG
  Captured When:    1900/02/27
  Camp:         DEADWOOD
  Country:         ST. HELENA
  Ship (To):         LAKE ERIE
  Ship (Back):    N/A
  
  In 1920 het die Verdedigingshoofkwartier besluit om erkenning te gee vir uitstaande prestasies gedurende die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog. Die medalje, die Dekoratie voor Trouwe Dienst, is in 1922 aan elf offisiere van die Gatsrand uitgereik. Hulle was kommandant J T Martins, kommandant T F J Dreyer, kommandant M J Wolmarans, kommandant F G A Wolmarans, veggeneraal J J M Breytenbach, veldkornet F O Breytenbach, assistent-veldkornet W P Grey, veldkornet P J W du Plessis, veldkornet P A Vermaas, veldkornet J F van der Merwe en veldkornet J Geldenhuys.(72)
  
  Stories on JT on http://www.mullersgazette.co.za/Jachtfontein.html
  
  In the settlement is a little church, nowadays used for multidenominational services. The church was inaugurated in 1891, its origin is well documented and goes back to the 1890's and Thomas Martins. The following is a translation of a typed manuscript titled 'die oorlewering van ouma Malie', the memories of ouma Malie
  This story has been passed on from Maria Susanna Elisabeth Brits (ne van Wyk) (Ouma Malie), wife of Gideon Petrus Brits and also contemporary and neighbour of Jan Thomas Maartens (this is how the name is spelled in the manuscript). Told to her grandson Daniel Lourens Brits and written down by Cornelia Susanna Brits (ne Klopper) in connection with Jan Thomas Maartens.
  After gold was discovered on the Witwatersrand a carriage service was introduced between Potchefstroom and Johannesburg. On the farm Modderfontein were stables where the horses could be exchanged. There was also overnighting facilities, as well as a bar. The building is still standing, see picture below. Jan Thomas Maartens was at that time a young man and a inhabitant of the neighbouring farm Jachtfontein next door. He was a regular customer of the bar and fairly often got home drunk. Tommie, an Englishman, was one of his regular drinking partners and one day he brought him home because he had no place to stay. Thomas's wife Meraai placed a a meal of offal in front of him.
  His eating habits were disgusting with offal hanging out his mouth as he was eating. Thomas became very distressed at the bad manners shown by Tommie and wanted to know from Meraai whether he also behaves like this when he is drunk. Her answer was that this is nothing, he behaves even worse, with at times throwing the whole plate under the table. This affected Thomas so much that for three days he sat under a thorn tree behind the house deep in thought and prayer.
  Here he promised that if God helps to free himself from the drinking devil that he will build him a church. God heart him and relieved him of this burden. Thomas kept his side of the bargain and build a church next to his house. It was a small church with a flat roof.
  This church was burned down during the Boer War, re-erected and made somewhat larger and put back into use in 1905 through the initiative of Thomas's son.
  A more complete description of the history of the church building has been framed and is hanging in the church.
  The difference in spelling of the name, I think, was just a mistake made by the author of the memoirs. In the church and in the graveyard the spelling is Martins.
  Thomas Martins
  
  There is more to Thomas Martins than just the church story. During the second Boer War he was a Kommandant serving under General Cronje. JT and many of his commando, as well as general Cronje were captured by the British during fighting near Kimberley in February 1900. JT was sent to St Helena, where he died.
  On the farm Modderfontein is the graveyard of one of the Martins family and here we found the oldest head stone dedicated to Jozua Franscois Martins who was born in 1832 and died in 1918. It is unlikely that he was the original trekker, he would have been a child at the time of the trek.
  Another name mentioned in the reference is P. Martins. He was an assistent veldkornet and was send with his commando from the gathering at Paardekraal in 1879 where the independence of the Transvaal was re-declared, to Potchefstroom to protect the place of the printing firm JP Borrius where the declaration was to be printed.
  ....and:
  http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol101ev.html
  Dit was die ZAR se betrokkenheid by die Sekhukhune-oorlog wat aan Brittanje die geleentheid gebied het om die Republiek in 1877 te annekseer.(6) In die daaropvolgende jare het die burgers hulle toegespits op die herwinning van hulle verlore onafhanklikheid. Toe dit geblyk het dat 'n verlore stryd gevoer is tydens vele onderhandelinge met die Britse regering en spanning geheers het oor die belastingkwessie het 'n volksvergadering op 8 Desember 1880 te Paardekraal besluit om die ZAR se verlore onafhanklikheid te herstel.(7)
  
  Assistent-kommandant-generaal P Cronjé het opdrag van generaal P Joubert gekry om met 'n patrollie van 400 man vanaf Paardekraal na Potchefstroom te vertrek en die vryheidsproklamasie by J P Borrius te laat druk. Die drukkery moes terselfdertyd teen 'n moontlike Britse aanval beskerm word. Cronjé het Potchefstroom met die poskoetspad vanaf Gatsrand genader. Van die Gatsranders onder leiding van assistent-veldkornet P Martins het die patrollie meegemaak asook Gatsrand se veldkornet, A J O Oosthuizen, wat as kommandant die wyke Gatsrand en Vaalrivier verteenwoordig het.(8)
  Gerugte dat die soldate in die Britse fort te Potchefstroom skote gevuur het, het Cronjé onmiddellik tot aksie laat oorgaan en hy het die patrollie beveel om in vier afdelings te verdeel. Die drukkery is bewaak, die Britse fort aan die westekant van die dorp omsingel en twee afdelings is na die landdroskantoor om majoor Clarke en sy manskappe se bewegings dop te hou. Die skermutseling het begin toe 'n afdeling van die Boerepatrollie onder leiding van kommandant J Wolmarans van die plaas Welverdiend in die Gatsrand, oor die markplein na die landdroskantoor beweeg het en majoor Clarke se manne op hulle begin skiet het. In die vroeë oggendure van 18 Desember 1880 het Clarke die wit vlag gehys en die landdroskantoor is ingeneem.(9)
  TWEEDE VRYHEIDSOORLOG, 1899-1902
  Die ontdekking van goud in die Witwatersrand in 1886 en die daaropvolgende Uitlandervraagstuk het uiteindelik tot 'n gespanne verhouding tussen Brittanje en die ZAR gelei. Die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog het op 11 Oktober 1899 uitgebreek.(19)
  
  Oppad na Magersfontein
  Die ongeveer 550 weerbare burgers(20) van die Gatsrand het opdrag gekry om die plaas Kleinfontein bymekaar te kom. Die Potchefstroom-Kommando, bestaande uit burgers van die verskillende veldkornetswyke van die distrik Potchefstroom, het onder leiding van generaal Cronjé die Transvaalse wesfront (met Mafeking as sentrum) verdedig.(21)
  
  Dat die Gatsranders nie 'n tekort sou hê aan wapens vir die stryd nie blyk uit assistent-veldkornet J F van der Merwe se bestelling van 20 000 Mausers en 10 000 Martini-Henry-gewere op 24 Junie 1899.(22) Dit was toe reeds duidelik dat daar voorbereidings getref is vir 'n oorlog.
  
  Die berede burgers in die omgewing van Mafeking was elk toegerus met 'n Mauser en een honderd patrone, maar vir mondproviand moes self gesorg word. Veldkornet Martins het generaal Cronjé as kommandant bygestaan.(23) Na ongeveer twee maande het die generaal in opdrag van die regering suidwaarts vertrek om die Vrystaters wat nog by Belmont was te help om die Britse opmars te stuit.(24)
  
  
  Van die opgekommandeerde Gatsranders, 1899
  (Foto: J du Preez, Fochville)
  
  Generaal Cronjé was skaars by die Vrystaters toe die regering hom opdrag gegee het om by generaals de la Rey en Prinsloo aan te sluit. Die Potchefstroom Kommando, waarvan die Gatsranders deel was, met onder andere kommandante M J Wolmarans, J T Martins en T F J Dreyer van die Gatsrand, het vroeg in Desember 1899 op Magersfontein naby Kimberley posisie ingeneem.(25) Die Boeremagte het op 11 Desember 1899 die Britse troepe oorwin. Generaal Cronjé se mag het hulle tydens die aanval onderskei en daarvoor het hulle 'n telegram van gelukwensing van president Kruger ontvang.(26)
  
  Cronjé se mag het na die slag van Magersfontein in die omgewing van Kimberley agtergebly met die doel om die Britse garnisoen wat hulle in die dorp bevind het tot oorgawe te dwing.(27) Vir diegene wat naby die Modderrivier stelling ingeneem het, het hierdie taktiek eintlik op 'n lang rustydperk uitgeloop. Kommandant J F Martins het in 'n brief aan assistent-veldkornet J F van der Merwe onder meer melding gemank dat 'op Modderfontein(28) over het algemeen is het hier betrekkelijk stil, behalwe dat die vyand elken dag eenige aantal bommen zendt, nie over Maertins kopje, uitwerking niets dan stof.'(29)
  
  Veggeneraal Breytenbach ontvlug
  
  'n Burger van die Gatsrand, veggeneraal J J M Breytenbach, het opdrag van generaal Cronjé gekry om met 300 man laer langs die Modderrivier stelling in te neem om Britse omsingeling te verhoed.(30) Lord Roberts het egter Cronjé se 4000 man by Paardeberg vasgekeer. Kommandant Martins het voorgestel dat 'n biduur gehou word ten einde die Almagtige te vra om leiding aan die offisiers te verskaf en dit is deur Cronjé aanvaar. Kommandant M J Wolmarans het hom verset teen die latere voorstel dat daar deur die Britse linie gebreek moes word en Cronjé se manne is op 27 Februarie tot oorgawe gedwing.(31)
  
  Dié oorgawe was vir die Gatsranders in die besonder 'n gevoelige verlies, aangesien die meerderheid berede burgers van die omgewing saam met kommandant J T Martins en M J Wolmarans gevange geneem en sommige na plekke soos St Helena verban is.(32)
  
  'n Aantal burgers (waaronder kommandant T F J Dreyer) het skynbaar voor Cronjé se oorgawe daarin geslaag om van die laer weg te kom. Veggeneraal Breytenbach en sy 300 man het ook ongeskonde daarvan afgekom, aangesluit by Dreyer se burgers en teruggetrek na Veertien Strome.(33) Na Cronjé se oorgawe het Smuts vir generaal de la Rey vergesel met die doel om ontvlugte burgers soos dié by Veertien Strome in die rigting van Pretoria en Johannesburg te laat beweeg.(34)
  
  Nadat Roberts Pretoria op 6 Junie 1900 beset het, is begin met die grootskaalse verwydering van vroue en kinders van die plase na konsentrasiekampe. Verder is 'n netwerk van blokhuislinies opgerig wat van digby Lambertsbaai in Wes-Kaapland tot by Pietersburg in Noord-Transvaal gestrek het met die doel om die spoorweë te beskerm. In die Gatsrand is blokhuise op Modderfontein, Bankstasie en Vlakfontein nr 364 gebou.(35)
  
  Jameson Surrender:
  Field Cornet with General Cronje
  On the Jameson surrender
  http://www.angloboerwar.com/books/70-fitzpatrick-the-transvaal-from-within/1507-fitzpatrick-appendix-g-terms-of-dr-jamesons-surrender
  Extract of letters:\
  His Honour H. Cloete,
  Acting British Agent, Pretoria.
  Appeared before me, HERMANUS JACOB COSTER, State Attorney and ex-officio J.P. of the South African Republic, PIETER ARNOLDUS CRONJÉ, Commandant of the Potchefstroom District, who makes oath and states:
  I was, together with H.P. Malan (Commandant of the Rustenburg District), and F.J. Potgieter (Commandant of the Krugersdorp District), one of the commanding officers of the burgher forces in the fights against Jameson. When I noticed the white flag, I instantly ordered De la Rey to approach the enemy. Instead of De la Rey, Hans Klopper, one of the men of Commandant Potgieter, went. He brought back a note from Willoughby to me. The contents of the note were that if we left them to themselves he promised to withdraw over the boundary. In reply I sent him per Hans Klopper the following note:
  'John Willoughby,—I acknowledge your note, and this serves as reply, that if you guarantee the payment of the expenses which you have occasioned the South African Republic and surrender your flag together with your weapons I will spare the life of you and yours. Please send reply within thirty minutes.'
  When this reply was written by me neither Malan nor Potgieter were present. Thereupon he answered that he accepted the terms, and surrendered himself fully with all his arms into my hands. After receiving Willoughby's answer, I rode to Jameson's troops in order to meet the other commandants, in accordance with a note sent by Commandant Potgieter to the enemy. I went with Field-Cornets Maartens and Van Vuuren to Jameson's troops, and met Jameson. When I met him I gave him to clearly understand our agreement namely that he must plainly understand that the last clause was that I guaranteed his life and that of his men until I had handed him over to General Joubert. Thereupon I asked him if he was willing to lay down his flag and his arms, to which he replied, 'I have no flag; I am willing to lay down my arms.' Thereupon I asked him if he could declare upon oath that he had no flag, whereupon he declared under oath that he had no flag. Then Commandant Malan arrived, and then the three commanding officers, Malan, Potgieter and I, were present on the spot.
  Before I began speaking to Malan, Jameson called Willoughby to be present. Thereupon Malan and I spoke together about the surrender of Jameson. Whereupon Malan said, 'We can't decide anything here. Jameson must surrender unconditionally, and he must be plainly given to understand that we cannot guarantee his life any longer than till we have handed him over to General Joubert.' I fully agreed with Malan, and the interpreter Adendorff was then instructed by the three commandants jointly to convey plainly in English to Jameson what the three commandants had agreed upon. After this had been done, Jameson bowed, took his hat off, and said in English that he agreed to the terms. Thereupon he issued orders to Willoughby to command the subordinate officers to lay down their arms. Then the arms were laid down. Later on, after the arms had been laid down, Commandant Trichardt arrived with orders from the Commandant-General, and his terms were the same as those we had already laid down.
  P.A. CRONJÉ.
  Sworn before me on this 7th day of March, 1896.
  H. J. COSTER,
  State Attorney and Ex-officio J.P.
  We, the undersigned, Jan. Thos. Maartens, Field-Cornet of the Ward Gatsrand, District Potchefstroom, and Daniel Johannes Jansen van Vuuren, Assistant Field-Cornet of the Ward Bovenschoonspruit, declare under oath that we were present at everything stated in the foregoing sworn declaration of Commandant P.A. Cronjé, and that that declaration is correct and in accordance with the truth.
  JAN. MAARTENS,
  D.J.J. VAN VUUREN.
  Sworn before me on this the 7th day of March, 1896.
  H. J. COSTER,
  State-Attorney and ex-officio J.P.
  Appeared before me, HERMANUS JAC
  
  DEPOT     TAB                                                                  
  SOURCE    MHG                                                                  
  TYPE      LEER                                                                 
  VOLUME_NO 0                                                                    
  SYSTEM    01                                                                   
  REFERENCE 1976                                                                 
  PART      1                                                                    
  DESCRIPTION          MARTINS, JAN THOMAS.                                                 
  STARTING  19010000                                                             
  ENDING    19010000                                                             
  REMARKS   SURVIVING SPOUSE ELIZABETH JACOBA MARGARETHA MARTINS (BORN VAN WYK).  

Details of Oom Thomas' family with Elizabeth (Meraai) Jacoba Margaretha van Wyk