Steenberg - The fascinating story behind the oldest farm in The Cape and the feisty widow Ras
Catharina Ras, the feisty foreigner who survived many tragedies, challenged the rules - and pioneered her way to being the very first woman in South Africa to become a land-owner and Steenberg the first registered farm. Today Steenberg still has this strong sense of place and sets new trends - which we will see yet again when Catharina's fine dining restaurant relaunches on 2nd August 2013.
Catharina Ras was the first owner of Steenberg and her story is a fascinating one – of a young woman who pioneered land ownership in South Africa, and who did things her own way in an era when women had no legal rights. Her fiercely independent and indomitable spirit, which led her to marry no less than five times in her lifetime and give birth to six children, while retaining her own individuality, set the precedent for our farm that is today known as Steenberg – globally recognised for its distinct sense of place and inimitable style.
Born in Lubek (Germany), Catharina Ustings was one of the most controversial and daring figures ever to settle at the Cape. Newly widowed at just 22 years old, she stowed away on board a sailing ship dressed as a man, and sailed into the Cape just ten years after Jan van Riebeeck, landing here in 1662. Dramatic overtones marked the course of her life until she passed away at the age of 67 in 1708.
The Cape was a fierce, wild place with laws to match, and no place for a young widow on her own. She lost no time in finding a second husband, and within two months of her arrival, Tryn, as she was known, married Hans Ras, a soldier and free burger (citizen). Although Hans survived a knifing incident on their wedding day, he was killed by a lion in 1671. Legend has it that Catharina hunted the lion on horseback and killed it the same day. Left to fend alone with four young children, she married her third husband Fancois Champelaer van Ghent, a rather unsuccessful farmer, in 1672. This short-lived marriage ended in July 1673 when he was murdered by marauding tribesmen. Her next husband was Swedish-born Laurens Cornelissen, and she moved with her four children to live with him in the Table Valley, where they had another two daughters. He died tragically underfoot of an elephant while hunting hippos at nearby Zeekoeivlei, although there are no records of exactly when this occurred.
At the age of 36 Catharina was left with five children to care for, after one died during early childhood, she drew on her seemingly undiminished inner strength and continued undaunted. It was during this time that she and her children moved to the Tokai valley, below the Steenberg Mountain, and according to historical records, she farmed a tract of land here, with the assistance of Matthys Michelse, a hardy German who outlived her as her fifth and last husband.
By this time Catharina had learned that marriage couldn’t be looked on as a source of security, and set her sights on owning land herself. In 1682 she approached the governor of the Cape, Simon van der Stel, requesting 25 morgen of land at the foot of the Steenberg Mountain. It is hinted by some that the Governor was her lover, and others say he simply liked her unconventional style.
Either way, he granted her request, and presented the land to her as a gift. She called it Swaaneweide – The Feeding Place of Swans, and lived here happily according to her own whims and fancies. She later approached the Governor for a legal Title Deed for her land, which he granted in 1688. The title deed, which today is displayed in the original Manor House of the Steenberg Hotel, granted her mandate ‘to cultivate, to plough, to sow and also to possess the farm below the stone mountain’.
And so it came to pass that Catharina Ras became the very first woman in South Africa to become a land-owner, and Steenberg the first registered farm. Every so often visitors and staff at Steenberg swear they can still feel the spirit of Catharina Ras blowing through the historical buildings, and whispering softly as the breeze blows through our vineyards…
HOT OFF THE PRESS:
Watch this space for the latest news on the new Catharina's - the fine dining restaurant at Steenberg will be enjoying a makeover this week and will be relaunching on 2nd August. Pics to follow shortly!
For more information on Steenberg please visit www.steenberghotel.com or call +27 (0) 21 713-2222. Please follow us on Twitter - @SteenbergHotel.
Claire Roadley
Marketing & PR Manager
Ethos Marketing®
Unit 5, Field Place Estate, Byfleets Lane, Broadbridge Heath, Horsham, RH12 3PB
Tel: 44 (0)1403 243619
claire@ethosmarketing.co.uk
http://www.ethosmarketing.co.uk
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Ethos Marketing is the UK Sales, Marketing and PR office for luxury hotels and game lodges in Southern and East Africa.
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