Like many religious refugees of the early 19th century, Allan Larsson's ancestors came from places like Gotland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Holland, France and Portugal to the Cape of South Africa in search of a new life. It was here that they established churches, businesses, and farms. They intermarried with other European families and started new lives. Life was difficult in this lush area and the colony changed hands several times from Dutch, to British, to independent. Wars were fought and new land was conquered, although sometimes at an overwhelming price. Through it all, these families weathered it all and adapted to their new way of life. Many of these families were Calvinists or Quakers, descendants of some of the finest families in Europe. These included such families as Tancred, King of Sicily, Agricola and Marie Everts, a freed-slave landowner from Guinea. Front photo - Jan van Riebeeck arrives at the Cape Colony of South Africa in 1632 with the first Dutch Settlers.