Does anyone have a current e-mail address for Paul Erasmus? This one: paul at exordia.co.za does not work. I have an enquiry about Magdalena Catharina ERASMUS, born about 1750, married Frans Kruger and then Johannes Petrus Meintjes. Who were her parents? Supposedly they were Jacob Erasmus and Sara de Klerk, but the evidence I have seems very shaky to me. Best wishes, Keith

Hello Keith, KM> I have an enquiry about Magdalena Catharina ERASMUS, born about KM> 1750, married Frans Kruger and then Johannes Petrus Meintjes. Who KM> were her parents? KM> Supposedly they were Jacob Erasmus and Sara de Klerk, but the KM> evidence I have seems very shaky to me. That couple certainly baptised a child Magdalena Catharina: 1749 Nov 16 Magdalena Catharina Baptised: 1749, den 16 Nov Father: Jacob Erasmus Mother: Sara de Clercq Witnesses: Abraham de Clercq, en Jacoba Keijser Source: Nederduits Gereformeerde Gemeente (NGK), Tulbagh, Western Cape. Baptism register, 1743 to 2 Feb 1800, page 14, entry number 33. Repository: NG Kerkargief, Noordwal-Wes, Stellenbosch, G4 7/1. Transcribed by Lynn Couperthwaite, Trysie Joubert, Richard Ball as part of the eGGSA Project, from VC 657, Cape Archives Repository http://www.eggsa.org/bdms/Baptisms.html and a person with that name certainly married a Frans Kruger, also recorded in the Tulbagh church 10 Apr 1774 1774, den 10 April Frans Kruger van Cabo de Goede Hoop, weduwr. burger aan Stellenbosch met Magdalena Christina Erasmus van Cabo voorm:, jonge dogter Source: Nederduits Gereformeerde Gemeente (NGK), Tulbagh, Western Cape. marriage register, 1744-1839, page 27, entry no 6. 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 but there is never (unless the bride were a widow) to identify her other than her name. A marriage licence may exist in the Tulbagh section of the Cape Archives which may tell you something. The wills of the couple may (but at this period it is unlikely) mention their parents. So far as I know the only other clues can be found from the baptismal witness for the children of the couple - these are usually close relatives of mother and father of the child. Only one child of this couple is baptised in the Tulbagh baptisms indexed as noted above and the witnesses do not, apparently relate to the mother's family. Perhaps the couple moved to another district or had only the one child. In the inventory drawn up after her death (MOOC8/50.97a) the name of one of her daughters, at least, was Sara, which one would expect if her parentage was as you seem to doubt. http://www.tanap.net/content/activities/documents/Orphan_Chamber-Cape_of_Good_Hope/index.htm All the best, Richard -- Richard Ball, Norfolk, England http://www.ballfamilyrecords.co.uk richard.ball@ballfamilyrecords.co.uk