The Treaty Tree

In the middle of the industrial area, at the corner of Treaty and Spring Streets off Albert Road in Woodstock , is a small patch of ground with an old gnarled milkwood tree. This is no ordinary milkwood - it's a historical monument.

A thatched cottage, built in the seventeenth century, stood nearby the site where the tree still remains. The cottage, according to local legend, belonged to a Hollander Pieter van Papendorp who owned the land between the Castle and Salt River . Woodstock , as we all know, was once known as Papendorp, named after Pieter van Papendorp.

On the 10th January 1806 a treaty was signed by: Lt.Col. Baron von Prophalov, commander of local fortifications, transferring the property of the Batavian Government to the commanders of the British Forces, Major General Sir David Baird and Commodore Sir Home Popham. The thatched cottage became known as "Treaty House” where the treaty was signed. This followed the Battle of Blaauwberg on the 8th January 1806 and was the start of the second British occupation of the Cape .

The old "Treaty House” with rafted ceiling, stone-flagged floor and vine trained over the stoep was the place where the thirsty British troops formed up after the Battle of Blaauwberg.

The nearby milkwood tree, miraculously preserved, goes back to the early 1500's when it was known as the “Old Slave Tree”. In 1509, 64 of d'Almeida's Portuguese sailors were massacred by the Hottentots near the tree.

At the end of the last century there still lived in Woodstock a lady, Rachel Bester, who had seen the slave dealers proclaiming the qualities of their human goods under that tree. Slaves were hanged from the huge branches during Rachel's childhood.

The tree has now been securely fenced to save it from the fate of another aged tree, which was chopped up for firewood in recent years. Sadly, in 1935 ‘Treaty House” was demolished to make space for a factory.