| Notes |
- 1.Farm Name: Nooitgedacht Farm
2. District: Stellenbosch
3. Description in Deeds:
4. First Owner & Dates: Matthias Greeff (1682 - 1712)
5. Subsequent owners & Dates: Matthias Greeff (1712 -)
6. "Present Owner" & Date: Fritz Herman Werner Wirth (1954 -)
7. Size:
8. Notes:
9. Farm's History:
«b»By Natanja Greeff, 2008:
The Ownership History of Nooitgedacht
«/b»The farm Nooitgedacht was established in 1692 and was awarded to Matthias Greef from Magdeburg, Germany by Simon van der Stel. At that time he used the land for sheep farming. He was also an amateur herbalist who treated his own slaves and the local population.
«i»Apparently our "boeredokter"/"homeopath" ancestor had the good sense to use "African flowers and plants and to treat only external ailments." (Kolbe, quoted in Stellenbosch Three Centuries, p239)
It is also clear that Matthias was literate, and he valued literacy. This was not all that common in those days, when many people used to sign documents with an X, as they were unable to write. However, from the fact that there were quite a number of books in Matthias's Nooitgedacht home, it is clear that he could read. Matthias also had a school room on the farm, which obviously catered for the education of his 9 children. At the time this was considered a privileged asset and status symbol, which were "built by wealthier farmers who could afford to hire and accommodate the temporary teachers." (Faasen, in Worden, 2007, p20)
«/i»In 1718 the farm was transferred to Jan Albert Loubser, whose widow, Sibella Passman, later got married to Jacob Cloete. The Cloete-Passman family crest can still be seen in the Moederkerk at Stellenbosch.
Jacob and Sibella's son, Hendrik Cloete, became the owner in 1761. He was a well-known winemaker and one of the richest farmers in the area. He built the Slave bell in 1769 and the H-shaped Cape Dutch Manor House in 1774 «i»(as illustrated above)«/i»
He bought Groot Constantia in 1778 and was responsible for building the Groot Constantia Cellar in 1791 and the Groot Constantia Manor House in 1793. After his wife died, he moved back to Nooitgedacht where he lived until his death in 1799.
Nooitgedacht remained the property of the Cloete family until 1844, when it was sold to Michiel Ackermann Neetling, who sold it to Jan Marthinus Beyers 5 years later.
In 1892 the farm was bought by the Rhodes Trust, which was later known as Rhodes Fruit Farms Ltd. Rhodes wanted to prove that fruit farming could be performed just as well in the Boland as wine farming. This was at the time when a big Filloksera outbreak threatened the future of wine farming in South Africa. For this reason Rhodes employed Mr. H.E.V. Pickstone, an Englishman who studied fruit farming in California to select a number of good farms that were suitable for growing fruit. Farms with old beautiful homes had an advantage to be selected. Nooitgedacht, together with Boschendal, Bien Donnè, Lekkerwyn and Vredenburg then became the property of Cecil John Rhodes. Rhodes chose Nooitgedacht as a home for himself.
During his ownership, he employed Sir Herbert Baker to restore the Nooitgedacht Manor and surrounding gardens.
During the Anglo-Boer War (1899 - 1902) Nooitgedacht was used as a horse supply camp where hundreds of horses and a tented camp were housed. A hospital was also erected.
In 1923 Nooitgedacht was bought by Mr. Fritz Otto Wirth, who was born in Germany. After his death in 1940 his sister inherited the farm. She died in 1954 and left the farm in trust for Fritz Herman Werner Wirth who is currently still the owner.
He and his family now run Nooitgedacht as a wine producer and private function venue. They strive to uphold the noble history and in doing so, offer visitors a window into a bygone era.
Nooitgedact Estate Website:«u»<http://www.nooitgedachtestate.co.za/site/awdep.asp?depnum=14972>«/u»
Rootsweb.http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/SOUTH-AFRICA/2001-05/0990209440
Worden, N (Ed.) Contingent Lives. 2007
10. Sources:
11. Documents, Books that mention the Farm:
Worden, N (Ed.) Contingent Lives. 2007.
12. Photos:
13. People of the farm:
14. Sharecroppers and 'Bywoners':
15. Slaves:
16. Mineral rights:
17. Crops or Production:
18. Phone, email, addresses:
19. Graves:
20. Maps:
21. Deeds Office:
22. Surveyor General's Office:
23. Archival Records:
24. Subdivision History:
25. Web Sites & Links: http://www.nooitgedachtestate.co.za
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