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Els, Johannes Jakobus Marthinius. Burger 9 years 6 months ago #30386

djb Topic Author Offline Administrator Posts: 32431 Thank you received: 4862	Served: Commandant Lotter. Dr David Biggins
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Els, Johannes Jakobus Marthinius. Burger 1 year 3 months ago #91392

Neville_C Offline Administrator Posts: 1696 Thank you received: 2697	ELS, Johannes Jacobus Martinus, 47 Viljoenshout, Somerset East Captured Paardefontein, 5 Sep 1901 POW No. 24678 Bermuda; penal servitude for life .. Attachments:
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Els, Johannes Jakobus Marthinius. Burger 1 year 3 months ago #91398

Rob D Offline Senior Member Posts: 926 Thank you received: 884	Viljoenahout? ...likely Viljoenshoek The past is not dead. In fact, it's not even past. The following user(s) said Thank You: Neville_C
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Els, Johannes Jakobus Marthinius. Burger 1 year 3 months ago #91400

Neville_C Offline Administrator Posts: 1696 Thank you received: 2697	Thanks Rob, typo on my part, though POW lists give Viljoenshout rather than Viljoenshoek. Corrected to the former.
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Els, Johannes Jakobus Marthinius. Burger 1 year 3 months ago #91401

Rob D
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Posts: 926
Thank you received: 884

Vijoenshout doesn't sound like an Afrikaans place name; the WMBR has this, though an apostrophe shouldn't be used in Afrikaans:
Surname: ELS
Name: JOHANNES JACOBUS MARTHINUS
Trial Date: 20 SEPTEMBER 1901
Address: VILJOEN'SHOEK
District: SOMERSET-OOS
Commando: KMDT LOTTER
And the concentration camp records give Viljoens Hoek / Viljoenshoek / Viljoenshoop
as the same place.
All of which reflects, I think, several things:
1. The language barrier, esp. when English speakers wrote down spoken Afrikaans words.
2. Many burghers were only semi-literate at the time
3. Boers spoke Afrikaans but generally wrote Dutch or something close to Dutch. Afrikaans was not an official language with a written grammar until 20+ years later.

The past is not dead. In fact, it's not even past.

The following user(s) said Thank You: Neville_C, Moranthorse1

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Els, Johannes Jakobus Marthinius. Burger 1 year 3 months ago #91402

EFV Offline Senior Member Posts: 253 Thank you received: 562	Rob, Neville Hout is also a Dutch expression for small forrest. There are plenty of examples in Holland e.g. Haarlemse Hout The following user(s) said Thank You: Neville_C
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