1688–1689
French Huguenot refugees arrive at the Cape
Organised groups of French Protestant refugees arrived at the Cape in 1688–1689 and were settled mainly in Drakenstein and Franschhoek.
View in timelineThe first large group of French Protestant refugees arrived at the Cape in April 1688, followed by further arrivals in 1688 and 1689. The VOC settled many of them in Drakenstein and the valley later known as Franschhoek, while directing them to integrate into the existing settler population. Earlier individual Huguenot arrivals, including François Villion in 1671, form part of the longer migration history.
Significance
The migration expanded the free-burgher population and reshaped farming, language and religious life within the VOC settlement.
Why it matters
The migration expanded the free-burgher population and reshaped farming, language and religious life within the VOC settlement.