Dreyer Tree » Phillip Hendrik Morkel SV/PROG (1677-1735)

Personal data Phillip Hendrik Morkel SV/PROG 


Household of Phillip Hendrik Morkel SV/PROG

(1) He is married to Maria Biebow.

They got married


Child(ren):

  1. Elizabeth Morkel  1711-1752 


(2) He is married to Catherina Pasman.

They got married on September 17, 1713, he was 36 years old.


Child(ren):

  1. Willem Morkel  1718-1788 


Notes about Phillip Hendrik Morkel SV/PROG

 

Philip MORKEL (*1677 Hamburg, Germany) arrived at the Cape in 1708 on the ship Oosterstyn returning from the East to Holland. He was a "Constapel" (gunner or artillerist) and continued with at least one further voyage when he returned to the Cape on the Noordbeeck as chief gunner. He was also listed as an artillerist at the Castle in 1709, and received his burgher rights on 28 November 1709.

When Philip arrived at the Cape on the Oosterstyn, he married Maria BIEBOW aged 16. A daughter, Elizabeth was born in 1710 but Maria did not live long after that. On 17 September 1713, Philip married Catharina PASMAN, daughter of Rudolf Pasman and Sophia Schalk van der Merwe.

The family settled in 1713 on the farm Onverwacht in the Hottentots Holland valley (now Somerset West, about 50kms from Cape Town). The owners of the farm, Claas Elbertsz and Catharina's elder sister, Margaretha Pasman died the smallpox epidemic of 1713 and it passed on to Margaretha's mother, Sophia Pasman. In 1718 it was transferred to Philip. Until the town was established in 1819, the farm was often an overnight stop-over for travellers before tackling the pass over the Hottentots Holland mountains to the interior (Overberg). The Morkel family remained on the farm until the 1990's by when most of it had been absorbed by urban sprawl.

As a citizen and farmer, Philip served as dragonder (dragoon) from 1715 to 1721, church elder and Heemraad (Councillor) of Stellenbosch from 1721 to 1723.

Philip's brother, Willem also came to the Cape. He wasa chief surgeon on various VOC vessels, including the Meyden(1711), Groenswaard (1718) and Westerdyxhoorn (1721). He is described as "aleenlopend" (single), leaving no descendants and his domicilium was with Philip at Onverwacht.

The Church Window Pane

An oval window pane with the inscription Philip Morkel, Heemraat, Anno 1723 has survived. It is from an original set of 17 that were centre pieces of larger leadlight windows fitted to the Church of Stellenbosch built during the early 1720's. A member of the family rescued two of the panes when the church was demolished in 1862. One was of Philip shown below and the other of his sister-in-law, Sibella Pasman, displayed under Rudolf Pasman on this website.

Window pane from Stellenbosch Church - 1723

Source: Morkel, P.W. The Morkels. Family History.

The Wreck of the "Schoonenburg" and Liefde-krans

On 20 November 1722, the ship "Schoonenburg"was wrecked about 4 miles east of Cape Agulhas, the southern most tip of Africa. The crew made their way to the close shore but according to reports heavy seas precluded salvaging the ship. The mastshad washed overboard and the whole of the afterpart had broken away. The skipper tried to salvage some of the provisions but "5 to 6 men had ill-used and robbed him". When locals from the Cape arrived, the crew had drank the liquor and smashed much of the ship.

Eighty-five survivors struggled through the wild bush and mountains (as the crow flies, about 80 to 100 kms) and was housed on the first farm along the way, which was Onverwacht. Philip's single brother, Willem was also at the farm and the two brothers hosted the survivors. On their return to Holland, one of them, Ab van Mommen, wrote an epic poem, "liefde-krans" (lit. a wreath of love) about the event, expressing gratitude to Philip and Willem. It was printed in Amsterdam in 1725. While the poem is sprinkled with allegories to Greek mythology and biblical references, the relevant parts can be translated as follows:

This Flip Morkel recently proved his love in his treatment of the shipwrecked people, steeped in misery of the East India ship Schonenberg. They by ill-fortune came to be cast ashore , alas to their sorrow on the coast of Anguilhas (sic) …… Whence eighty-five men, trusting in God's pity wandered through the wilds of Africa …….A hippopotamus was killed and gave food for their bodies. Thereafter in three days they found succour in Hottentots Holland, at the hands of Morkel. This man gave lavishly to all that sorry company. O Noble Deed! Translated by M.K. Jeffreys.

The poem relates that Willem would have empathized with the survivors as he had also been in a shipwreck, that of the Arionwhile in the East Indies (off the coast of Maxima).

Liefde-krans -Dedicated to Philip and Willem Morkel - 1725

Source: Morkel, P.W. The Morkels. Family History.

Children

Philip Morkel had three children, two daughters and one son Willem, who in turn had four sons (and 6 daughters, of whom two grew up and married). Thus by 1808, a hundred years after Philip first settled at the Cape, there were only four families (grandsons of the original Philip) using the Morkel surname. Three lived on contiguous farms, Philip atMorgenster, Willem atVoorburg and Daniel at Onverwacht, bordering Somerset West. The fourth son, Hercules farmed at Welgelegen in the same district and his descendants moved over the mountain to the Riviersonderend district.

Philip MORKEL *27.2.1677, †12.4.1735.

Philip Morkel's signature from a letter stating that the neighbouring loan farm of Claudina Lombaar,

widow of David du Buisson was of no hindrance to him.

Source: P.W. Morkel, The Morkels, Family History.

Philip's first wife:

x 25.6.1708 Maria BIEBOW ~2.3.1692, † 1713 aged 21 at the Cape, daughter of Detlef BIEBOW of Mecklenberg, Germany, x 24.12.1688, Willemijntje Ariens DE WIT of Rotterdam, Holland.

Children of Philip's 1st marriage:

b1 Elizabeth ~1711, † 1752 aged 42. x 5.9.1728 Wouter DE VOS *1689, †1731 at Libertas, Stellenbosch. xx 11.5.1732 Johannes LOUW * 1715.

Philip's second wife:

xx 17.9.1713 Catharina PASMAN ~17.8.1691, †24.3.1764 aged 72 Onverwacht, Hottentots Holland. Daughter of Rudolf PASMAN of Mörs, Rhenish Prussia, x 12.11.1684, Sophia Schalk VAN DER MERWE.

Children of Philip's 2nd marriage:

b2 Sophia Margaretha ~ 1.9.1715, † 1793 aged 78 at Meerlust, Stellenbosch x 10.2.1743 Johannes Albertus MIJBURGH, * 1719, † 1788, aged 69.

b3 Willem ~ 25.12.1718, † 1788 aged 69 Onverwacht, Hottentots Holland.

Willem Morkel's signature, Church of Stellenbosch minutes. 11 April 1738.

Source: A.M. Hugo en J. van der Bijl, Die Kerk van Stellenbosch.

Willem's first wife:

x 11.5.1749, Sara VAN BRAKEL, ~11.11.1716, † 28.3.1759, aged 42 at Onverwacht, daughter of Hermanus VAN BRAKEL x 1.4.1708 Geertruyda VAN DER BIJL.

Children of Willem's 1st marriage:

c1 Catharina Adriana

c2 Catharina Adriana

c3 Catharina ~10.11.1754, † 9.2.1816 aged 61 at Cape Town, x 13.8.1772 Jacobus MALAN, † 31.8.1778, xx 5.2.1780 Rudolf Johannes LAUBSCHER, † 5.5.1795, aged 45.

Willem's second wife:

xx Helena Catharina MALAN ~ 11.3.1736, † 27.10.1825 aged 89 at Onverwacht, daughter of Daniel MALAN x 8.8.1704 Maria VERDEAU.

Children of Willem's 2nd marriage:

c4 Philip Hendrik ~ 6.7.1760, † 1831 aged 70 at Morgenster, Hottentots Holland, x Johanna Petronella MALAN.

c5 Willem * 21.9.1761, ~ 26.9.1762, † 29.10.1821, aged 60 at Voorburg, x Anna Margaretha WIUM.

c6 Daniel Johannes * 17.8.1764, ~ 2.9.1764, † 15.8.1825, aged 60 at Onverwacht, x Hester Sibella KEEVE, xx Maria Dorothea LOUW, xxx Sophia Alida BRINK.

Signatures from a Bill of Debt (Skuldbewys) to E.K. Green for the Somerset West Church Organ.

The three Morkel brothers, Philip, Willem and Daniel together with

M.W. Theunissen from the farm Vergelegen (and father-in-law of Daniel's son),

were the "Voorstanders" who petitioned the Governor of the Cape Colony, Lord Charles Somerset,

to establish the town of Somerset West They also sponsored the founding of the Church.

Source: H.C. Hopkins. Nederduitse Gereformeerde Gemeente. Somerset Wes 1819 - 1969.

c7 Hercules, ~ 8.2.1767, † 1808aged 41 at Welgelegen, Hottentots Holland, x Helena MUNNIK.

c8 Maria Elizabeth ~ 12.2.1769.

c9 Maria Sophia ~ 18.3.1770.

c10 Helena Catharina ~ 21.3.1773, † 5.5.1852, Somerset West, x 6.5.1808, Philippus Albertus MIJBURGH.

Morkel origins in Germany.

Efforts to trace Philip and Willem's ancestry in Hamburg in Germanyhave not been successful. To date no evidence of the family name could be found in the Hamburg church archives of the time. A broader search of the family name yielded about 50 Morkel families in Germany with "hotspots" in Butzbach, about 50 km north of Frankfurt, and the Brachttal area - a number of small towns about 70 kms north east of Frankfurt. The Morkel family name was traced back to previous spellings of Markholt, (keeper of the market) Markel, and Morkel, back to 1383. In this reference, the name changed from Markel to Morkel with Emmerich Morkel who is mentioned as a young man in 1520, and was mayor of Butzbach in 1535, 1548 and 1554. Subsequent spellings also included Morckel. Whether there are any connections between these families and Philip could not be established.

References:

Heese, J.A. and Lombard, R.T.J. GISA. 1999. South African Genealogies. Vol 5. L-M.

Heap, Peggy. 1970. The Story of Hottentots Holland. A.A. Balkema, Cape Town.

Hopkins, H.C. Nederduitse Gereformeerde Gemeente. Somerset Wes 1819 - 1969. Kerkraad, Somerset Wes Gemeente.

Hugo, A.M. en van der Bijl, J. 1963. Die Kerk van Stellenbosch. Tafelberg Uitgewers.

Melchior, Erich. "Butzbacher Familien: Marckel (Markel und Morckel)". Hessiches Familienkunde. Band 16. 1982-1983.pp252 -256. J 20952 ISSN 0018-1064.

Morkel, Philip William. Undated. The Morkels. Family Tree and History. Published privately.

C

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Ancestors (and descendant) of Phillip Hendrik Morkel

Phillip Hendrik Morkel
1677-1735

(1) 

Maria Biebow
1692-1713

(2) 1713
Willem Morkel
1718-1788

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Historical events

  • Stadhouder Prins Willem III (Huis van Oranje) was from 1672 till 1702 sovereign of the Netherlands (also known as Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden)
  • In the year 1677: Source: Wikipedia
    • March 17 » The Siege of Valenciennes, during the Franco-Dutch War, ends with France's taking of the city.
    • April 19 » The French army captures the town of Cambrai held by Spanish troops.
    • July 23 » Scanian War: Denmark–Norway captures the harbor town of Marstrand from Sweden.
    • November 4 » The future Mary II of England marries William, Prince of Orange; they later jointly reign as William and Mary.
  • The temperature on September 17, 1713 was about 16.0 °C. Source: KNMI
  •  This page is only available in Dutch.
    Van 1702 tot 1747 kende Nederland (ookwel Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden) zijn Tweede Stadhouderloze Tijdperk.
  • In the year 1713: Source: Wikipedia
    • February 1 » The Kalabalik or Skirmish at Bender results from the Ottoman sultan's order that his unwelcome guest, King Charles XII of Sweden, be seized.
    • March 1 » The siege and destruction of Fort Neoheroka begins during the Tuscarora War in North Carolina, effectively opening up the colony's interior to European colonization.
    • March 22 » The Tuscarora War comes to an end with the fall of Fort Neoheroka, effectively opening up the interior of North Carolina to European colonization.
    • April 11 » War of the Spanish Succession (Queen Anne's War): Treaty of Utrecht.
    • April 19 » With no living male heirs, Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, issues the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 to ensure that Habsburg lands and the Austrian throne would be inheritable by a female; his daughter and successor, Maria Theresa was not born until 1717.
    • June 23 » The French residents of Acadia are given one year to declare allegiance to Britain or leave Nova Scotia, Canada.
  • The temperature on April 12, 1735 was about 10.0 °C. There was 2 mm of rainWind direction mainly southwest. Weather type: regen. Source: KNMI
  •  This page is only available in Dutch.
    Van 1702 tot 1747 kende Nederland (ookwel Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden) zijn Tweede Stadhouderloze Tijdperk.
  • In the year 1735: Source: Wikipedia
    • January 8 » The premiere of George Frideric Handel's Ariodante takes place at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
    • March 10 » An agreement between Nader Shah and Russia is signed near Ganja, Azerbaijan and Russian troops are withdrawn from occupied territories.
    • July 11 » Mathematical calculations suggest that it is on this day that dwarf planet Pluto moved inside the orbit of Neptune for the last time before 1979.
    • August 5 » Freedom of the press: New York Weekly Journal writer John Peter Zenger is acquitted of seditious libel against the royal governor of New York, on the basis that what he had published was true.


Same birth/death day

Source: Wikipedia

Source: Wikipedia


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When copying data from this family tree, please include a reference to the origin:
Hendrik Dreyer, "Dreyer Tree", database, Genealogy Online (https://www.genealogieonline.nl/dreyer-tree/I1724.php : accessed December 6, 2025), "Phillip Hendrik Morkel SV/PROG (1677-1735)".