Helperus Ritzema Van Ryneveld
(1889-1934)

Helperus Ritzema Van Ryneveld ¹ ^,2 ^,10

Born: 6 Jun 1889, Lichtenberg, Transvaal, South Africa ¹ ^,2 ^,10
Marriage (1): Irene Maude Vermaak in Johannesburg, Transvaal, South Africa
Died: 3 Oct 1934, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa aged 45 ¹ ^,2 ^,10

Family Links

Spouses/Children:

1. Irene Maude Vermaak

(+ Shows person has known children.)

bullet Birth Notes:

Copy of Helperus Ritzema Van Ryneveld's Death Notice # 86461-3 in RAB's possession.

And

http://ancestry24.com/wp-content/uploads/pages/Genealogies%20of%20old%20South%20African%20Families/page_02860.pdf

bullet Death Notes:

Copy of Helperus Ritzema Van Ryneveld's Death Notice # 86461-3 in RAB's possession. His death notice is co-signed by his wife and his brother in law Jan Hendrik Scholtz.

And

National Archives of South Africa

DEPOT TAB
SOURCE MHG
TYPE LEER
VOLUME_NO 0
SYSTEM 01
REFERENCE 86461
PART 1
DESCRIPTION VAN RYNEVELD, HELPERUS RITZEMA.
STARTING 19340000
ENDING 19340000
REMARKS SURVIVING SPOUSE IRENE MAUDE VAN RYNEVELD (BORN VERMAAK).

And

http://ancestry24.com/search-item/?id=C2557379

And

http://ancestry24.com/wp-content/uploads/pages/Genealogies%20of%20old%20South%20African%20Families/page_02860.pdf

bullet Sources of information or noted events in his life were:

• General Comment. ¹⁰ Soldier. Rugby Player. Diamond miner. Well known clay models.

• Web Based Info. http://ancestry24.com/wp-content/uploads/pages/Genealogies%20of%20old%20South%20African%20Families/page_02860.pdf

• Obituary. ² Obituary notice in the Star of Johannesburg.

Captain H.R.van Ryneveld. Sculptor, Sportsman, Soldier and Actor.

The death occurred last night of Capt. H.R. ("Van Dam") van Ryneveld, ther noted South African sculptor. He was aged 45.

Capt. van Ryneveld played many parts during a lifetime packed with interest. A soldier, an actor, a brilliant rugby player, a diamond miner, a gold mine reduction worker, he had a more varied career than most men. But Art remained always with him his ruling passion. He was a natural sculptor, with an unspoilt genius for making the most life-like models in clay of a variety of subjects. In his boyhood days on the farm Mooimeisjesfontein in the Lichtenberg district, where he was born in 1889, he used to make scores of models out of clay. It was only in later years, however, that his genius in that direction received recognition. Persuaded late in life to make life-size models, he did so, and the results were so outstandingly life-like that they attracted the attention of Mr. W.Gemmil, General Manager of the Chamber of Mines, who commissioned Capt van Ryneveld to model typical examples of the nine native tribes. His reputation established, he continued this work. One of his models, a study of a Swazi warrior, was sent to the Leningrad Museum, in Russia.

Capt van Ryneveld was the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. H.R.van Ryneveld (1855 - 1916), formally of Krugersdorp. He was a great great grandson of Chief Justice van Ryneveld and of Sir John Truter.

He was engaged at the Premier Diamond mine until 1906, at which date he came to the Rand. For many years, he was a reduction worker at the Geldenhuis Deep. He received his training as a Military Officer at the Military College, Pretoria. He played rugby for Diggers years ago, and his weight and height - he was 17 stone - made him an ideal forward.

He is survived by his wife and two children, and his death at so early an age will be regretted by a wide circle of friends.

• General Comment. ² One of his models, a study of a Swazi warrior, was sent to the Leningrad Museum, in Russia.

The title of the study sent to Russia was Vimba Langa ( I shield my eyes from the Sun).
Capt van Ryneveld has completed a full-size study of a Swazi warrior, which is to be taken over to the Petrograd museum, Russia, in May by Mr. o Sternberg, managing director of A.R.O.P.'s, Johannesburg. The model, done from life, is about 18 inches high and is called "Vimba Langa". It depicts a powerfully built Swazi warrior, naked but for a blanket draped over one shoulder and reaching to his feet, shading his eyes with his hand as he scans the distant horizon for signs of possible danger…..Vimba Langa is without doubt the finest thing that he has yet done.

• General Comment. He was a soldier (a Captain). Played rugby for Diggers. He was a diamond miner at Premier Mine until 1906, when he went to the Rand. Was later well known for his clay models, particularly for his life-size study of a Swazi warrior.

• Children. His obituary records he was survived by his wife and two children.
AJVR records "May have had a son Helperus Ritzema known as Rudolph."
I could find no record of this.

• Occupation. Sculptor.
Copy of Helperus Ritzema Van Ryneveld's Death Notice # 86461-3 in RAB's possession.

Helperus married Irene Maude Vermaak in Johannesburg, Transvaal, South Africa. (Irene Maude Vermaak was born in 1897 and died in 1975.)

Van Ryneveld Table of Contents | Van Ryneveld Surnames | Van Ryneveld Name List

There will inevitably be errors and omissions and the whole purpose of creating this online record, is to invite feedback and corrections.
The data is specifically for non-commercial use and my clear intention is to build family records. The data may, therefore, not be used in any way for the purposes of financial gain.

Caveat:- Throughout the project UK GRO birth, marriage and death index data appears. The GRO data appears in Quarters. Q1 = January, February and March, Q2 = April, May, June , Q3 = July, August and September and Q4 = October, November and December. Similarly, Mar Q = January, February and March, Jun Q = April, May, June , Sep Q = July, August and September and Dec Q = October, November and December. Where these dates occur, they represent the date of Registration of the event rather than the date of the actual event. Logically, registration occurs AFTER the event. In some cases this may be days or months or even years after the event. The important thing is that the event was recorded and a copy of the document of registration could be obtained if necessary. This also applies to South African NAAIRS records.

Similarly, the UK system is confusing to the uninitiated because registration districts can span several counties. Accordingly GRO locations may not record the true location of the event. They do record where the record is actually kept or recorded.

Caveat #2:- I have used URL's throughout the website as sources. The URLs are often from paid subscription sites so you may not be able to access them without an account. Inevitably there are broken URL's. I have been to every URL recorded here and at the time they were operational. In this regard, the Ancestry24 records are a problem. There are numerous references in the South African data citing Ancestry24 records. Unfortunately Ancestry24 has closed down and these records are no longer available on line.

The early South African records on this site would not have been as good as they are without the work done by Delia Robertson. Where there are website addresses containing http://www.e-family.co.za... I record the citation should read Robertson, Delia. The First Fifty Years Project. This website can be found at First Fifty Years

Helperus Ritzema Van Ryneveld 1,2,10

Helperus Ritzema Van Ryneveld ¹ ^,2 ^,10