David, Nicodemus (Nikodemus) * ?, ? † . Nicodemus was send by his father David, who was an active member of the Zwartbooi congregation in Ameib, to the Augustineum in 1872, in the same year when chief Abraham Zwartbooi send his son David Zwartbooi to the Augustineum.1 Mentioned as a student in Augustineum1874 from Neu-Barmen Nicodemus worked as a schoolteacher for Böhm in Scheppmansdorp and was amongst the group the travelled with the steam lauch (Dampfbarkasse) "Henrietta" from Walfish Bay to Sandwichharbour in 1883.2 1885: While RMS missionary Böhm was working in Walfish Bay the Zwartbooi-people had spread in the country without a permanent settlement and were involved in several armed attacks on the Herero (e.g. in Otjimbingwe). During this time Nicodemus David was with Böhm and he [Nicodemus] kept contact with his people and informed Böhm about their whereabouts and their plans. Böhm communicated this information to his colleagues and the Mission Board in Barmen.3 [The Swartboois settled at Franzfontein by 1893] In 1903 Nikodemus Davids wrote a letter in German from Bethany (the text gives no explanation why Davids should now suddenly be in Bethany) to Barmen: "Bethanien, 18. Mat [sic] 1903. Liebe Freunde! Da Ihr an uns, die Gemeinde in Bethanien, gedacht habt und noch denkt, wollen wir Euch auch einen Dank für diese Eure Lebensmittel bringen. Mit Herz und Hand haben wir es empfangen und uns darüber sehr gefreut; das Ihr Euch lieben [sic] Freunde über uns so erbarmt und an unsere Not und Elend denkt, und uns Eure Freundlichkeit bewissen [sic] habt. Unterstützung haben wir den größeren Theil der Gemeinde Länder gesäet um auch in Zukunft leben zu können. Und hoffen, daß das was die Freunde uns gegeben haben der Herr weiter segnen möchte durch seine Gnade, und nicht nur an uns, sonder auch Euch seine Hülfe und Beistand verleihen möge. Es grüßen Euch Paul Fredriks Kapitein. Nicodemus Davids. Daniel Fredriks. + + + (Handzeichen des Aeltesten Petrus Stoffel)."4 Nicodemus Davids was still teaching in Bethany in 1903.5 Missionary Peter visited the Richtersfeld by the middle of 1914 on his way to Port Nolloth, where he planned to visit a group of Christians from Bethany, from whom he believed that they wanted to return to Namibia. After a long journey from Bethany, he reached Richtersfeld on the (??) when it was already dark. After a visit to Evangelist Federik Hein, Peter travelled to the farm of the very rich farmer Jasper Cloute [sic] about 30km from Port Nolloth, who also belonged to the congregation of Richtersfeld. Here Peter met a delegation of Bethany Christians who lived in Port Nolloth. It turned out that the Bethany Christians were not at all interested to return to Bethany. The rumor of their assumed willingness to return probably started, because one of them had written a letter to Nikodemus Davids with the question whether it would be possible to return from the Cape to Nambia. It was necessary for Peter to convince the representatives of the Port Nolloth group that he was not send by the Colonial Police in South West Africa, but that he came out of pure concerned for the former Bethany Christians.6 Married: Children: Education: Other family members connected to RMS: Mission Stations: History with the RMS: 1 Report of Hahn in BRMG 1872:235. 2 BRMG 1884:144. 3 BRMG 1885:229. 4 BRMG 1903:218. 5 JBRMG 1903:15. 6 BRMG 1914:243-245. --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------