John Austen Mollett

THE MOLLETT FAMILY - Research and notes provided by Calvin Mollett (via Caroline Balona)

John Austen Mollett (2nd) was born on the 8th June 1862 in Durbanville, Cape Town, and died 21st December 1958 in Louis Trichardt. He married his wife, Engela Maria Gertruida Emmines on the 31st December 1901 in Pietersburg. She was born on the 12th June 1884 in Hoopstad/Boshof and died on the 30th October 1948 in Magoebaskloof.

John left Durbanville in approximately 1880- and settled with his mother and sisters in Boshof. He and his brother, Daniel, both worked at the Witwatersrand Goldfields for a short time.

John was a Rhodesian Pioneer having been a member of the Rhodes column when they entered Rhodesia. He however refused to accept and occupy a farm there and returned to the Northern Transvaal, where he lived most of his life in the vicinity of Mokeetsi.

At the time of the 2nd Boer War, John was a farmer on the Doornrivier farm in the Spelonken District. On the 17th May 1901 John and his wife Marais surrendered to the British and were incarcerated in the Pietersburg concentration camp on the 3rd June 1901. He brought to the camp 10 oxen, 2 cows and 2 calves. They were discharged on the 5th August 1902.

About his time in the camp John made the following statement under oath which is often quoted in Afrikaner nationalist websites: “Daar was hakies in die vleis, en “Coopers” poeier in die meel, van vitrioel in die suiker het ek persoonlik ondervinding gehad, ek glo dat niemand wat daar was dit kan betwis nie”.

John and Engela had 11 children.