A letter from my 4x great- Grandmonther Christina Staegemann (born 1819) to Governor Barkly (I think) of the Cape, 1874. Pleading for mercy for her daughter (my 3 x great-grandmother) Wilhelmina Rip (born Staegemann 1848, Germany) who had been in prison for 15 months for receiving stolen goods. The goods were stolen by her husband Joris from a Cape Town merchant. She received a sentence of three years hard labour. She had 3 children under 4. Her son (my 2x great-grandfather) Johannes Willem Frederick Rip would be born 4 years later in 1878
Pray have mercy on my daughter Mina Rip who did very wrong in buying up stolen goods but who repents greatly what she has done. For her poor little ones sake may Sir alleviate her case. They have been already fifteen months without a mother’s care”
Yours obedient
Christina Staegemann
Cape Town 3 June 1874″
I’ve found no record yet of the Governor’s decision.
