Cape Town Charles Etienne Boniface

strand street, cape town during boniface s time

in nineteenth century theatre 1 of principal leisure activities in cape , boniface, writing in english, dutch (with first words of afrikaans appear on south african stage) , native french 1 of popular dramatists in colony. wrote series of plays including l enragé (1807) which, in 1823 translated dutch joseph suasso de lima title de dolzinnige of de gewaande dolleman, in 1813 ballet-pantomime het beleg en het nemen van troyen (the siege , taking of troy) , in 1826 translated molière s le bourgeois gentilhomme (the bourgeois gentleman) dutch under title de burger edelman.

in 1828 became sworn translator in cape supreme court.

his french-language writings included relation du naufrage de l eole, published in 1829—a record of journey made survivors of eole, french ship wrecked off coast of known british kaffraria en route réunion france earlier year. intended translate english under title narrative of shipwreck of eole never completed translation though translation , commentary published in 2012.

in 1830, 3 years after had been declared bankrupt following libel suite, became first editor of dutch-language newspaper de zuid-afrikaan, post held 6 months. zuid-afrikaan continued 100 years. while editor took pride in stressing unity between dutch , english cultures.

amongst notable works local flavour de nieuwe ridderorde of de temperantisten, (the new knighthood or temperance societies) published in 1832. play satirised wave of british puritanism , temperance of day , in particular john philip of london missionary society had secured equality of free people within colony. although written in dutch, local patois (which later evolve afrikaans) used appropriate characters. 1 of first pieces of literature in afrikaans-like language appeared.

between 1837 , 1838 boniface editor of bilingual weekly magazine de meditator published cornelius moll. magazine, ceased publication in 1838 when boniface fell out moll, took sympathetic view towards voortrekkers.

in 1817 boniface married maria geertruida heyneman , in following year first child alexis born. alexis died in 1828 aged ten , maria died in 1835 @ age of thirty-nine. between 1838 , 1843 boniface had 3 daughters relationship freed mozambique slave constantia dorothea le mordant.