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Muster Rolls introduction

The Muster Rolls (monsterrollen), preserved in the form of transcripts in the Cape Archives as VC 39-55 and 103, were apparently yearly lists of the inhabitants at the Cape, drawn up by Dutch East India Company (VOC) officials, and sent to the authorities in the Netherlands where they were preserved.

These are copies done by hand at the end of the 19th Century. to judge from the handwriting, presumably from the records preserved in the VOC archives at The Hague, Netherlands. So far I have been able to find no information on the transcriber or the circumstances.

In VC 39 part 3 of these transcripts there are lists for the years 1660 to 1666/7 for each year, 1670 to 1675 for each year, 1677, 1679, 1682, 1685, 1686, 1688, 1690, 1691, 1692, 1693, 1695, 1696, 1698 and 1700.

These records in the VOC archives are likewise copies, which were preserved in the archives of the Amsterdam Chamber of VOC. The originals must have been compiled at the Cape each year. Several copies were then made and forwarded to Batavia in Indonesia, headquarters of the VOC abroad, and the authority in charge of the Cape branch of the VOC. Other copies were presumably forwarded to the several Chambers of the VOC in the Netherlands. The originals, if they were kept at the Cape, did not survive.

 

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List of articles in category Cape Archives VC Lists
Title Author Hits
Cape Muster Roll 1657 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 9499
Cape Muster Roll 1658 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 8396
Cape Muster Roll 1660 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 10663
Cape Muster Roll 1661 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 8504
Cape Muster Roll 1662 - Free Men Written by and transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 11702
Cape Muster Roll 1663 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 10240
Cape Muster Roll 1664 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7109
Cape Muster Roll 1665 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7270
Cape Muster Roll 1666-67 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7049
Cape Muster Roll 1667 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7537
Cape Muster Roll 1670 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 8692
Cape Muster Roll 1671 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7915
Cape Muster Roll 1672 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7121
Cape Muster Roll 1673 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7200
Cape Muster Roll 1674 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7349
Cape Muster Roll 1675 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7050
Cape Muster Roll 1677 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 8024
Cape Muster Roll 1678 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7249
Cape Muster Roll 1679 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7600
Cape Muster Roll 1682 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7446
Cape Muster Roll 1685 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 8715
Cape Muster Roll 1686 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 8606
Cape Muster Roll 1688 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 9185
Cape Muster Roll 1690 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 8256
Cape Muster Roll 1691 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 8627
Cape Muster Roll 1692 - Free Men Written by and transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 11021
Cape Muster Roll 1693 - Free Men Written by and transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 10829
Cape Muster Roll 1695 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 14499
Cape Muster Roll 1695 - Knechts Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 9088
Cape Muster Roll 1696 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 10613
Cape Muster Roll 1698 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 11383
Cape Muster Roll 1700 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 7602
Cape Muster Roll of 1702 [for 1701] Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 12666
Cape Muster Roll 1703 [for 1702] - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 4913
Cape Muster Roll 1703 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 4672
Cape Muster Roll 1704 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 4580
Cape Muster Roll 1705 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 4523
Cape Muster Roll 1706 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 4669
Cape Muster Roll 1707 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 4196
Cape Muster Roll 1708 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 3800
Cape Muster Roll 1709 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 1981
Cape Muster Roll 1711 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 1686
Cape Muster Roll of 1712 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 22974
Cape Muster Roll of 1713 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 16573
Cape Muster Roll 1714 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 4797
Cape Muster Roll 1715/16 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 5231

Sources: Cape Archives Verbatim Copies VC 39, vol. 2, 1657-1658, pp. 17-24
                 Cape Archives Verbatim Copies VC 39, vol. 1, 1660-1700, pp. 1-208
                 Cape Archives Verbatim Copies VC 49, 1701-1725, pp. 1-565

The Muster Rolls (monsterrollen), preserved in the form of transcripts in the Cape Archives as VC 39-55 and 103, were apparently yearly lists of the inhabitants at the Cape, drawn up by Dutch East India Company (VOC) officials, and sent to the authorities in the Netherlands where they were preserved.

These are copies done by hand at the end of the 19th Century (to judge from the handwriting), transcriber unknownl, presumably from the records preserved in the VOC archives at The Hague, Netherlands.