DIE HUGENOTE

South Africa, Franschhoek · 1988-04-13

Official

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front

Cachet: The cachet on this cover uses a quiet, monochrome design built around a large Huguenot cross watermarked into the grey background, with a dove of the Holy Spirit rising below it. Both symbols appear in a pale tone against the card, giving the cover a restrained, almost devotional feel rather than a busy illustration. Red text anchors the lower left corner with the years "1688 1988" above the bilingual title "Die Franse Hugenote / The French Huguenots". This ties the cover directly to the tercentenary being marked by the stamp issue. The four stamps sit in the top right corner in a single row, each showing a different aspect of Huguenot history in South Africa, from the Franschhoek monument to the massacre of St Bartholomew's Day. Two Franschhoek postmarks, each carrying a small image of the monument itself, cancel the stamps.

Info card

DIE HUGENOTE Die Protestante in Frankryk — die Hugenote — is jare lank vanweë hulle geloof vervolg. In 1598 het koning Hendrik IV (Hendrik van Navarra) egter deur die Edik van Nantes 'n redelike mate van geloofsvryheid aan hulle toegestaan. Teen die einde van die sewentiende eeu het koning Lodewyk XIV die godsdiensregte van die Hugenote weer begin inkort. Die vervolging het so erg geword dat baie Hugenote nog voor die amptelike herroeping van die Edik van Nantes in 1685 na Holland en ander lande gevlug het. Die Here Sewentien het reeds in Oktober 1685 besluit om vlugtelinge na die Kaap te stuur. Die eerste groep van een en twintig Hugenote arriveer eers op 13 April 1688 aan boord van die Voorschoten in Saldanhabaai. Nog groepies het met tussenpose in die Kaap aangekom en teen 1700 was ongeveer twee honderd Franse vlugtelinge aan die Kaap gevestig. 16c-seël HUGENOTE-MONUMENT, FRANSCHHOEK Die Hugenote-monument by Franschhoek is ontwerp deur J.C. Jongens, 'n argitek van Kaapstad. Die sentrale vroueflguur is deur Coert Steynberg gebeeldhou. Die drie hoë boë versinnebeeld die Drie-eenheid. Op die middelboog verrys die son van geregtigheid met 'n kruis op die spits. Die vroueflguur simboliseer gewetensvryheid. Sy staan op 'n aardbol met haar voete op Franskryk. Die Bybel in haar regterhand en die gebreekte ketting in haar linkerhand beeld die verbreking van die beperkings op godsdiensvryheid uit. Op die aardbol is 'n relief van 'n seilskippie (simbool van die Hugenote se koms na Suid-Afrika), 'n harp (simbool van hul kuns en kultuur), 'n wingerdstok en 'n koringgerf (simbole van hul wyn- en landboukennis), en 'n spinwiel (simbool van hulle vlyt en kundigheid). Die monument was op 17 April 1948 ingewy. 30c-seël HERKOMS VAN DIE FRANSE HUGENOTE Dié seël toon 'n kaart van Frankryk waarop die streke aangedui word waar Hugenote-families gekom het. So bv. kom Du Buisson van La Rochelle, Cronjé, Malherbe, Nel, Le Roux en Viviers van Normandië en Joubert, Malan, Roux en Terblanche van Provence. 40c-seël FRANS/NEDERLANDSE BYBEL 1672 Dié seël toon die titelblad van 'n Nuwe Testament in Frans en Nederlands wat in 1672 in opdrag van die destydse State-Generaal deur Joannes van Ravesteyn in Amsterdam gedruk is. Franse godsdiensvlugtelinge het hulle reeds vroeg in die 17e eeu in Holland gevestig en die tweetalige Nuwe Testament is waarskynlik vir hulle gedruk. Goewerneur Simon van der Stel gegee het exemplare van dié Nuwe Testament aan die Hugenote in die Kaap gegee om hulle in hulle nuwe vaderland te help vestig. 50c-seël BARTHOLOMEUSNAG In die nag van 23 Augustus 1572 is duisende Protestante in Parys vermoor op aanstigting van Catharina de Medici, die koninginmoeder. Die Protestante was in die stad vir die huwelik van hul leier, koning Hendrik van Navarra, met Margareta, suster van die koning van Frankryk. Dié slagting het dwardeur Frankryk versprei en honderde Hugenote het uit die land gevlug. THE HUGUENOTS The Protestants in France — the Huguenots — were persecuted for many years because of their religion. In 1598, however, King Henry IV (Henry of Navarre) granted them a fair degree of religious freedom through the Edict of Nantes. Towards the end of the seventeenth century King Louis XIV again began to curtail the religious rights of the Huguenots. So severe did the persecution become that many Huguenots fled to the Netherlands and other countries even before the official revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. As early as October 1685 the Here Sewentien (Lords Seventeen) decided to send some of the refugees to the Cape. However, the first group of twenty-one Huguenots arrived in Saldanha Bay aboard the Voorschoten only on 13 April 1688. Other small groups reached the Cape from time to time and by 1700 approximately two hundred French refugees were settled at the Cape. 16c stamp HUGUENOT MONUMENT, FRANSCHHOEK The Huguenot Monument at Franschhoek was designed by J.C. Jongens, a Cape Town architect. The central female figure was sculpted by Coert Steynberg. The three lofty arches symbolise the Holy Trinity. The central arch is surmounted by the sun of righteousness with a cross at the pinnacle. The female figure symbolises freedom of conscience. She stands on top of the globe with her feet on France. The Bible in her right hand and the broken chain in her left hand represent the breaking of restrictions on religious freedom. On the globe is a relief of a sailing-vessel (symbol of the Huguenots' coming to South Africa), a harp (symbol of their art and culture), a vine and a sheaf of corn (symbols of their knowledge of viniculture and agriculture), and a spinning-wheel (symbol of their industry and expertise). The monument was unveiled on 17 April 1948. 30c stamp ORIGINS OF THE FRENCH HUGUENOTS This stamp shows a map of France depicting the areas from where the Huguenot families originated. For instance, Du Buisson came from La Rochelle, Cronje, Malherbe, Nel, Le Roux and Viviers from Normandy, and Joubert, Malan, Roux and Terblanche from Provence. 40c stamp FRENCH/DUTCH BIBLE 1672 This stamp features the title-page of a New Testament in French and Dutch, printed in Amsterdam in 1672 by order of the then State General. French religious refugees already settled in Holland in the early 17th century and this digiot New Testament was probably printed for them. Governor Simon van der Stel gave copies of this New Testament to the Huguenots at the Cape to help them settle in their new fatherland. 50c stamp MASSACRE OF ST. BARTHOLOMEW'S DAY On the night of 23 August 1572 thousands of Protestants were massacred in Paris at the instigation of Catharina de Medici, the queen mother. The Protestants were in town for the marriage of their leader, King Henry of Navarre, to Margaret, sister of the King of France. The butchering spread throughout France and hundreds of Huguenots fled the country. Cachet The cachet on this cover uses a quiet, monochrome design built around a large Huguenot cross watermarked into the grey background, with a dove of the Holy Spirit rising below it. Both symbols appear in a pale tone against the card, giving the cover a restrained, almost devotional feel rather than a busy illustration. Red text anchors the lower left corner with the years "1688 1988" above the bilingual title "Die Franse Hugenote / The French Huguenots". This ties the cover directly to the tercentenary being marked by the stamp issue. The four stamps sit in the top right corner in a single row, each showing a different aspect of Huguenot history in South Africa, from the Franschhoek monument to the massacre of St Bartholomew's Day. Two Franschhoek postmarks, each carrying a small image of the monument itself, cancel the stamps.

Additional information

This cover is postmarked on 13 April 1988 in Franschhoek. It carries a set of four stamps marking the 1688 to 1988 tercentenary of the Huguenots. The date on the postmark falls exactly three hundred years after the Voorschoten reached Saldanha Bay in 1688, carrying the first group of twenty one Huguenot refugees to settle at the Cape.

Theme: Heritage

Condition: FineGood condition. Minor wear or small imperfections, but overall well-presented.

Addressed: No

Signed: No

SAPO serial number: 4.25

Estimated value: ~US$0.1

This is a high-level, subjective estimate only, not a professional appraisal.