SIBBE 3
PAGE 229-236
One of the most knowledgeable people of the VOC period was Mr. F.H. de Vos who wrote articles in the English language for several magazines issued in Ceylon. Unfortunately most of these have disappeared and are completely unknown, while they were highly important material of "SIBBE" knowledge.
Following here is an example of a translation describing the funeral procession of Robertus Kramer - Dissave of Colombo, of which Mr. De Vos gives lots of personal information concerning the persons attending the funeral which cannot be found anywhere else.
Similar particulars have been noted at other funeral processions by Mr. De Vos e.g. at the occasion of Lubert Jan Baron van Eck, Governor of Ceylon who was buried in Colombo on April 5th in 1765, and at the procession of Iman Willem Falck, also Governor of Ceylon and buried on February 6th 1785. If our members show enough interest in these we hope to publish them in due time in "SIBBE"
Van Toll.
The
Funeral procession of Robertus Cramer.
Robertus Cramer, born in Amsterdam, was Director of the Galle Corle about 1735; Head of Trincomalee about 1743 and Dissave of Colombo around 1755 succeeding Pieter Elders Schuttrup. He died in Colombo on oct 23rd, 1760 and buried. The "NEDERLANDSCHE MERCURIUS" volume X (1761) pages 208 to 212 contains a recounting of his funeral from which the following has been taken over.
"Robertus Cramer had been married twice. First with Elizabeth Steenhuysen and the in 1751 with Magdalena Elizabeth van Hek from Jaffna, widow of Francois van de Rondewerken. From his first marriage were born: Hendrik, born in Galle, 1735 and Catharina Magdalena born in Galle in 1737. Children from his second marriage were Maria Elizabeth, born in Colombo in 1755 (married to Matheus Petrus Raket), Anna Henrietta, born in Colombo 1757 and Magdalena Theodora, born in Colombo in 1759. During the Dutch Administration in Ceylon there lived also other families with the surname Cramer: Johannes Cramer of Batavia (1736), Adriaan de Cramer from Leyden (1707) and Johannes Bernardus Cramer from Wezel (1757).
Hendrik Cramer, son of Robertus, was Onderkoopman in 1758 and Magazijnmeester te Tuticorin in 1777. A few months before his father's death, On August 5th 1760, he married in Galle with Cornelia Elsebe de Salve, born in Galle in 1740, daughter of Pierre de Salve from Lexmond, head of Mannar and Johanna Catharina meyer. De Children of Herdrik Cramer were: Pierre Roberus Marcus, born in Galle 1765; Magdalena Henrietta, born in Tuticorin 1771 and Johan Hendrik Gerard, born in Tuticorin in 1774. Hendrik Cramer died in 1787.
“Since
I am unsure of how to correctly translate the ranks I have left them in Dutch
and here are the words I literally translated, corrections are very welcome:
With
some of the titles the word etc. was typed in. It does not mean I myself left
out some text but ENZ. = ETC. was
actually written”.
Adjudant =
Adjudant
Bevelvoerend
Sergeant. Sergeant in command?
Consumptie
Bookkeeper = Food and Beverage Bookkeeper?
Dispencier =
???? gives exemption from what ? debts? Tax?
Fiscaal =
Tax Collector???
Hoofd der
Artillerie = Head of Ordnance
Hoofd
Winkelier = Head Storekeeper
Hoofdbarbier
= Headbarber (also serves as surgeon??)
Hoofdmagazijnmeester
= Warehouse master - Head Master
Hoofdopzichter
= Head supervisor
Hoofdopziener
= Head inspector or Head supervisor
Kapitein der
Burgerij = Captain of the Civil Guard
Kassier =
Cashier
Klein
Winkelier = Storekeeper
Koopman =
Merchant
Luitenant-werktuigkundige
= Lieutenant engineer
Magazijnmeester
= Warehouse master
Majoor-Barbier
= Major Barber ??
Negotie-Boekhouder
= Transaction bookkeeper
Negotie-Overdrager
= Transfers Trade bills
Onder Majoor
= Sub major??
Onderkoopman
= Merchant - Second Class
Opperbarbier
= Nr 1 Barber??
Oppermagazijnmeester
= Warehouse master - ??
Sabandaar =
???????.
Soldy-Boekhouder
= Salary bookkeeper for soldiers
Soldy-Overdrager
= Paymaster
Stads-Opperman
= City top administrator? Stads-Opperman
Tweede
Magazijnmeester = Warehouse master - Second Class
Tweede
Visitateur = Custom Inspector - Second Class???
Vaandrig =
Ensign
Verbandmeester
= In charge of medical supplies?? Verband = dressage or bandage.
157. Carel
Frederick Schreuder, Bookkeeper. (Carl Friedrich Schreuder of (or?) Schorter,
the Dutch word "of" means
"or"