Gravestone Jan Stephanus de Villiers and Johanna Maria Wilhelmina van der Lingen

Ter Gedarhtenis aan (in memory of)

Jan Stephanus de Villiers,

Geb. 15 maart 1827, (Born)

Gest. 2 Mei 1902. (Died)

Voor Circa Zestig Jaren Orgelist der Paalshe Gemmenten (for sixty years the organist of the Paarl congregation NG Church)

en Zyne Echtgennote (and his wife)

Joh. Maria van der Lingen

Geb. 19 Maart 1834, (Born)

Gest. 26 Dec 1897. (Died)

De Gedachtenis des Regtvaardigen zal tot zegening zyn. Spr 10:7

(The memory of the righteous will be a blessing, Proverbs 10:7)

History La Rochelle Girls’ Primary School

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In 1860, Hugo (born Du Buisson) established a school for 40 girls and young ladies. (She was the widow of Pieter Hugo, organist and music teacher). This school was probably the first school where girls were taught in English and the school was situated on the premises of the present primary school.

In 1872 the school was taken over by Prof and Jan de Villiers. (He was a descendant of a Huguenot, de Villiers, who came from La Rochelle in France.) Jan Orrelis was a music teacher in Paarl and, together with his wife, started a hostel. Now with 200 pupils, Jan Orrelis taught music while de Villiers was the headmistress of the Ladies Seminary. Tuition was in English with French and Dutch being two of the subjects.

Andrew Murray realised the great need for educating girls and he founded the Huguenot Seminary in Wellington. Meanwhile, Professor and De Villiers asked the Northern -Paarl Church Council to take over their school in Paarl, but the Council declined their request. Andrew Murray offered to intervene, resulting in the Ladies' Seminary becoming part of the Huguenot Seminary and the Department of Education in 1890. The principal of Huguenot Seminary, Ferguson, supported this move and consented for a property to be purchased
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