Benade, Marthinus Jacobus * Victoria-West (Cape), 27.07.1855, † Rehoboth district, 1925. Source: Stals 2009:208. Father: Pieter Johannes Benade. Mother: Louisa Aletta nèe Van Stade. The mother of Benade died when he was 13 years old. He grew up in the family of Johannes Paul Lubbe. Married to: Elizabeth Johanna Henning (* 10.02.1851) from Victoria-West. Elizabeth died 12 days after the birth of Johannes Paul Lubbe at Carls Graft. Children: Pieter Johannes (09.02.1879) Johannes Paul Lubbe (05.09.1880) Married (for the second time) by 1890 to: Johanna Maria Zwart (*02.07.1866 in the Cape, † 1942 in the Rehoboth district), daughter of Nikolaas Zwart and his wife Maria née Jansen. Children: Johannes Nicolaas Marthinus Jacobus Maria Daniël Heinrich Louisa Cornelius After the death of his first wife, Benade came in contact with Willem Spangenberg near Upington, a boer who bought land from the Witboois near Gibeon and tried to settle Afrikaans speaking farmers from the Cape in Namibia, by selling them farm land to them. In 1887 Benade visits Klipfontein, where he meets members of the Veldskoendraers, probably in connection with the aim of acquiring land. It is presumably in these years, 1886/1887, that he also gets in contact with the Vilander-Basters. It must have also been in these years that he changed his plans to farm, because in August 1888 he left Victoria-West finally, and moved to Rietfontein over Griekwastad. By this time his two children are seven and nine years old and no information is available about their further fate. Benade's activities now shifts from that of a farmer to a teacher and evangelist. He is employed by an English trader (perhaps Robert Duncan) at Rietfontein where he teaches the 12 children of the trader. Most probably he also worked as an Evangelist among the Basters of the surrounding, in cooperation with RMS missionary Pabst. When the financial support by the trader ceased and the children were able to read and write he moved to Keetmanshoop together with another boer. Here he contacted Fenchel, who was impressed by Benade's request, of which he wrote in his reports to the missionboard in Barmen. Fenchel wanted him to join the service of the RMS, but before this materialised, the leader of the Grootfontein-Basters, Klaas Zwart, - they lived in the area of the Leeuriver by this time - employed him in October 1889 of a yearly payment of £ 30, together with free food. The Zwart-people had had moved from Schiefontein (Carnarvon) in the Cape to the vicinity of Geiaus (Grootfontein) around 1870 and later joined the Vilander-Basters of Mier. Here in Mier, Pabst started his missionwork by 1885. Benade worked since 1889 as teacher and Evangelist amongst these Grootfontein-Basters (Zwart-people)1 and the Namas in the surrounding of the Leueriver. Since the employment by Klaas Zwart2 was of no long living, Benade was requested by Fenchel to establish a missionstation at Groot-Aub (east of Keetmanshoop). It seems as if the employment of Benade within the RMS has never been finalised.3 After the devastating flood on 26.10.1890 in Keetmanshoop (during which the whole mission station was destroyed, the "Evangelistenschule" was made unusable) Fenchel wrote to "Bruder Benade" to come over to Keetmanshoop if possible and help him with the re-construction of the station. Unfortunately, according to Fenchel, the letter returned without Benade receiving it, because the Bastards were living too far away.4 Fenchel describes him as a young boer [Fenchel writes "Bauer" and it is not obvious whether he means farmer or Boer] from the Cape, near to the RMS mission station Schietfontein. He was married there, but his young wife died. Since farming got more and more difficult in that area, he came to Great Namaqualand [no year given by Fenchel]. He worked near the Station Rietfontein as a teacher for 12 children and was paid by a trader at the spot. Here he held church services on Sunday and during the week. When the financial support by the trader ceased and the children were able to read and write he moved away. Together with another Boer, who was also a trader, Benade settled at Keetmanshoop. Since Benade did not feel like taking up the occupation as a trader he looked for another work in Keetmanshoop. During a Holy Communion, in which he participated - very much to the surprise of Fenchel, who had told Benade that the Holy Communion was for the "Hottentotten congregation" - without minding the conditions. Fenchel describes him as a committed Christian whose confession: "I am believing, and that is why I am speaking." impressed the missionary. When he came to ask whether he could start working amongst the Feldschoendragers, who had requested his service - Fenchel agreed. While Benade was still staying with the Boer in the Lion river he preached there regularly every Sunday. This is how Klaas Zwaart took notice of him. He employed him as a teacher. This is how he was appointed as an Evangelist amongst the people of Klaas Zwaart, where he then not only preached in Dutch for the Bastards but - with the help of a translator from the Keetmanshoop congregation - also for the Nama speaking people in the surrounding. Fenchel praises his fiery preaching and calls him a "brother".5 Benade was married to the daughter of Klaas Zwart. During 1896, Benade was leading the church service on Sundays at Grootfontein (the branch of Bethany where the Klaas-Zwaart-People were living) "[...] doch scheint er mit seiner Arbeit auf allerhand Schwierigkeiten zu stoßen". The teaching at the School was done by Maria Zwart [sic] in the former house of RMS missionary Pabst. Heinrichs - stationed in - Bethany visited Grootfotein twice in 1896.6 When Heinrichs returned to Bethany on the 06.05.1901 - after an absence of 6 months - he found Grootfontein deserted and the congregation ceased to exist. Bernade moved to Bethany (to the house of Heinrichs??).7 Married: First wife: name unknown Second wife: Maria Zwaart Children: Probably five children with Maria Zwaart Education: Other family members connected to RMS: Mission Stations: History with the RMS: 1 Benade held daily "Morgenandacht", Wednesday in the afternoon, Sunday morning and afternoon a full church service. BRMG 1896:363. 2 In 1884 Klaas Zwart and his people moved from Grootfontein (Geiaus) to Rietfontein. However, a year later, only a nine families of them remained in Rietfontein, while he had moved away again with the majority of people. Stals 2009:99. 3 Stals 2009: 209-212. 4 BRMG 1891:89. 5 BRMG 1890:204-205. 6 JBRMG 1897:19. 7 BRMG 1901:278. --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------