BETHAL

Bethal up to the end of last century

The first inhabitants

After *Voortrekker leader Andries Hendrik Potgieter founded Potchefstroom in 1838, and AmaNdebele of Mzilikazi were driven; the first whites settled in the area north of the Vaal River. During the British occupation of Natal in 1843, many Voortrekkers came to settle in the Transvaal. Because of cold winters, little firewood and inhospitality of the area, the Eastern Highveld was initially not very popular among Voortrekkers. Later large herds of game, good grazing and water, prompted farmers to bring their cattle here in summer months. It is known that Highveld farmers still own land in the Lowveld area although they rarely move there with their cattle anymore.

When the Whites arrived in the Highveld, there were few Blacks. This state of affairs can firstly be attributed to the unfriendly nature of the area and secondly, to Mozilikazi Impi’s reign of terror. This state, however changed as the Whites needs for workers increased and many Blacks came to stay here.

In 1868 the farm Blesbokspruit, on which Bethal later emerged, was delineated. It is said that a large group of Whites from Schoemansdal came to settle in the vicinity of Bethal after their town was set on fire by rebel Black tribes. The surnames Vorster, Du Plooi, Joubert, Kruger, Retief, etc. appeared on an 1875 map of the Transvaal. From this it can be deduced that Bethal and environs had by this time several residents.

Bethal declared as town

Since 1878 negotiated Peter Johannes Naude and Cornelius Michiel du Plooij with Sir Owen Lanyon, the Transvaal administrator, in an effort to have Bethal declared as town. Preliminary permission for development into township was granted by the British Government which was ruling Transvaal at the time. This permission however, was subjected to certain conditions. Before permission was granted, some plots had to be sold.

Lords Du Plooij and Naude decided on the name Bethal, this name was made up by parts of their wives names, Elizabeth and Alida. Bethal would be constructed on the South-East part of the farm.

Bethal is proclaimed as town

The next step was to have Bethal declared as town. A request in the form of a petition was submitted by the lords Du Plooij and Naude earlier, in the year of 1880 to the authorities. The signatures of twenty-one owners and occupiers of plots in Bethal, appeared on the petition to motivate that, for the sake of inhabitants’ spiritual and material wellbeing; a need for a town existed.

It was further mentioned that Standerton was seven hours and Middelburg nine hours on horseback from Bethal. An own town, where necessary churches and schools could be erected was thus, urgently necessary.

PROCLAMATION
By His Excellency Col. Sir WILLIAM OWEN LANYON, Knight
	Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael
	and St. George, and Companion of the Most Honourable Order
	of the Bath, Administrator of the Government of the
	Transvaal Province, in South Africa.
    
	Whereas a number of the inhabitants of the District of
Standerton having purchased a portion of the farm called
"Blesbokspruit", situated in the District of Standerton, with
the object of establishing and founding a new Town, and having
established and founded such Town, have petitioned the
Government of this Territory to place it under the control and
administration of the said Government; and whereas the said
Town is calculated to prove of great advantage to the inhabitants
residing in the neighbourhood thereof.

	Now, therefore, I do hereby proclaim, declare and make
known that from and after the 12th day of October, the said new
Township, situated on the said farm "Blesbokspruit", in the
District of Standerton, to be called the Town of
			BETHAL,
Shall be a Township, subject to the administration, control,
and management of the Government of the Transvaal, and the
Administration thereof shall be placed in the hands of the
officers who shall hereafter be duly appointed thereto by the
Government of the Transvaal.

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN.
	Given under my hand and seal, at Pretoria, Transvaal,
this 12th day of Oct., 1880.

	By His Excellency’s command,
	GEORGE HUDSON,
		Colonial Secretary.
			(Signed) W.OWEN LANYON,
				Administrator

MEMORIAL SERVICE

UNVEILING OF TOMB STONE
SATURDAY 14 OCTOBER 1972 AT 11 PM
BETHAL CEMETERY

Unveiling of memorial stone (tomb stone) by the Bethal
Town Council, erected in remembrance of the under
mentioned founders and original owners of Bethal and
their wives, proclaimed on 12 October 1880.
PETRUS JOHANNES NAUDE
Born 17 November 1832
Passed away 12 June 1890
ALIDA JOHANNA NAUDE
Born Joubert 7 April 1840
Passed away 15 December 1890
Reburied in the grave of her spouse, on 26 May 1972
AND
CORNELIUS MACHIEL DU PLOOY
Born 24 September 1843
Passed away 11 June 1928
Reburied at Bethal on 26 May 1972
Originally buried at Belfast
ELIZABETH CORNELIA DU PLOOY
Born VAN DER MERWE 8 November 1852
Passed away 12 August 1929
Originally buried at Belfast, and reburied at Bethal on 26
May 1972.

Bethal is named after:
ELIZABETH DU PLOOY en ALIDA NAUDE
BETH-AL

The First Officers

Proclamation as Magisterial District

On 23 February 1898, Bethal was proclaimed as Magisterial District and on 15 March of the same year the proclamation took effect. Bethal Magisterial District was made up of farms from Standerton, Middelburg and Ermelo. Bethal Magisterial District covers an area of 1270 sq. miles. Further the District boasted of having 750 voting citizens.

To service the new Magisterial District, within one year after proclamation, commencement with establishment of a Magistrate Office, a postal and telegraph office, prison, powder magazine and chief of prison's home. Mr S J Clerq was appointed as a resident justice of peace in 1890.

By the end of nineteenth century, Bethal boasted with already standing 45 buildings, while others were taking shape.

The main buildings were the Post and telegraph office, the Dutch Reformed Church and three shops. However, Bethal was completely destroyed during the second Freedom War.

Standerton was the nearest railway station since 1895. Mail was delivered Mondays and Thursdays. The stagecoach that travel via, Trichardsfontein to Bethal, serve as a passenger coach. With regard to water supply inhabitants had to be self-sufficient, consequences of that was that wells were found in most plots.

Economic activities

The rich coal deposits in the area were already, in these years, known facts. In the State's Almanac for South Africa 1899, the following was found: "The district also has good coal mines, located at Steenkoolspruit, but since there is no railway running in the vicinity of the mines, neither are the other mines located on the railway line either..."

Farming was mainly cattle breeding – mainly sheep for wool. Maize and other crops were planted for own, private consumption only. According to legend Mr H P Hancke, who settled on the farm Rietfontein in 1881, as did most farmers, he also sold his wool clipping in Charlestown. This was before the railroad was built at Standerton. The trips which took place during summer months had their specific problems. Due to lack of roads, the waggons regularly stuck in the wet marshes. Having come to Charlestown, food supplies for the following year were bought, such as bags of coffee and sugar, as well as material.

Only so far and difficult to reach, the nearest water mill, was situated on the farm Blinkpan in Stoffberg district.