RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY REVIEWS
PAGE 18
steEnberg
estate
Lost and found
Losing one husband could be considered bad
luck, but losing four could be construed as
carelessness – or perhaps marrying the wrong
kind of man. Catharina Ustings was already
a widow at 21 when she strode ashore on
Woodstock Beach in 1662. It’s not known
whether she left Germany as a widow, or
whether her husband died on board the ship
– a not unlikely scenario – but you can’t help
wondering what made her decide to set off on
such a perilous voyage. Whatever her original
plan was, she would have found the rough
and ready settlement at the tip of Africa a
a tragedy, as he had already drunk his way
Catharina tilled the land, raised her children
far cry from 17th Century Germany.
pretty much through Catharina’s fortune.
and rode a horse into town alone – not
She married soon after arriving, and lost her
So, at the ripe old age of 36, the four-times-
– maybe not entirely respectable. But she
husband number two, Hans Ras, to a lion while
widowed Catharina upped sticks with her
was resourceful. She managed to persuade
he was out hunting. Actually, it’s amazing he
four (possibly five) children and headed off
governor Simon van der Stel, who had settled
survived long enough to be eaten by a lion
into the wilds that would become Constantia,
on the neighbouring Groot Constantia, to
as he got drunk on his wedding night and
taking up residence at the farm she called
grant her title to the farm – to her, not to
crashed his wagon racing his best man home
“Swaaneweide” – the feeding place of the
her husband (and we are talking 1688). So
(as one does). Oh – and then got stabbed in
wild swans.
she became the first woman to hold title to
only astride, but bareback. She was – well
the ribs while fighting about who caused the
crash (as one does).
property in South Africa.
It was here that Catharina found herself –
and found happiness. She married again but
Swaaneweide continued to prosper, and
Undaunted, Catharina married again, but hubby
she chose wisely this time. Matthys Michelse
changed hands surprisingly few times. The
number three, François Schanffelaar, died out
was a homebody who was content to work
second owner, Frederik Russouw, bought the
hunting. Hubby number four, Laurens Cornelisz,
the land, grow veggies and raise cattle and
farm in 1695, planted the first vines and built
died out hunting as well. This was not all that
sheep. He was not a hunter, so he outlived
the beautiful U-shaped house. Steenberg was
unusual for the time, and probably not really
his adventurous wife.
starting to take shape.