Cape Colony Marriages 1652 - 

This database is compiled from official church and civil records and may contain inaccuracies due to the challenging nature of transcribing Gothic script from the 1600s.

Dutch settlers initially engaged in relationships with the indigenous Khoi San women. Following the arrival of imported slaves, settlers often preferred relationships with enslaved women from East Asia, Africa, Madagascar, and Mauritius (many of whom had origins in the East), while relationships with local Khoi San women continued. Some formal intermarriage occurred between settlers, indigenous peoples, and imported slaves. However, enslaved people from the East often intermarried amongst themselves (including those who were Hindu or Muslim, though African Muslim slaves were often excluded from this group). Other enslaved populations often associated with the indigenous Khoi San population.These practices resulted in a complex social and racial hierarchy among the descendants, establishing patterns that had lasting consequences for race relations in the Cape Colony and the future country. 

Unbaptized enslaved individuals were not legally permitted to marry until February 1, 1839. As a result, many enslaved people formed unions according to Muslim rites or established de facto (common-law) marriage relationships. The legal age of majority was reduced from 25 to 21 in 1829.

Please note that where the earlier records reflect two first names for the former slaves and no surname, I have used the last name as a surname. The children of slaves tended to take the name of their progenitor (slave or settler) as a surname, although many baptised slaves often took the surname of their owner or benefactor, or chose a completely different first name to their allocated slave name. 

The names of slaves, their descendants, and other population groups were spelled differently from the names of "white" settlers and their descendants to indicate racial difference. This racial tagging was evident in the records where people were classed as christen (christian), onchristen (heathen), vrij geboren (born free), vrij zwart (free Black), lijfeijgen / slaaf (serf/slave), heelslagh (both parents were slaves), halfslagh, mestiço / mesties or mulatto (one parent was European and the other a slave), kastiço or kasties (one parent was European and the other a mulatto),  Bastaard (one parent was Dutch or French European and the other indigenous) , Bastaard Hottentot (one parent was indigenous and the other a slave), Hottentot (Khoi), or Bosjesman (San or Bushman).

Great care was taken in recording details of Europeans, while the records of slaves, their descendants, and other peoples were written, in many instances, with the bare minimum of information, in apparent haste and with little care, making it difficult to read the writing. In addition, marriage records that would shed light on the degree of racial inter-marriage had a tendency to disappear from the archives or were destroyed in fires, like the Drakenstein marriage records.

Database compiled from Marriage Records of the Evangelical Missionary Church Tulbagh, Beaufort, Victoria West, Carnarvon, Stellenbosch

Nederduitsche Hervormde Gemeente Stellenbosch, Beaufort

London Missionary Society

Luthersche Kerk Kaapstad

English Episcopal Church
Rhenish Missionary Church
Dutch Reform Church
Moravian Church
Anglican Church

Reform Church

VOC archives

*Denotes died early

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