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ans Forster, was born around 1695 in Bern, Switzerland. In later work contracts, Jan consistently stated that Bern was his place of origin. Like many young European men of his time, he left his homeland to seek work and opportunity overseas.r before, left Texel in Holland. On board were 92 sailors and 31 soldiers. Jan was one of the sailors. The ship was commanded by Skipper Thieleman Sterling and sailed via the Cape of Good Hope on its way to Batavia.ers died, and others left the ship at the Cape. Jan remained behind when the ship departed again on 7 August 1717, continuing its journey to Batavia., Jan began to establish himself on land. On 16 July 1717, recorded as “Hans Vorster of Bern”, he signed a one-year contract with Cornelis Leendert Hutspot, a master mason. Jan agreed to work as a mason’s assistant for a monthly wage of 12 Caroli guilders and 20 pfennigs. This contract marks the beginning of his career as a mason at the Cape. This contract was renewed on 6 June 1719 and completed on 22 June 1719, when Jan confirmed before Governor Swellengrebel that his work had been completed.ring this period, Jan played an important role in the construction of the original Paarl church, which had a thatched roof. The foundation stone was laid on 6 September 1718, and by 7 April 1720 the building was far enough along that it was decided to begin using the church on 2 June 1720. The church measured 80 feet by 40 feet. In September 1720, after the northern gable of the church collapsed, Jan was paid 100 riksdalers for repair work.rded as Johannes Foster entered into another one-year contract, this time with Heemraad Schalk Willemz van der Merwe, earning 12 guilders per month. This contract was renewed annually on 3 June 1721, 29 May 1722, and 24 May 1723, showing that Jan was a reliable and respected craftsman.onfident enough in his trade to apply for burgher (citizenship) status. In his application, he stated that he was a mason by profession and believed he could earn an honest living as a free citizen of the colony. His request was granted.Barend Lübbe. These included household goods, wheat, butter, and two oxen, indicating that Jan and his wife Elisabeth Lübbe were well established.ions. These purchases paint a picture of a settled family life.trong>. They also appear in the 1725 Opgaaf (tax) roll, which records that they owned one male slave, a firearm (snaphaan), and a sword. disappear from all official records at the Cape, Stellenbosch, and Drakenstein. No estate records (MOOC) exist for Jan, which is unusual given that he had minor children.strong>Jan died or disappeared between 1728 and 1730. This assumption is based on a baptism record dated 1 April 1731, when Elisabeth Lübbe baptised a daughter, Elisabeth Bruins, in Tulbagh. The baptism entry lists the father as “unknown”. Elisabeth never remarried, which was uncommon for a young widow with small children.a Swiss-born sailor who became a respected mason, a free burgher of the Cape, and one of the early builders of the colony.
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Abt 1695 - Abt 1730 (35 years) Has no ancestors but more than 100 descendants in this family tree.
