Cape Slaves Ancestry

Research Portal for Descendants of the Slaves of the Cape Colony 1652 - 1900

EXPLORE

Dive into the rich history of the Slaves who were brought to the Cape of Good Hope.

Read the stories of resilience and heritage in my Blog. Discover the connections that shape our past and present.

Join me on a journey of exploration and understanding.

The origins of the so-called "Coloured people" of South Africa are veiled in bigotry and ignorance, and the fires of prejudice and racial superiority are stoked by ill informed political rhetoric.

The term itself has often been used in a derogatory manner, reinforcing feelings of marginalization and discrimination.

Today, the phrase "Coloured" is often used interchangeably with other terms, such as "Cape Coloured" , "Cape Malay", or "Other Coloured", which do not reflect the diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds of this population.

The word "Coloured" is a historical classification used in South Africa to categorize individuals of mixed ancestry, primarily of African, European, and sometimes Asian descent. This classification, a product of colonial and apartheid policies, has been a source of much debate and controversy. Rather than classifying the mixed population into the ethnic groups to whom they belong, the term "Coloured", as a legacy of apartheid, with its rigid racial classifications and discriminatory policies, has had a profound impact on the identity and experiences of the "Coloured" population.

In recent years, there has been a growing movement to challenge the historical and social construction of race in South Africa. Many "Coloured" people now prefer to identify with their specific ethnic or cultural heritage, such as Cape Malay, Griqua, or other groups.

As South Africa continues to grapple with its past, it is essential to acknowledge the complex and often painful history that has shaped the "Coloured" population. By understanding the past, we can work towards a more inclusive and equitable future for all South Africans

The origins of the "Coloured" population are deeply intertwined with the history of the Cape Colony. The arrival of Dutch settlers, (consisting of VOC officials, Dutch Free Burghers who were VOC officials released from service, and soldiers and sailors from all over Europe) in the 17th century led to interracial contact and mixing with the indigenous Khoisan people (diverse groups of indigenous Black African hunter-gatherers, and cattle breeders).

Accordingly, the most referenced Khoisan female, Krotoa (also known as Eva van Meerhof, the wife of Danish explorer and surgeon Pieter van Meerhof), of the Watermans tribe, became the stammoeder of many South Africans, notably former President FW de Klerk and the Boer generals Paul Kruger and Jan Smuts.

The historical record reveals a significant gender imbalance among the early European settlers at the Cape of Good Hope. In 1658, there were approximately 10 white women to 340 white men. In addition, between 10 to 20 personal female slaves accompanied the Dutch to the Cape and on journeys bound for the Netherlands from the East. Three of these enslaved women from Bengal were notably manumitted and married Dutch settlers. They were Angela of Bengal, Catharine of Bengal, and Anna de Koning (daughter of Angela), who became the matriarchs of many South Africans of all colours.

From 1658 onwards the importation of enslaved people from diverse countries (e.g. Angola, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya and other upper East African domains, Mozambique, Madagascar, Mauritius, Batavia, Bengal, Bougies, Coromandel, Java, Macassar, Ternate, and even Japan and China ) did little to alter the gender imbalance. The sexual exploitation of enslaved women by European men further contributed to the blurring of racial lines and as a result the entire population born at the Cape Colony became mixed race, prompting the VOC to send Dutch female "orphans" in 1687 to the Cape to counteract the creolisation of the population. The 8 - 10 volunteers who arrived did not make a dent in the male to female proportion of the white settlers and proved insufficient to prevent the ongoing interracial mixing.

While the arrival of French Huguenots c. 1671 - 1692, and British settlers c.1820 increased the European population in the Cape Colony, it did not halt the ongoing intermingling of races. Despite attempts to maintain racial purity, marriages, cohabitation, and non-consensual sexual relationships continued to occur between people of different ethnicities with European men taking the lead.

A notable exception to the norm was the tragic case of Maria Mouton, a French woman, and Titus of Bengal, an enslaved man. Their relationship highlights the complex dynamics of race and power in colonial South Africa.

In the 20th century, the Union of South Africa enacted laws to further enforce racial segregation. The Immorality Act of 1927 criminalized extramarital sexual relationships between Europeans and Black people, while the Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act of 1949 extended these restrictions to "Coloured" people and Asians. These laws aimed to preserve racial purity and uphold white supremacy.

However, despite these oppressive measures, interracial relationships persisted, demonstrating the resilience of human connection and the limitations of legal enforcement. Ultimately, these discriminatory laws were repealed between 1985 and 2007.

SERVICE

This website offers free access to online databases containing historical records of enslaved people in the Cape Colony. These records include information about their origins, life cycle events, and their descendants.

The data also encompasses records of individuals from St Helena Island who may have settled in South Africa during the colonial period.

The information presented on this website is derived from archival records and publicly accessible online resources

AIMS

My goal is to empower the descendants of enslaved people from the former Cape Colony by helping them connect with their ancestry and understand the profound impact of slavery on South African history. By acknowledging this dark chapter, we can strive to build a more just and equitable society for all.

Slavery in South Africa persisted in various forms from 1652 to 1994. It evolved through several phases, including Dutch and British colonial slavery, the Inboekstelsel (indentured labor system), the migrant labor system, and the apartheid era.

DEDICATION

This website is dedicated to the memory of my parents, Samuel and Dorothy, my grandparents, William and Maria, and William and Rose, and to the countless millions of enslaved individuals who were stripped of their identities and who lost their lives during centuries of colonial oppression.

All information and images of records on this site are compiled as:

Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

HOW TO USE THIS WEBSITE

To begin your genealogical research, consider starting with marriage records. If you know the names of your parents and grandparents, these records can provide valuable clues.

Baptism records can also be a helpful resource. They often include details about children, their parents, and sometimes even their enslaved ancestors or pre-baptism slave names. These records can be cross-referenced with marriage records for further insights.

In the early years following the abolition of slavery, marriage records often listed children born from de facto marriages. These records can be a valuable source of information for identifying potential ancestors.

Death notices and probate records can provide details about spouses, children, and, in earlier records, parents.

Researching slave registers can be more complex. Enslaved individuals were given names by slave owners from a standard pool, leading to multiple people sharing the same name. They were not typically given surnames but were often identified by their place of origin. Upon baptism, enslaved people might adopt their progenitor's surname, a new surname, or a combination of both. For an example on the use of a surname, a slave named Jonas with a father named Geduld from Angola might be baptized as Jonas Geduld. However, another slave named Mei with a father also named Geduld, but from Madagascar, might be named Mei Geduld. This highlights the importance of considering the place of origin when researching surnames.

Enslaved people often used different names in their daily lives than those recorded in official documents.

Under British rule, infants and young children were frequently sold with their mothers, though exceptions do exist. Slave registers often reflect these familial connections through slave owner details, and dates of sale or transfer, but it's important to remember that family members were often separated through transactions to different owners and locations.

Another complexity arises from extramarital relationships between enslaved people and their owners. Children born from these relationships might take their mother's surname (if she was baptized), their own surname (if they were baptized), their father's surname (with his consent), or the designation "van de Kaap."

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