26 April 1816
By a proclamation (26 April 1816) the registration of Slaves was made compulsory.
Such a measure is necessitated by “the numerous manumissions which take place, and the large class of Negro Apprentices, (which has of late years been, by decisions of the Court of Vice Admiralty, greatly encreased)”, and the expediency “that the most minute precautions should be taken to prevent the possibility of such free persons, or their offspring, merging into a state of Slavery, or being confounded with the domestic or other Slaves, the property of individuals in this Settlement.”
An office is established in Cape Town “for the purpose of keeping exact Registers of all Slaves within the Colony” and managed by an Inspector and an Assistant Inspector.
Similar offices are established in each of the country districts “under the immediate inspection of the Landdrost, and in correspondence with, and under the control of, the principal office in Cape Town.”
These offices are placed under District Clerks.
As there is no District Clerk at Stellenbosch the duties in question are to be carried out by the Secretary for the Drostdy.
The registration is explained by the following clause: –
“Every Proprietor of a Slave shall be bound to enter at the office of the District, in which he resides, by name and sex, all his or her Slaves, stating their respective ages … country, and occupations, and also to report and receive a Certificate of all manumissions, transfers, inheritances, births, deaths, or changes of property, as the case may be”.
An alphabetical register of proprietors within Cape Town, the Cape District and Simonstown, giving the names and all particulars of the slaves of each person, and what happened to them, was to be kept in the office of the Inspector of the Enregisterment.
Similar registers are kept in the country districts and copies there – of transmitted monthly to the Chief Office in Cape Town.
The 1st to occupy the post of Inspector is Major George Rogers.
[1/21 (Inventory of the Archives of the Registrar and Guardian of Slaves, 1717-1848 Registrar: Protector)]
Muatze 