Claas Jansz: van Rensburg

The 'stamvader' of the van Rensburg’s in South Africa.

He arrived at the Cape about 1708.

Variations of the name: Rijnsburg; Rendsburg. The name is commonly used in the following forms - van Rensburg; Janse van rensburg; Jansen van Rensburg;

Born in 1661.

Birth place

EITHER - Rijnsburg near Leiden, in the Netherlands OR Rendsburg on the border between Germany and Denmark. After the Y-DnA test of Christo van Rensburg, there is no doubt that he came from Rendsburg, known by the Dutch as Rensburg.

Parents -

His father's name was most likely Jan or Johannes.

The information regarding Claas's ancestry is pure conjecture based on the patronymical naming pattern.

I quote from Andre van Rensburg's brilliant web pages - http://www.reocities.com/Athens/Atlantis/4364/

"A person was known as: "Given name and then Father's name plus son". Applying this to Claas Jansz: His given name is - Claas. His father's name was 'Jan' and 'sz' represents 'se zoon' which means son (or son belonging to him). Each next generation, the last name changes to who their father was. The full name of Jan was most likely Johannes since the eldest son was named such. Claas's mother’s name was most probably Cecilia, since it was customary(6) to name the second daughter after the father’s mother. Claas's child Hendrik could have been named after Claas's eldest brother if they followed the naming pattern in this footnote, refer also to table under Naming Custom and Claas's children further below. Thus we can presume that Claas's eldest brother was called Hendrik. "

His place of origin has not been ascertained. One theory is that he came from Rijnsburg near Leiden, in the Netherlands. Supporters of this theory include Dr E Rosenthal, Dr WHJ Punt and Dr C Pama. Another theory has him coming from Rendsburg on the border between Germany and Denmark; this theory is supported by Dr J Hoge and HT Colenbrander.

Refer to Andre van Rensburg's web page for a comprehensive discussion on this.

Death: about 1728 "CJ 2604 No 9. However his year of birth, which is determined from his will states that he was 66 at the time of making the will on the 21st March 1727. When the will was made it states that his wife Aletta was 40 and this age for her is incorrect, it does not fit in with her baptism on 30th April 1684. Her age when the will was made was really 43. J.L. Hattingh states that many of the ages were estimates, when the ages are given as thirty or forty, these may not be correct, see "Slawevrystellings aan die Kaap tussen 1700 en 1720" Kronos 1981 Vol IV p 26."

AND

"Claas must have died prior to 6 October 1728 since Aletta is referred to as being a widow (RLR 8/1 no 162 p 55). Claas's will was accepted on 8 December 1728 by the Orphan Chamber (Weeskamer). He was about 67 years of age. Aletta died within a year of the death of Claas. She was only 45 years old, and she still had small children. The cause of her death is not known. Was she ill? Did she die due to grief? Or by her own hand?"

[1] Footnotes

Marriage:

On 14 Aug 1708 at Stellenbosch to Aaltje (Aletta) van der Merwe, daughter Willem Schalk van der Merwe and Elsje Cloete; widow of Marthinus van Staden.

Children: Reference [1]

b1 Johannes baptised 7 July 1709, (17) and married 27 August 1730 Anna Margaretha Botha

b2 Elsie baptised 31 July 1712 Reference VC 632 which is the Verbatum Copy of the Stellenbosch baptismal register G2 4/1 It reads:Elsje, father Klaus Janse (sic), mother Aultie Schalk, witnesses Jacobus van As met Helena Schalk. Died 15 October 1776 and married 12 August 1731 Pieter van der Merwe, died 2 May 1763

b3 Cecilia born 1 March 1715, baptised(18) 21 April 1715, died 25 July 1774 (should it read 1 Dec 1774)and married 19 April 1732 Izaak van der Merwe, ~ 27 Sep 1711, died(19) 26 April 1774 ( check or should it read 1 Jun 1777)

b4 Willem baptised(20) 21 November 1717, died 21 July 1746 and married 2 July 1740 Anna Sophia Burger

b5 Nicolaas baptised(21) 31 March 1720, and married 31 March 1743 Maria Marais

b6 Hendrik baptised(22) 12 September 1723, and married 1747 Anna Maria van der Merwe

b7 Sophia born 25 Nov 1725, baptised(23) 23 December 1725, died dist Waveren 30 Dec 1800, and married 30 November 1745 David van der Merwe ~ 2 Oct 1707, died Tulbagh 1 Apr 1784

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With acknowledgement - [www.ballfamilyrecords.co.uk Richard Ball's web pages] -

Will - Van Rensburg, Claas Jansz: and Aletta van der Merwe - 1727

Cape Archives, CJ 2604, 9

CJ 2604, 9 - dated 21st March 1727

... den landbouwer

Claas Jansz: van Rensburg oud' 66, en Aletta

van der Merwe van Cabo de Goede Hoop, oud' 40

jaren ...

Cape Archives index - via Naairs online site

MOOC 7/1/4, 52

VAN RENSBURG, CLAAS JANSZ. WILL.

STARTING 1720, FILED 1728.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

van Rensburg web site, by A.M. van Rensburg

See scanned image of marriage register

1708 ditto (18st Aug:) Claas Janse van Rensburg met Aaltie

Schalk van der Caab

MARRIAGE

Church Registers - Cape Town Congregation

Nederlands Gereformeerde Kerk Argief, G1-8/1

marriages

1708 den 14 Aug Claas Janse van Rensburg met

Aaltie Schalk vande Caab

(the 14 above is the strange form that looks rather like 'th' - seen also in Jan Smit and Eva Zaaijman's inventory of 1714 and in the Stellenbosch doopregister, at 1694)

Paternal Ancestry Report

Haplogroup I1

Y-STR

• DYS456 14
• DYS389 I 12
• DYS390 24
• DYS389 II 28
• DYS458 15
• DYS19 13
• DYS385 a/b 14  15
• DYS393 13
• DYS391 11
• DYS 439 13
• DYS635 22
• DYS392 11
• Y GATA H4 11
• DYS437 16
• DYS438 10
• DYS448 19

______________________________________________________________________________

Sources, References and Links

[1] Andre van Rensburg's web page --------------------

NOTE:

Not sure of the source of this note -

Born in Netherlands on 1681. WRONG see above CJB

Nicolaas married Maria Mare and had 5 children. WRONG

Maria Mare b7 was born about 1721. (SAG Volume 5 Page 472) The earliest she will have married would be around 1734/5 as some girls married as young as 14 at that time. Claas will have been dead for about 6 years at that time. CJB

Nicolaas married Aletta van der Merwe and had 2 children. WRONG

See information about children above CJB

Nicolaas married Alberta van Rooyen and had 3 children. WRONG

Alberta van Rooyan b6 married Nicolaas J van Rensburg born 1731 - he was b1c1 - Nicolaas's grandchild. CJB

He died 1728 in South Africa.