Heritage Blue Plaque #Nr 44

RENSBURG HOUSES - 34 DF MALAN STREET; RENSBURG

What is the story here?

On the night of the 1st September 1900, the Boers blew up a train to the South of Heidelberg near Mr. van Rensburg’s house. He was awakened by the explosion. He correctly surmised that the Boers had blown up the railway line near his farm, but decided to report the sabotage in the morning. He then went back to sleep.Van Rensburg left for Heidelberg early the following morning. Meanwhile an English patrol had been sent out. On discovering the wrecked line they promptly sought the nearest farmhouse and burnt it to the ground.Van Rensburg’s wife and children were left standing in the veld and his stock driven off. No doubt the luckless Van Rensburg vowed never again to roll over and sleep after hearing an explosion.

THE HISTORY OF THE RENSBURG VILLAGE FOUNDATION AND THE VAN RENSBURG HOMESTEAD

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THE URBAN ORIGINS AND SANDSTONE FOUNDATIONS OF RENSBURGDORP

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This historic residence holds a prominent position as one of the very first formal houses constructed within the original bounds of Rensburgdorp. During its early foundational era, the settlement was too sparsely populated to achieve formal proclamation as an independent town; consequently, local authorities officially registered the territory as a localized Village Council managed by a dedicated Health Committee.

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A visual assessment of the surrounding architectural landscape reveals several early properties anchoring the area that feature identical, hand-dressed sandstone foundations. The traditional practice of laying heavy natural sandstone foundation blocks remained a hallmark of regional pioneer construction until it was systematically replaced by modern poured concrete methods during the late 1930s and early 1940s. Today, the historic village layout has been integrated into the municipality, functioning as the urban suburb of Rensburg within the broader Heidelberg district. 

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FARM DONATIONS AND THE FEUD OF THE FENCE-HOPPERS (1902)

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Following the cessation of hostilities in May 1902, Mr Hendrik Petrus Francois Janse van Rensburg formally executed a subdivision of his private property, donating a substantial portion of his farm "Houtpoort" to destitute Boer burghers. This land donation program specifically targeted families who had failed to financially recover from the scorched-earth campaigns of the Second Anglo-Boer War and who flatly refused to live under the jurisdiction of the British-controlled Heidelberg Municipality.

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Local oral history and political records indicate that Van Rensburg also initiated the land donation to ease his social conscience. During the British martial law occupation, he had crossed enemy lines to sign a formal oath of neutrality with the British military authorities. Consequently, he was deeply resented by the Bittereinders (Boer patriots who fought to the end), who branded him with the highly derogatory wartime title of a "Fence-hopper" (Grens-hopper or Fens-hopper).

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GENEALOGICAL REGISTRY: THE JANSE VAN RENSBURG FAMILY

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• Hendrik Petrus Francois Janse van Rensburg: Born in May 1863 in Winburg, Orange Free State. He operated professionally within the district as a prominent land and livestock speculator. He passed away on 14 November 1906 at the relatively young age of 43 years and six months.

• Parental Lineage: He was the son of Petrus Jacobus Johannes Janse van Rensburg (born 16 July 1812) and Amerentia Jacoba Bekker (born 22 September 1824 - died circa 1889).

• Amerentia Wilhelmina Maria Janse van Rensburg (née Koen): Born in December 1867. She was the daughter of Jacobus Casparus Koen (died 13 August 1910) and Catharina Johanna Koen (died 12 October 1910). She passed away at her final urban residence, Number 12 Northern Mansions in Nigel, on 1 March 1945 at the advanced age of 77 years and 3 months.

• Descendants and Interments: At the time of Hendrik's premature death in 1906, the marriage had produced two adult children and nine minor children. Both Hendrik and Amerentia were returned to the town center and buried alongside one another within the family plot at the historic Heidelberg Kloof Cemetery.

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THE RAILWAY TRAIN SABOTAGE AND SCORCHED-EARTH REPRISAL (1900)

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The military history archives of the district document a dramatic scorched-earth incident that unfolded on the farm property during the height of the guerrilla warfare phase. On the night of 1 September 1900, a mobile unit of the Boer Commando successfully infiltrated the sector and laid contact explosives to derail a British military transport train moving directly south of the Heidelberg precinct.

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The violent explosion instantly awakened Hendrik van Rensburg from his sleep inside the main homestead. He correctly surmised that the guerrilla forces had successfully sabotaged the railway line slicing through his farm boundaries; however, he made the fateful decision to remain in bed and delay reporting the incident to the British garrison until the following morning. He then rolled over and went back to sleep. 

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Early the next morning, Van Rensburg departed the homestead to ride into the town center to alert the authorities. Meanwhile, the British military high command dispatched an armed scouting patrol to investigate the disruption. Upon discovering the smoking wreckage of the derailed train cars, the British soldiers immediately targeted the nearest visible civilian structure—the Van Rensburg farmhouse. 

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Enforcing strict martial law reprisal mandates, the troops promptly set fire to the building, burning the historic homestead completely to the ground. Van Rensburg’s wife and eleven children were left abandoned in the open veld with no shelter, while the imperial troops confiscated and drove off the family's entire remaining livestock herds. Following this severe reprisal, local lore notes that the luckless speculator vowed never again to roll over and sleep after hearing a nighttime explosion.

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SOURCES AND CREDITS

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• Primary Historiography: Consolidated from biographical field logs published in "Heidelbergers of the Boer War" authored by military historian Ian Uys.

• Archival Documentation: Supplemented by regional peace commission registers and family estate records curated by Lourain McGregor.

• Genealogical Data: Verified via the historic Transvaal Peace Committee digital databases (historical-PeaceCom.htm).

​Source: Heidelberg Heritage Association - Article Post (Click to visit website)