Johannes Ruiter was a resident of Genadendal who, in 1849, became the first person from the village appointed as its policeman [MS]. He had served in almost all the wars on the Eastern Frontier [MS]. Farmers in the district petitioned against a Khoekhoe man holding the post, and four months later he was replaced by a European constable [MS]. His short time in office shows how the colony’s race order reached into the mission village.
What the letters in square brackets mean
Facts on this page are followed by a tag that shows where they come from.
- [IC] Independently Corroborated. Confirmed by at least two sources that do not depend on each other, or by an official record.
- [MS] Mission-Sourced. Comes from Moravian records and the histories written from them, above all Genadendal: A Long Walk by Isaac Balie. These often agree with each other because they share an origin.
- [TBV] To Be Verified. Seems likely, but nobody has confirmed it yet.
At a glance
| Born | Not known |
| Died | Not known |
| Known for | Being the first Genadendal resident appointed as the village’s policeman [MS] |
| Link to the valley | A resident of Genadendal, and a soldier of the frontier wars |
His appointment
By the middle of the 1800s the missionaries and their church council dealt mainly with church matters, and lawlessness in the village’s everyday affairs was growing [MS]. Strangers settled in the village without leave [MS]. The magistrate recommended that a policeman be appointed [MS]. The missionary Christian Ludwig Teutsch, who had succeeded Hallbeck as superintendent, appointed Ruiter in 1849 [MS].
He was described as “honest with superior intellect and resolution that secured him general obedience and esteem” [MS]. Farmers in the region objected. They feared that his appointment would open the way to “Khoi field-cornets acting under the orders of Khoi justices of peace and Khoi magistrates”, to whom they might one day be subject [MS]. They petitioned against him, and four months later he was replaced by a European constable [MS].
Balie’s history also says, on another page, that Ruiter was appointed in 1854 and reported to the field-cornet Herbert Vigne, the founder of Greyton [MS].
Links to other figures
- Herbert Vigne, field-cornet and founder of Greyton, was his superior, according to one page of Balie’s history.
- Hans Peter Hallbeck was succeeded as superintendent by Teutsch, who appointed Ruiter.
What is still open
- The year of his appointment: 1849 or 1854. Both appear in Balie’s history.
- When he was born and died, and which frontier wars he fought in.
- What the magistrate’s records, and the farmers’ petition, say about him.
- What he did after he was replaced.
Related
References
- Balie, I. (2023). Genadendal, The Valley of Grace: A Long Walk Through the History of the First Mission Station in South Africa. AuthorHouse. First published 2020. His appointment, the farmers’ petition, his replacement, and the two dates. Page numbers are on Genadendal: A Long Walk.