Page 118 - Bulletin 17 2013

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Quarterdeck – Gatesville roads. From Rouxville Road a path is shown going up the mountain –

probably to collect water from the mountain in the dry season. Also shown is a line of pipes that
diverted water from the stream across-contour to the van Blerk homestead and Die Land, which

lie in the drier part of Kalk Bay.

This paper focuses on the two contiguous land grants that made up Die Dam. They were given to
Cornelis Gysbert Verwey in 1817 and to Lorentz Alexander Oxholm in 1824. (Figs. 3.3 & 3.4.)

Land Grant to Cornelis Gysbert Verwey, 1817

In a letter dated June 1817, to his Excellency the Governor and Commander-in-Chief, the Earl of

Caledon, Cornelis Gysbert Verwey says he is employed by the Burgher Senate as Collector of
Duties between Muizenberg and Kalk Bay. Verwey was, then, the toll collector. A toll-house had

not been recorded at Kalk Bay until this time and as far as is known it was opposite today’s
Dalebrook pool, as recorded in the deeds of Erf 89659.

Verwey went on to say that there was a piece of land near where he was living – 5 morgen in

extent – and that he would like it. The Burgher Senate had no objection to land being granted to

him, although his request for 5 morgen was perhaps ambitious. In the event, he was granted a
piece of land, Erf 89721, of 1 Morgen 542 square roods and 90 square feet. This is about 4 acres.

The land grant system and the Burgher Senate had been retained by the British military in 1795

as a sort of municipal council for Cape Town, in the absence of any other organization. It was

still functioning when the British returned in 1806. In essence most of the land between
Muizenberg and Simon’s Town had been owned by the DEIC and, subsequently, the British – it

was not in private hands. The system of land grants was used to transfer land into private
ownership. Application was made to the Burgher Senate and if they approved, the Governor

rubber-stamped the approval. The land was then given to the grantee at no cost and with no

obligation to keep the land for a set period.