An Orphan’s Lure of the Far East

By Dennis De Witt

The elder of the two brothers, Hendrik, was the first to leave the orphanage and he joined the Dutch East India Company (Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie or VOC) and sailed to Asia. Unfortunately, he was never destined to reach his land of opportunity. Ironically, it was at the Cape of Good Hope that Hendrik lost his life.

When the younger brother Nicolaas came of age and like his brother, he too joined up with the VOC and ventured to the Far East. Fortunately, he survived the extremely dangerous and long journey and arrived in the Dutch fashioned Asiatic town of Batavia, in Indonesia. From Indonesia, he arrived in a tiny Dutch colony of Malacca. There, Nicolaas not only made his fortune but also found the love of his life and made a new home for himself and his family. He remained in Malacca and never returned to Holland.

It is a familiar tale that invokes the humanity in us to recall the bonds of relationships and the frailty of life that many of us have experienced. It is also the story of a family’s ancestor and the tale of his struggles and hopes that have since been forgotten.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nutmeg Publishing
• Release date: Aug 3, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301026166

Dennis De Witt

Dennis De Witt is a 5th generation Dutch Eurasian originally from Malacca, Malaysia. He has developed a keen interest on subjects relating to Dutch influences in Malaysian history due to his own heritage. His research on his ancestors has produced family data going through 300 years, down 11 generations and across 3 continents. In 2009, he was named as the winner of the ‘Dutch incentive prize for Genealogy’ for his book ‘History of the Dutch in Malaysia’ and he received his prize in the Netherlands. He was the first ever recipient of this prize who is not a Dutch citizen.

Book preview

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