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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: 8777
Cape Muster Roll 1658 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7802
Cape Muster Roll 1660 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 10050
Cape Muster Roll 1661 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7846
Cape Muster Roll 1662 - Free Men Written by and transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 10843
Cape Muster Roll 1663 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 9672
Cape Muster Roll 1664 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 6602
Cape Muster Roll 1665 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 6789
Cape Muster Roll 1666-67 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 6551
Cape Muster Roll 1667 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7015
Cape Muster Roll 1670 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 8089
Cape Muster Roll 1671 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7298
Cape Muster Roll 1672 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 6601
Cape Muster Roll 1673 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 6668
Cape Muster Roll 1674 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 6846
Cape Muster Roll 1675 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 6540
Cape Muster Roll 1677 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7522
Cape Muster Roll 1678 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 6644
Cape Muster Roll 1679 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7021
Cape Muster Roll 1682 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 6861
Cape Muster Roll 1685 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 8133
Cape Muster Roll 1686 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 8002
Cape Muster Roll 1688 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 8600
Cape Muster Roll 1690 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7500
Cape Muster Roll 1691 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7947
Cape Muster Roll 1692 - Free Men Written by and transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 10224
Cape Muster Roll 1693 - Free Men Written by and transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 10079
Cape Muster Roll 1695 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 13701
Cape Muster Roll 1695 - Knechts Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 8510
Cape Muster Roll 1696 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 9910
Cape Muster Roll 1698 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 10531
Cape Muster Roll 1700 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 6923
Cape Muster Roll of 1702 [for 1701] Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 11762
Cape Muster Roll 1703 [for 1702] - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 4257
Cape Muster Roll 1703 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 4092
Cape Muster Roll 1704 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 3987
Cape Muster Roll 1705 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 3847
Cape Muster Roll 1706 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 4121
Cape Muster Roll 1707 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 3566
Cape Muster Roll 1708 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 3072
Cape Muster Roll 1709 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 1345
Cape Muster Roll 1711 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 1032
Cape Muster Roll of 1712 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 21495
Cape Muster Roll of 1713 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 15697
Cape Muster Roll 1714 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 4126
Cape Muster Roll 1715/16 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 4327

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.