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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: 10149
Cape Muster Roll 1658 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 8907
Cape Muster Roll 1660 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 11278
Cape Muster Roll 1661 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 9036
Cape Muster Roll 1662 - Free Men Written by and transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 12414
Cape Muster Roll 1663 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 10725
Cape Muster Roll 1664 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7522
Cape Muster Roll 1665 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7701
Cape Muster Roll 1666-67 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7468
Cape Muster Roll 1667 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 8015
Cape Muster Roll 1670 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 9228
Cape Muster Roll 1671 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 8401
Cape Muster Roll 1672 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7565
Cape Muster Roll 1673 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7642
Cape Muster Roll 1674 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7762
Cape Muster Roll 1675 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7471
Cape Muster Roll 1677 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 8462
Cape Muster Roll 1678 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7681
Cape Muster Roll 1679 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 8081
Cape Muster Roll 1682 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7960
Cape Muster Roll 1685 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 9322
Cape Muster Roll 1686 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 9074
Cape Muster Roll 1688 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 9703
Cape Muster Roll 1690 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 8770
Cape Muster Roll 1691 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 9151
Cape Muster Roll 1692 - Free Men Written by and transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 11712
Cape Muster Roll 1693 - Free Men Written by and transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 11509
Cape Muster Roll 1695 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 15320
Cape Muster Roll 1695 - Knechts Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 9600
Cape Muster Roll 1696 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 11228
Cape Muster Roll 1698 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 12055
Cape Muster Roll 1700 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 8268
Cape Muster Roll of 1702 [for 1701] Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 13328
Cape Muster Roll 1703 [for 1702] - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 5678
Cape Muster Roll 1703 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 5210
Cape Muster Roll 1704 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 5060
Cape Muster Roll 1705 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 4986
Cape Muster Roll 1706 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 5221
Cape Muster Roll 1707 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 4660
Cape Muster Roll 1708 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 4339
Cape Muster Roll 1709 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 2465
Cape Muster Roll 1711 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 2217
Cape Muster Roll of 1712 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 24413
Cape Muster Roll of 1713 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 17398
Cape Muster Roll 1714 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 5319
Cape Muster Roll 1715/16 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 5994

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.