Steyn O'Brien Smith Pohl and family who settled in Kenya, East Africa.
The second son, Johann Theodorus(1809-1882) acquired farms further north, along the Baviaans river and in the Bedford/Adelaide region. While residing there he and his family were under constant threat from the Xhosa invaders during the various border disturbances. Further resettlement of his family line occured from here and later on some of Johann's descendants even emigrated to Kenya, only to return to South Africa during the Mau-Mau disturbances. We are fortunate in that a grandson, Pieter Pohl, who did Commando service with the Transvaal forces during theAnglo-Boer war, left a written account of his experiences during that war.("Boer - Afrikaans for farmer")
Among the younger sons, Fredrik Wilhelm (b.1819), followed his brother Johann to settle in the Northern Cape. Carl Emanuel(1817-1886)went even further north to Kimberley and this family apparently therafter settled in the Western Transvaal in the Lichtenburg area. Members did Commando service during the Anglo-Boer war and some participated in the siege of Mafeking by the Boer forces. The whereabouts of another son Frans Petrus, are unknown to us to the present day.
The farm "Carel Rust" was later, following the death of Frederik Pohl in 1870, divided amongst his four sons Carel Frederik(1832-1919), Ignatius Philip Willem(1836-1912) , Petrus Johannes (b.1845) and Robert Langley (1847-1930). Later in approximately 1885, Carel and his family followed in the footsteps of the Voortrekkers and trekked up north to settle on farms in the Boer Republic ot the Orange Free State. Three of his sons fought for the Republic in the Anglo Boer war and the experiences of this family during that war are described in the book "Adventures of a Boer Family", written by the youngest son and renowned author and musician, Victor Pohl. After the war this family settled in Bloemfontein and after some years departed to settle on farms near Duivelskloof in the Northern Transvaal, where many descendants are still residing to this day.
As time went on the younger brothers Ignatius Philip Willem and his family also trekked north to settle in the Witwatersrand area in the Transvaal. Members of this family were also on Commando during the Anglo Boer war and some of their women and children were carted off to the British concentration camp at Irene, Transvaal where some died and were buried.
