Stellenbosch, Nooitgedacht

Abstract

Photographs and information on a bell on Nooitgedacht estate outside Stellenbosch. The estate Nooitgedacht outside Stellenbosch houses one of the most important and beautiful bells of the entire Western Cape. The bell tower is unusually high and the bell itself is beautifully made. The decorations start with two moulding wires below the shoulder followed by a band of flowers. Below another moulding wire follows the main inscription that runs along the bell DIE ERVE ALEWIJN CROMBOSCH AO 1769. Then follows another band with flowery motifs. The similarity with the De Graeve bell from the Groote Kerk in Cape Town is obvious. Nevertheless, the bell raises a number of questions. Alewijn Crombosch was a Dutch founder who was active in Amsterdam. According to the Andre Lehr catalogue of Dutch founders, one knows only one bell made by him in 1746. He died in 1756. The bell in Nooitgedacht was therefore made by his successors in 1769. In the whole of the Netherlands one has traced 7 bells from these successors, all of them cast in the period 1760-1773. It remains an intriguing question how this magnificent bell ended up on the estate. It is easy to admire the beauty of the bell. We have found a painting of the estate in one of the main rooms of the estate. The bell tower clearly appears in that picture.