Roelof van der Merwe
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Roelof van der Merwe (1765 - 1834)

Roelof van der Merwe
Born in Laken Valley, Koue Bokkeveld, de Caep de Goede Hoopmap
Ancestors ancestors
Son of and
Brother of , , , [half], , , , , [half], [half], [half], [half], [half], [half] and [half]
Husband of — married 14 Apr 1787 in de Caep de Goede Hoopmap
Husband of — married about 1800 in Cape Colonymap
Descendants descendants
Father of , and
Died at age 69 in Vendutiekraal, Hex River, Cape Colonymap
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Profile last modified | Created 30 Oct 2017
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Table Bay, South Africa (1762)
Roelof van der Merwe was part of the settlement of the Dutch Cape Colony.
Join: Cape of Good Hope - Kaap de Goede Hoop (1652-1806) Project
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Contents

Biography

Name

Roelof van der Merwe [1][2]

Birth

Date: Roelof was born about Aug 1794 [2] / 14 Jul 1765. [1]
Place: Dutch Cape Colony [2]

Parents

He is the son of Roelof van der Merwe [1] and Anna van Heerden [1] / He was the son of Roelof van der Merwe [2] and Anna van der Merwe. [2]

Baptism

Date: 14 July 1765 [3]
Place: Tulbagh, Dutch Cape Colony [3]
Name: Roelof van der Merwe [3]
Father's Name:Petrus van der Merwe [3]
Mother's Name: Anna Sophia van Heerden [3]
Witnesses: Hendrik van der Merwe, Anna Sophia van der Merwe, Roelof van Heerden and Hester van der Merwe [3]
"[Anno 1765 14 Jul] 't kint Roelof Vaader Petrús van der Merwe Moeder Anna Sophia van Heerden Getu: Hendrick van Heerden en Anna Sophia van der Merwe Roelof van Heerden en Hester van der Merwe" [4]

Marriage

14 Apr 1787 [5][2] to Anna Susanna van der Merwe [2]
1787, den 14 April [5]
Roelof van der Merwe [5]
van Cabo de Goede Hoop, status: jongman [5]
occupation: burger aan Stellenbosch [5]
Met [5]
Wilhelmina Hendrina van der Merwe [5]
van Cabo voornt:, status: jonge dogter [5]
e4 Roelof VAN DER MERWE * 14.7.1765 x 14.4.1787 Wilhelmina Hendrina VAN DER MERWE d.v. Willem van der Merwe en Maria Jacobs xx Anna Susanna van der Merwe
b2c13d2e4f4 Roelof * Heksrivier 28.3.1802 d. 9.9.1837 x Alida LOUW [6]

Farms

The survey diagram[7] of 1817 for de Hex Rivier over het Roode Zand, or short Roode Zand was made for Roelof van der Merwe, Piet's son (see for this information with later diagrams after the farm was partitioned).

From 1818, there are survey diagrams of the neighbouring farm Vendutie Kraal, also giving Roelof van der Merwe.

Roelof is said to have made a business out of repairing wagons and organising auctions and sales of stuff from inheritances, and to people starting a trek to the East at the Hex River valley. This was also what his father Pieter Senior did at Lakenvlei in the Bokkeveld.

Children mentioned in Death Notice

Willem van der Merwe [2]
Roelof van der Merwe [2]
Anna Sophia van der Merwe [2] (gehuwd met Wellem Adriaan Coetsee) [2]
Her second husband was Willem Adriaan Cilliers [Cilliers-126] which is spelt Cilje in the DN (not Coetsee).

Added on 7 Nov 2023 by Ian McArthur

Death

Transcription of information in the Death Notice[8]:

  • Name: Roelof van der Merwe
  • Birth Place: Laken valey KoudeBokkenveld distrik Worcester
  • Parents: Petrus van der Merwe, Anna Sophia van Heerden
  • Age: Negen en sestig Jaare Vier maande en seven en twintig Daagen
  • Occupation: Landbouwer
  • Marriage status: Gehuwd met Anna Susanna van der Merwe
  • Day of decease: Dinsdag den 21 October 1834
  • Place of death: VandiZie Kraal Hex Rivier Distrik Worcester
  • Children(surviving):
Willem van der Merwe
Roelof van der Merwe
Anna Sophia van der Merwe, gehuwd met Willem Adriaan Kotzé(???)
Alle meerderjarig
  • Property: Twee Plaatze en alles dat tot de Landbouwer behoort

From this we can calculate his birth day to have been 25 May 1765. His main farmstead was apparently Vendutiekraal where he died, but he also lists having a second farm (unnamed).

Slave Owner

A certain "Roelof van der Merwe, Pieters son" registered 66 slaves with the Tulbagh slave register, in Ledger M, Folios M52 [9], M53[10], M107[11], M155[12].

This large number of slaves suggests that he had a large operation, using and supporting many labourers. Possibly growing grapes, making wine, or other labour intensive activities. Some of the slaves were transferred in 1835, after that date of abolition! They are not recorded as a sale, but it looks like the four years of 'apprentice' even included being transferred, at least for the purpose of dealing with an inheritance. Another point is that the administration did not bother writing down the name of the widow with this registration, as his death nearly coincided with the end of slavery, and hence with the end of this registration system.

Research Notes

* Death notice added by Helene du Toit April 2019. Gives Birth location as "Laken Valley, Koue Bokkeveld, Worcester, Dutch Cape Colony"; date of death = 21 Oct 1834 ; Death location "Hex River, Dutch Cape Colony"
  • his son Roelof was born at Vendutiekraal, Hex Rivier, in 1802.

Sources

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 WikiTree profile Van der Merwe-2703 created by Christiaan Liebenberg 30 October 2017.
  2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 WikiTree profile profile Van der Merwe-4917 created by Philip van der Walt 29 Aug, 2020. Source:
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Source:
  4. ↑ Source:
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 Source:
    • The Genealogical Society of South Africa: eGSSA branch, South African Records Transcribed. A selection of historical records transcriptions (http://www.eggsa.org/sarecords/ : accessed 30 Dec 2018), Source: Nederduits Gereformeerde Gemeente (NGK), Tulbagh, Western Cape. marriage register, 1744-1839, page 46, entry no 4. Repository: NG Kerkargief, Noordwal-Wes, Stellenbosch, G4 9/1. Transcribed by Trysie Joubert, Marelize Keyter, Marie Greyvenstein and Annatje Erasmus as part of the eGGSA Project, from VC 664, Cape Archives Repository
    Seen and added by Philip van der Walt Dec 30, 2018.
  6. ↑ Source:
    • Heese, J.A. & Lombard, R.T.J. South African Genealogies 1 Human Sciences Research Council, 1992, ISBN 0-620-23962-1 v.5 pp. 573-4. Added on 1 Sep 2018 by Ian McArthur.
  7. ↑ Chief Surveyor General website and database csg.drdlr.gov.za
  8. ↑ Death Notice of Roelof van der Merwe, filed 31 Oct 1834, Nr 487, image from Familysearch.org
  9. ↑ Tulbagh Slave Register, Ledger M, Folio 52, Roelof van der Merwe, Pieters son, image at Familysearch.org
  10. ↑ Tulbagh Slave Register, Ledger M, Folio 53, Roelof van der Merwe, Pieters son, image at Familysearch.org
  11. ↑ Tulbagh Slave Register, Ledger M, Folio 107, Roelof van der Merwe, Pieters son, and copy of same, image at Familysearch.org
  12. ↑ Tulbagh Slave Register, Ledger M, Folio 155, Roelof van der Merwe, Pieters son, image at Familysearch.org




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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships. Paternal line Y-chromosome DNA test-takers: It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Roelof: Have you taken a test? If so, login to add it. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA.
Images: 5
Tulbagh, Baptisms 1743-1815 image 225
Tulbagh, Baptisms 1743-1815 image 225
Death Notice 21 Oct 1834
Death Notice 21 Oct 1834
DN of Roelof van der Merwe 21 Oct 1834, son of Petrus van der Merwe and Anna Sophia van Heerden
DN of Roelof van der Merwe 21 Oct 1834, son of Petrus van der Merwe and Anna Sophia van Heerden
Baptisms Land van Waveren, Cabo de Goede Hoop 1743-1815 Image 422
Baptisms Land van Waveren, Cabo de Goede Hoop 1743-1815 Image 422
Map of Zeekoegat, Hazekraal, Kanetvlei, Vendutiekraal, along the Hexriver
Map of Zeekoegat, Hazekraal, Kanetvlei, Vendutiekraal, along the Hexriver


Comments: 10

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Smit-641 Riël Smit
Please add Van_der_Merwe-7513 as child of Van_der_Merwe-2703 and Van_der_Merwe-3222 as per his baptism record
posted by Riël Smit
Van der Walt-440 Philip van der Walt
Van der Merwe-4917 and Van der Merwe-2703 appear to represent the same person because: Duplicates.
posted by Philip van der Walt
Van der Walt-440 Philip van der Walt
Please connect Lubbe-50 as mother to the child Van der Merwe-4917 instead of this parent Van_Heerden-1172 who had died 18th of May 1775.
posted on Van der Merwe-4917 (merged) by Philip van der Walt
edited by Philip van der Walt
Laubscher-282 André Laubscher
I notice the DN also appears on the profile of his brother Roelof van der Merwe (bef.1765-1834). Is there some conflation going on between the 2 profiles ?
posted on Van der Merwe-4917 (merged) by André Laubscher
Van der Walt-440 Philip van der Walt
That might be, it might also have another reason (during the registration of the DN itself). At this moment though he is added to the incorrect mother and this is causing a error database alert. I sourced the death date (18 May 1775) of Van_Heerden-1172 which is accurate. The father then married Lubbe-50 the 7th Oct 1775. So it is a logical deduction that this Van_der_Merwe-4917 born about Aug 1794 would have her as mother. Also see the previous comment on the error alert. Disconnecting Van_Heerden-1172 would solve the error.
posted on Van der Merwe-4917 (merged) by Philip van der Walt
Laubscher-282 André Laubscher
Looking at the DN again, I believe his age has been interpreted incorrectly and should be 69y not 39y. The first letter of the 2nd part is definitely an "s" if you compare it to the "S" above in "Sophia". That ties in with the DOB of his brother Roelof and means that the mother & spouse also agree with his brother's details. Therefore there should not be a 2nd Roelof.
posted on Van der Merwe-4917 (merged) by André Laubscher
Van der Walt-440 Philip van der Walt
That makes sense .... thanks André ...
posted on Van der Merwe-4917 (merged) by Philip van der Walt
Van der Walt-440 Philip van der Walt
Error Data base alert: Warning: Check the data.
  1. A mother's death date (Van Heerden-1172 died 18 May 1775) should not be before one of her children's birth dates (Van der Merwe-4917 born Aug 1794) . (7032) Could be that the child was baptised as an adult, or that the child is incorrectly attributed (connected) to this mother.
  2. A birth date (Van der Merwe-4917 born Aug 1794) should not be within eight months of a sibling's birth date (Van der Merwe-2707 born 7 Sep 1794) unless they are twins born within a day of each other.
posted on Van der Merwe-4917 (merged) by Philip van der Walt
edited by Philip van der Walt
Van der Walt-440 Philip van der Walt
I have matched Van_der_Merwe-4917 (date of birth ca Aug 1794) and Van_der_Merwe-2703 (before 14 Jul 1765) because the date of birth of the validated (with baptism) profile does not correspond to the date of birth as can be estimated on the same death notice uploaded for both profiles: 21 Oct 1834. Edit: Also see the comments and the research notes on the profiles of Petrus van der Merwe (1739 - 1834) and his now disconnected spouse: Anna Sophia van der Merwe (abt. 1743).
posted by Philip van der Walt
edited by Philip van der Walt
Van der Walt-440 Philip van der Walt
I have matched Van_der_Merwe-4917 (date of birth ca Aug 1794) and Van_der_Merwe-2703 (before 14 Jul 1765) because the date of birth of the validated (with baptism) profile does not correspond to the date of birth as can be estimated on the same death notice uploaded for both profiles: 21 Oct 1834. Edit: Also see the comments and the research notes on the profiles of Petrus van der Merwe (1739 - 1834) and his now disconnected spouse: Anna Sophia van der Merwe (abt. 1743).
posted on Van der Merwe-4917 (merged) by Philip van der Walt
edited by Philip van der Walt

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