She was built as a wooden ship in 1708 at the Amsterdam Yard of the VOC for the Amsterdam Chamber of the Dutch East India Company (VOC).
Tonnage 800 tons.
She was named BENNEBROEK after a small town in the Netherlands.
Sailed for her maiden voyage under command of Capt Jan Hes on the 07 May 1709 from Texel Road, (a island in the North of the Netherlands) with on board 225 persons, bound for Ceylon (Sri Lanka).
During the passage from Texel to Capetown already 22 persons died.
06 September 1709 arrived at Capetown, and sailed on 29 October 1709 from that port.
After arriving at Ceylon (date not know) she discharged and loaded again for her homeport.
20 December 1710, sailed out again with on board the value of 220.00 Dutch Guilders for the VOC Chamber of Amsterdam, and 8.000 Dutch Guilders for the VOC Chamber at Hoorn.
According the book Dutch-Asiatic Shipping in the 17th and 18th Centuries, she was lost on 16 February 1711, but the following web-site gives other date’s. http://www.vocshipwrecks.nl/home_voyage ... broek.html
She sailed on 22 September 1712 under command of Capt Hes from Ceylon, with some 150 souls on board, as part of a fleet of 5 vessels. In her holds was a typical East India cargo consisting of spices, silks and a large consignment of Chinese porcelain figurines and bowls, examples of eastern manufactured goods that were much sought-after in Europe.
A little south west of Ceylon the fleet encountered a storm and the BENNEBROEK, though undamaged, was parted of the other vessels. A second storm struck, and the vessel, which was only four years old, was badly damaged, with two of her masts broken. When the coastline of South Africa appeared, there was little the crew could do to prevent her running ashore.
On 16 February 1713 she struck hard upon a pinnacle of rocks a little south-west of the Keiskamma River in Ciskei (South Africa) and soon giant swells began pounding the vessel to pieces. Many of the passengers and crew, including the captain, were drowned; eventually only about 77 people reached the shore.
A champ was hastily prepared opposite the wreck site. The shipwrecked men stayed there for four days to recover from their ordeal, lengthy discussions were held and it was decided to walk overland to the Cape. They set off in a westerly direction armed with muskets which they had salved from the wreck, and after five days of strenuous walking and climbing they arrived at the Great Fish River, which was flowing strongly. Most of the group swam across; those who could not swim had to turn back, however, and eventually this party of non-swimmers, arrived at the wreck site again.
For about three months they stayed at the camp, living off provisions bartered from the natives in return for iron nails and copper fittings from the pieces of the wreckage on the shore. This supply of trade goods eventually ran out and in desperation they decided once more to attempt the overland route to the Cape, this time heading inlands to bypass the main estuaries along their path. After a strenuous journey of nearly a month the hopelessness of their situation became apparent and they were forced once more to return to the wreck site.
The survivors now numbered only four and out of sheer desperation they joined a native tribe and lived with them in a kraal for a year. Luck played a role, for a English vessel, the CLAPMAN GALLEY, found the survivors and took them back to the Cape, where they found that only one survivor from the first party had made it to the Cape.
In 1783 the BENNEBROEK wreck site was found by members of a relief expedition searching for survivors of the GROSVENOR (1782) wreck. They reported finding seven cast iron cannon lying on the shore a little south west of the Keiskamma River.
Two hundred and seventy-two years later, in 1985, East London diver Peter Sachs investigated an area where Chinese porcelain shards were regularly thrown up after storms and discovered a large bronze muzzle-loaded cannon and six-breech-loading swivel–guns bearing the monogram of the Amsterdam Chamber of the Dutch East India Company. A few fine porcelain pieces have also been found, but unfortunately the heavy surf experienced at the site has damaged most of the cargo. The bronze guns, too have been badly damaged, but there may be surprises in store for the salvors once the tick overburden on the site has been removed. An interesting find has been more than 50 broken cast iron; it is believed that they were being carried as ballast.
Ciskei 1994 85c sg243, scott223.
Sources: Dutch-Asiatic Shipping in the 17th and 18th Centuries by Bruijn, Gaastra and Schöffer.
Shipwrecks and Salvage in South Africa, 1505 to the present by Malcom Turner.