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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: 8596
Cape Muster Roll 1658 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7657
Cape Muster Roll 1660 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 9899
Cape Muster Roll 1661 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7700
Cape Muster Roll 1662 - Free Men Written by and transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 10628
Cape Muster Roll 1663 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 9531
Cape Muster Roll 1664 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 6489
Cape Muster Roll 1665 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 6672
Cape Muster Roll 1666-67 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 6430
Cape Muster Roll 1667 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 6896
Cape Muster Roll 1670 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7935
Cape Muster Roll 1671 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7134
Cape Muster Roll 1672 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 6479
Cape Muster Roll 1673 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 6554
Cape Muster Roll 1674 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 6728
Cape Muster Roll 1675 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 6431
Cape Muster Roll 1677 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7381
Cape Muster Roll 1678 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 6530
Cape Muster Roll 1679 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 6851
Cape Muster Roll 1682 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 6696
Cape Muster Roll 1685 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7993
Cape Muster Roll 1686 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7850
Cape Muster Roll 1688 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 8401
Cape Muster Roll 1690 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7294
Cape Muster Roll 1691 - free men Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 7771
Cape Muster Roll 1692 - Free Men Written by and transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 10015
Cape Muster Roll 1693 - Free Men Written by and transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 9849
Cape Muster Roll 1695 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 13491
Cape Muster Roll 1695 - Knechts Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 8376
Cape Muster Roll 1696 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 9705
Cape Muster Roll 1698 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 10294
Cape Muster Roll 1700 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 6730
Cape Muster Roll of 1702 [for 1701] Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 11560
Cape Muster Roll 1703 [for 1702] - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 4129
Cape Muster Roll 1703 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 3925
Cape Muster Roll 1704 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 3823
Cape Muster Roll 1705 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 3694
Cape Muster Roll 1706 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 3969
Cape Muster Roll 1707 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 3428
Cape Muster Roll 1708 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 2905
Cape Muster Roll 1709 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 1203
Cape Muster Roll 1711 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 888
Cape Muster Roll of 1712 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 21040
Cape Muster Roll of 1713 Written by transcribed by Richard Ball Hits: 15434
Cape Muster Roll 1714 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 3894
Cape Muster Roll 1715/16 - Free Men Written by transcribed by Corney Keller Hits: 4086

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.