Not sure who put this on the About - but I'm happy to adjust accordingly:
Many people assume that another name for Hendrik was Heinrich Conradt von Dempter, from Hameln, Germany. However, he has never used the name "Conrad" (or Heinrich) and none of his children ever used the name and surname, or named their children accordingly. There is also no record in the Cape Archives and the Archives in Den Haag that he came from Hameln, or that he was originally known as von Dempter. There are, however, several records that he came from Hamel. Nobody can even prove that Hendrik and Heinrich was the same person.
Therefore, we don't know when Hendrik was born (probably the mid 1600's) or who his parents were. (Not yet, anyway) From Hendrik's behaviour in the Cape we can derive that he was from Hamel, France, and this is supported by the Cape Archive entries, his marriage to a French woman, the fact that he settled amongst the French, his doctor was French, his son, Pieter, married a French woman etc. etc. - See later for references.
The progenitor of South African Venters and the person we know as Hendrik Venter, probably arrived in the Cape on 12 October 1679. This date can be calculated since the ships arriving at the Cape have been recorded, including the number of people (slaves, soldiers, passengers etc.) and the ship logbooks, general ledger, journals etc. We know for sure that Hendrik was in the Cape by 1682 already (and a free citizen). We have at least two records proving this. (ARA VOC 4018 Cassaboek of 1682 and tax returns J183 of 1692) We know that VOC staff (soldiers) had to work for three years to become "free" and therefore Hendrik would have had to join the VOC late 1678, early 1679. Therefore, if the entries and dates in the archives are correct, then Hendrik could only have arrived in the Cape on the "Vrije Zee". - Vrije Zee: General Ledger and journal, 1679 (1679 Part I/I.2.b.4) Scheepssoldijboeken (5219) and journal maintained on the ship Vrije Zee 1677 – 1678 Part I/I.1.o Scheepsjournalen (5057).
Notably, the surname "Venter" was sometimes referred to as "Venters" (See Anna's estate distribution) or "Fenter" (KAB MOOC8/52.46b dated 11 September 1797, referring to Jan Adriaan Fenter. Recorded in the Inventories of the Orphan Chamber, Cape Town Archives Repository, South Africa).
http://www.venter.co/venter/HendrikVenter.htm
Hendrik was from Hamel in France..... (and his name was NOT originally Hendrik!):
Hendrik Venter v. Hamel, burger en kleremaker op Stellenbosch, 1704 eienaar v.d. plaas "Vleeschbank", a.d. Bergrivier, † 2.5.1713. x 17.7.1690 Johanna Mostert; xx 9.12.1691 Anna Viljoen, † 11.5.1713.
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Let's get a few facts straight:
He was only ever known as 'Hendrik Venter' at the Cape (not a shred of evidence has yet emerged that he was 'Heinrich' and a second name was NEVER used in any documentation.
The ONLY evidence we have of his handwriting or 'signature' was on the contract to buy the farm Nazaret north of Stellenbosch - and he made a cross (and an administrator, or he himself, added the letters 'HF' to it). At best this may indicate that his surname may have been spelt with an 'F' at the time.
He is NOT a descendant of Heinrich von Dempter and Anna Kuhleman.
Documentation at the Cape only ever records 'Hamel' as his place of birth / origin - no country ever recorded!? It is thus not yet clear (neither has it been proven by anyone) that he was from Hameln, Germany or Hamel, France (or any other similar sounding place, for that matter.)
He did NOT own or bear a coat of arms (the coat of arms of 'South African families' is a very unfortunate legacy of the book by Dr Pama)
For most recent / current views on where the Venters hail from, see:
http://www.venter.co/venter/HendrikVenter.htm
http://www.christo.co.za/christo/History.htm
Psa also read Article by Piet Retief Venter: "Feite, Afleidings, Aannames en Bespiegelings oor 'n Suid-Afrikaanse Stamvader - Hendrik Venter", in FAMILIA 46 (3) 2009, pp. 132-146.
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He is NOT a descendant of Heinrich von Dempter and Anna Kuhleman.
The information below (probably from SAGenealogies) has not yet been proven to be correct in terms of the descendancy of Hendrik Venter / neither has the assumption of the name 'Heinrich' been proven: Hendrik (Heinrich) Venter * Dempterhaus, Hamelin, Duitsland 21.4.1663, kleremaker op Stellenbosch en later landbouer op die plaas Vleesbank (Vleeschbank of Vlijsbank) aan die oewer v.d. Bergrivier naby die huidige Wellington † “Vleeschbank”, dist. Riebeeck Kasteel voor 18.4.1713 (MOOC 8/2.78) s.v. Heinrich von Dempter en Anna Sophia Kuhleman x Kaapstad 17.7.1690 Johanna MOSTERT ≈ 10.3.1675 d.v. Johannes Cornelius Mostert en Alida van Hulst xx Kaapstad 9.12.1691 Anna VILJOEN d.v. Francois Viljoen en Cornelia Campenaar ≈ Kaapstad 19.5.1678 † 11.5.1713
b1 kind * c. 1690
Tweede huwelik
b2 Bonifacius ≈ Stellenbosch 1.12.1692
b3 Francois ≈ Stellenbosch 10.10.1694
b4 Anna Sabina * c. 1695/8 † voor 14.6.1713 (MOOC 8/3.11) x 4.10.1712 Gysbert VERSSCHUUR
b5 Pieter ≈ Stellenbosch 18.10.1699 † c. 1765 x Kaapstad 30.11.1721 Hester NEL ≈ 1.8.1706 † c. 1785 d.v. Guillaume Neel en Jeanne la Batte
b6 Cornelia ≈ Stellenbosch 15.10.1701 x Drakenstein 14.2.1717 Willem VAN STADEN xx Stellenbosch 25.3.1742 Carel Titus JUST
b7 Maria ≈ Stellenbosch 3.8.1704 x 21.5.1724 Pieter Matthys DE VRIES xx Jan Frederik HARTOGH xxx Johannes RIECKE
b8 Jan Hendrik ≈ Stellenbosch 7.11.1706
b9 Jan Hendrik ≈ Stellenbosch 17.11.1709
b10 Frederik ≈ Stellenbosch 25.10.1711
Variants first name: Hendrik / Heinrich
(Note: Hendrik recorded on documents and not Heinrich)
Variants second name: Coenraad / Conrad
