Johanna Cornelia van der Merwe (7 March 1825 – 15 January 1888) was a Voortrekker heroine who survived the Weenen massacre, an impi attack on her trekking party on 17 February 1838, despite suffering more than twenty assegai wounds.

Johanna van der Merwe
Johanna Van der Merwe
Born(1825-03-07)7 March 1825
Died15 January 1888(1888-01-15) (aged 62)
Other namesHannie
SpouseHendrik Frederik Delport (m. 1817) She was born in 1825 but got married in 1817?
Parents
  • Johannes Frederik Van der Merwe (father)
  • Helena Catharina Van der Merwe (mother)

She later married Hendrik Frederik Delport with whom she had seven sons (despite being permanently crippled by the attack). She died aged 62 and was buried in Rouxville.[1]

An ox-wagon in the historic 1938 Great Trek Centenary commemoration trek as well as a South African Navy submarine were named in her honour.

References

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  1. ^ State, NAA Free. "NAA Xhariep Free State". www.naafreestate.co.za. Archived from the original on 31 July 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2018.