J.A. Smellekamp
| Johan Arnold Smellekamp | |
|---|---|
| Landdrost of Bloemfontein (Orange Free State) |
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In office 1 October 1854 – 31 May 1856 |
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| Member of the Volksraad of the Orange Free State |
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In office 1863–1866 |
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| Constituency | Smithfield |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
16 January 1812 Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Died | 25 May 1866 (aged 54) Bloemfontein, Orange Free State |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Occupation |
supercargo, politician, civil servant, law agent |
Johan Arnold Smellekamp (Amsterdam, Netherlands, 16 January 1812 – Bloemfontein, Orange Free State, 25 May 1866) was a Dutchman who pioneered trade with the Boer Voortrekker states in South Africa and later became a civil servant, politician and law agent in the Orange Free State.
Smellekamp was the son of Jan Hendrik Smellekamp and Johanna Maria Coeré.
Smellekamp married Maria Catharina Görlach, who died. He then remarried to Hillegonda Sara Wilvinger, twenty-eight-year-old daughter of Johannes Wilvinger and Hendrika Wassenaar, in Zaandam on 8 December 1852. Smellekamp had three daughters and a son.
Smellekamp worked as supercargo for the Amsterdam trading company of J.A. Klijn & Co., under the direction of G.G. Ohrig. In 1841 he made a first voyage to Port Natal with the objective to establish trading contracts with the Voortrekkers who had established the Natalia Republic only two years before. At the time of Smellekamp's arrival, the British under Captain Thomas Charlton Smith were several days marching away from Port Natal, ready to occupy the town.
Together with Ohrig Smellekamp visited Pietermaritzburg to meet with the Volksraad of Natalia. They were received with great enthusiasm by the population. The street were decorated with flags and other cloths, including underwear. The people of Natalia were – mistakenly – under the impression that Smellekamp's arrival heralded a full-scale intervention by the Netherlands. Smellekamp very much enjoyed his sudden importance and did nothing to correct the impression. The Volksraad gave some promises about trade in the future and put in a request for immigrants to strengthen the Boer state.
The deteriorating political situation brought the Volksraad to offer Natal as a colonial possession to William II of the Netherlands (resolution 25 April 1842) in case Britain were to annex the Voortrekker territory. Smellekamp travelled back to the Netherlands via Cape Town. On the way he was arrested at Swellendam because he did not have the proper travel documents. In the mean time, the British government started official correspondence with the Dutch government about Smellekamp's activities in Natal, being convinced he was an agitator.King William II rejected the proposed connection between the Netherlands and the Voortrekkers of Natal and before the year was out he apologised to White Hall for the affray caused by Smellekamp and his activities.
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