Health Issues Pertaining to French Huguenot Women and Children at the Cape of Good Hope and in Charles Town, Carolina, 1685-1720
Keywords:
South Africa, Carolina, Huguenots, comparison, women, gender, climate, disease, morbidity, mortality, Suid-Afrika, Hugenote, vergelyking, vroue, klimaat, siekte, morbiditeit, mortaliteitAbstract
English
This article is a small contribution to the burgeoning literature on the dispersal of the French Huguenots into diaspora following the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. It is also a study of gender in matters pertaining to health, climate, and resettlement at the Cape of Good Hope and in Charles Town, South Carolina in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. No previous study has centered primarily on the Huguenot women (and to a lesser extent their children). This is because of the limited amount of primary sources available in both areas. Still, an attempt has been made to recreate their world during this period, with the conclusion that the climatic conditions in Carolina were harsher, thus the death-rates were higher than at the Cape. Both groups suffered from some maladies that were common at the time, which made comparisons possible, while – again mostly due to climatic factors – contrasts are to be found as well.
Afrikaans
Gesondheidsomstandighede van Franse Hugenotevroue en -kinders aan die Kaap die Goeie Hoop en in Charles Town, Carolina, 1685-1720
Hierdie artikel is ’n klein bydrae tot die groeiende versameling literatuur oor die verspreiding van die Franse Hugenote in diaspora na die herroeping van die Edik van Nantes. Dit is ook ’n studie van gender in sake rakende gesondheid, klimaat en hervestiging aan die Kaap die Goeie Hoop en in Charles Town, Suid-Carolina, in die laat sewentiende en vroeë agtiende eeu. Tevore het geen navorsing nog spesifiek op Hugenotevroue (en tot ’n mindere mate ook hulle kinders) gefokus nie. Dit is omdat ’n uiters beperkte aantal primêre bronne oor beide onderwerpe beskikbaar is. Nogtans is gepoog om hulle wêreld gedurende hierdie tydsgleuf te herskep. Daar is tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat klimaatstoestande in Carolina feller was en die sterftesyfer dus veel hoër as aan die Kaap. Beide groepe setlaars het gely onder siektetoestande wat destyds algemeen voorgekom het. Hierdie feit het dit makliker gemaak om vergelykings te tref. Hulle kontrasterende belewinge kan hoofsaaklik aan klimaatsverskille toegeskryf word.
