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.

 

Filters
List of articles in category Cape Archives VC Lists
Title Author Hits
Cape Muster Roll 1657 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 6462
Cape Muster Roll 1658 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 5961
Cape Muster Roll 1660 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7768
Cape Muster Roll 1661 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 5993
Cape Muster Roll 1662 - Free Men Written by and transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 7791
Cape Muster Roll 1663 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7422
Cape Muster Roll 1664 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 4905
Cape Muster Roll 1665 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 5089
Cape Muster Roll 1666-67 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 4814
Cape Muster Roll 1667 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 5256
Cape Muster Roll 1670 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 6105
Cape Muster Roll 1671 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 5369
Cape Muster Roll 1672 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 4870
Cape Muster Roll 1675 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 4809
Cape Muster Roll 1673 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 4876
Cape Muster Roll 1677 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 5649
Cape Muster Roll 1674 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 5166
Cape Muster Roll 1678 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 4747
Cape Muster Roll 1679 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 4978
Cape Muster Roll 1682 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 4725
Cape Muster Roll 1685 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 6172
Cape Muster Roll 1686 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 5888
Cape Muster Roll 1688 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 6469
Cape Muster Roll 1690 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 5160
Cape Muster Roll 1691 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 5672
Cape Muster Roll 1692 - Free Men Written by and transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 7343
Cape Muster Roll 1693 - Free Men Written by and transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 7248
Cape Muster Roll 1695 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 10797
Cape Muster Roll 1695 - Knechts Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 6275
Cape Muster Roll 1696 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 7094
Cape Muster Roll 1698 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 7432
Cape Muster Roll 1700 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 4571
Cape Muster Roll of 1702 [for 1701] Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 9259
Cape Muster Roll 1703 [for 1702] - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 2287
Cape Muster Roll 1703 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 2115
Cape Muster Roll 1704 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 2098
Cape Muster Roll 1705 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 1948
Cape Muster Roll 1706 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 1936
Cape Muster Roll 1707 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 1494
Cape Muster Roll 1708 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 906
Cape Muster Roll of 1712 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 16169
Cape Muster Roll of 1713 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 12348
Cape Muster Roll 1714 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 1883
Cape Muster Roll 1715/16 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 1681

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.