Claas Jansz van Rensburg, SV/PROG

Elmien Wood on FFY re Claas Jansz van Rensburg

Stamouers

Richard Ball on Claas Janz van Rensburg

AM van Rensburg re Claas Jansz van Rensburg

NOTE

Claas Schim van Rensburg father Jan Bruijn assumed incorrectly as Claas Jansz van Rensburg on FFY

Claas Schim van Rensburg

QUESTION If Claas Schim van Rensburg was Claas Janz van Rensburg why did he never use the name Schim again ?
Claas Schim father was Jan Bruijn who resided in the Cape of Good Hope -- see VOC source
The VOC unlikely to have employed a 40 year old man as a sailor in 1701.

I disagree with the FFY claiming that Claas Schim was our Claas Jansz. Although compelling in some respects, I believe the assumption is flawed for the following reasons:
Claas Schim was contracted to three separate vryburghers 1702 – 1708 under van der Stel’s ‘leenkneg’ system. He was in effect a labourer which would apply to a man in his early twenties. Claas Jansz was about 41 years old at the start of these contracts and as such it seems highly unlikely he would have been suited to such work. Elmien Wood (‘My naam is Van Rensburg, Janse van Rensburg – Of is dit Bruijn of dalk Schim?’) claims that Claas Schim was probably born 1648, which would have made the man 54 by 1702. I doubt this very much considering the work required, never mind the fact that the two men were 12 years apart in age and could not have been 'one and the same'. Whoever Claas Schim was, he was more likely to have been in his twenties at this time.

This article on the Stamvader is an expansion on my original article in Familia XXV which I presented in 1988 to the Genealogical Society of South Africa. There has been very limited published and documented research done on the Stamvader of the van Rensburg's. Hopefully, this situation is rectified with this research.

Mystery of Claas’s Arrival at the Cape

Claas Jansz was the 'stamvader' of the Van Rensburg’s in South Africa. Mystery surrounds his first 47 years, nothing is known of his life until his wedding entry, in 1708. The arrival of Claas at the Cape is not known. Leaving Europe (he may even have come via Asia) and making his way to the southern part of Africa was a major relocation. Brujns supplies the following information regarding VOC shipping for 1708. Only three people who arrived as passengers for the year, on the Generale Vrede, arrived at Cape 24 Jan 1708. The rest of the people who got disembarked the ships at the Cape were either soldiers or seamen. Their arrived 22 ships from Europe and 16 VOC ships from Asia for 1708. On arrival he would have seen this view of Cape, with Table mountain(30k), painting is from early 1700's. Here is another drawing of the Cape (33k) at that time Research into early documents does not reveal his presence earlier at the Cape.(1)

Married 14 August 1708 to Aletta van der Merwe
The earliest record of his presence at the Cape is his marriage, in the year 1708. First valid primary source at the Cape of Good Hope his marriage 1708.
Nothing before that

Age / Date of birth on curators note incorrect ; age 66 in 1727 meaning born circa 1661

Claas Janse van Rensburg

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

Claas Janse van Rensburg -- oldest source marriage 14 August 1708 Stellenbosch -- Claas Janse van Rensburg. Not Claes Jansz
farmer
born circa 1661, ( 66 years old in 1727 ) place unknown
died before 8 December 1728 at the Cape of Good Hope ; filing of will that date

Notes:
The details for this family come from the wills of 1722 and 1758 of Maria
van Staden and from the facsimiles of the original will and estate accounts
of this couple that appear on the wonderful Van Rensburg web site
created by André van Rensburg.

In the will of their sister, Maria van Staden, 1758, all the children of this
couple are surnamed just Jansen. This family would seem, judging from
the church registers and various signatures, to have thought of their
name as Janse or Jansen with the 'van Rensburg' as an optional extra.
This is visible right into the middle of the nineteenth century when
Willem Francois Petrus Janse van Rensburg signed himself 'W.F.P.Janze'
in the Ceres marriage register.

He arrived at the Cape before 14/08/1708/ as he married in the Cape that date ..

van RENSBURG, Nikolaus Janse (S). - Rendsburg. ~14.8.1708 Aletta v.d. Merwe, wid. Martinus van Staden. 7 children. (G.R. nr. 767; MOOC 14/5 nr. 56.)

According to FamilySearch.org profile, he is listed as a corporal at Drakenstein 27 May 1709, and on February 10, 1710 as a sergeant there. The following residences are given:

Farmer on
1710 Vrymansfontein, Agter Paarl, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa Farmer on 17 December 1711 Rensburg, Land van Waveren, ( near present day Wolseley ) , Cape of Good Hope, South Africa Farmer on 1712 Hotentotsfontein, Riebeeck Kasteel, Gape of Good Hope, South Africa Farmer on 20 February 1717 Groote Craal, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa Farmer on 7 May 1723 Zeekoeigat, ( near present day Wellington ) , Cape of Good Hope, South Africa Farmer on 5 July 1724 Claas Voogtsrivier, ( near present day Robertson ) ,Cape of Good Hope, South Africa

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.

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 ...

Birth place
Jan Jacobs, from Rijnsburg
Possible parent meaning Claas Jansz van Rijnsbùrg born at the Cape
Not impossible!

ORIGIN: Rendsburg on the border between Germany and Denmark.
Y-DNA test of Christo van Rensburg and others still do not confirm that he came from Rendsburg, known by the Dutch as Rensburg. This does not disprove the alternative suggestion that the name derives from Rijnsburg near Leiden, in the Netherlands. Christo van Rensburg yDNA even possible Eastern Baltic origin

Parents -

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

YDNA testing confirmed
https://www.geni.com/projects/I-Z2338-Y-DNA/46041.
-- for his Descendants
Therefore a big possibility of Eastern Baltic Area origin.

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.

Another theory with more proof :

'

In my search for the van Rensburg and/or the Janse van Rensburg family in
the Netherlands I have come to the conclusion that either name is alien in
the Netherlands. Neither has any person by the name of Janse, Jansz or
Jansen emigrated to the Old Cape in the early days
Not true : many others with surname Jansz or as part of name emigrated to the Cape of Good Hope.

See Claas van Rensburg 1693 Netherlands

https://www.openarchieven.nl/hua:093E1BFF-BF9F-D7BE-E053-4701000AAE...

See Claas Jansz van Groningen 1708 at the Cape of Good Hope

https://www.nationaalarchief.nl/onderzoeken/index/nt00444/db9191a0-...

On 1 June 1999, I received a letter from the Lutherian Church in Rendsburg,
Germany, confirming my father-in-law's story that they originally came from
a place in the north of Germany called "Rendsburg".
The person Nicolaas (christian name) Jansz (surname) emigrated as a single
person to South Africa and married the widow
of Marthinus van Staden, Aletta van der Merwe on 14 August 1708.. The
surname Van Rensburg has its origin in South Africa as a family name,
originally it was Jansz von Rendsburg. (Jansz from Rendsburg)
"Deutschen Auslandinstitut in Stutgart" database files,
"Die Deutsche Einwandering in die Niederlandische Kapkolonie 1652-1806"
Please share copy of letter with us - Phillipp Weyers 5 x times descendant of Claas Jansz van Rensburg

Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg, probably from Rijnsburg (near Leiden) in the
Netherlands as stated in:
"Geslagsregisters van die Ou Kaapse Families", De Villiers and Parma, pages
768 - 775, is to my believe, and due to the research of the Lutherian
Church, incorrect.

The crest from Rendsburg can be used as the official family crest of the
"van Rensburg families", so we were told by the church officials in
Rendsburg.
Attached you'll find a copy (jpg) of the letter from the Lutherian Church in
Rendsburg.

--
Art M. Daane
Secr. Int. Harm. Org.
reld...@chello.nl
http://www.chello.nl/~a.daane/index1.htm
http://www.accordeonmuseum.nl
Update: 26 June, 1999

https://groups.google.com/g/soc.genealogy.german/c/Ot8MunDYL0Y

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

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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.

---

Farmer
Gebore Rendsburg Noord Duitsland of Rijnsburg Nederland.

---

Claas Jansz * c. 1661 arrived at the Cape between 1705 and 1708, from either Rendsburg in Schleswig-Holstein (then part of Denemark) or from Rijnsburg, near Leiden in Holland. Initially he was known as Claas Jansz, for example in the opgaafrol of 1712 and in church registers. His origin in Rijnsburg is supported by two entries: on 23.8.1722 he was a witness at the baptism of Anna Maria Minnie, where he is described as “Claas Jansz van Rhuynsburgh” and in the Archives Year Book of 1955 his farm at Kleinbergrivier (in die Wolseley district) is listed as belonging to C.J. van Rynsburg. Gradually the forms Van Rensburg and Janse(n) van Rensburg became commonly used. He prospered and farmed consecutively at “Vrymansfontein”, Paarl district, “Hottentotsfontein”, Riebeeck-Kasteel, “Rensburg”, Tulbagh and “Zeekoegat”, Wellington. † c. 1728

_____________________________

German Immigrant ?

Names of German Immigrants 1652-1806 (Examples) Namen der deutschen Einwanderer 1652-1806 (Beispiele)

van RENSBURG, Nikolaus Janse (S). - Rendsburg. ~14.8.1708 Aletta v.d. Merwe, wid. Martinus van Staden. 7 children. (G.R. nr. 767; MOOC 14/5 nr. 56.)

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GEDCOM Note

Category:Cape_of_Good_Hope_Project_Needs_Validation

Biography

Name ===:: Nicolaas /Janse van Rensburg/ <ref name=ANDREW>Oct 23, 2012 by Dippenaar-12 | Andrew Dippenaar.</ref>

:: Given Name: Nicolaas <ref name=ANDREW/>
:: Surname: Janse van Rensburg <ref name=ANDREW/> :: Nikolaus // <ref name=ANDREW/>:: Given Name: Nikolaus (Found multiple versions of NAME. Using Nicolaas /Janse van Rensburg/.) <ref name=ANDREW/>:: Claas Jansz van Rensburg <ref name=WALL>23 February 2016 Waller-1418|C Waller imported the data for Nicolaas (Janse Van Rensburg) Janse van Rensburg from 20150722 11 Ancestors.ged </ref>

Birth ===:: Date: Claas Janze was born abt <ref name=ANDREW/> / in 1661. <ref name="text-201">Entered by Janse van Rensburg-201 | Thinus Janse vanRensburg, Monday, November 18, 2013.</ref>

:: Place: Schleswig-Holstein, [Duitsland] <ref name=ANDREW/>

Immigration ===:: Date: 1700 <ref name=WALL/> / between 1705 and 1708 <ref name=ANDREW/>

:: Place: Cape Town, [South Africa] <ref name=ANDREW/>

Occupation

:: Boer "Vrymansfontein" <ref name=ANDREW/> :: Place: Paarl, Western Cape, [South Africa] <ref name=ANDREW/> :: Boer "Hottentotsfontein" <ref name=ANDREW/> :: Place: Riebeeck Kasteel, [South Africa] <ref name=ANDREW/> :: Boer "Rensburg" <ref name=ANDREW/> :: Place: Tulbagh, [South Africa] <ref name=ANDREW/> :: Boer "Zeekoegat" <ref name=ANDREW/> :: Place: Wellington, [South Africa] <ref name=ANDREW/>

Marriage ===:: Date: 14 AUG 1708 to Aletta van der Merwe <ref name=KEVIN>Van_Rensburg-229|Kevin van Rensburg 16 Jan, 2016.</ref>

:: Place: Cape Town, [South Africa] <ref name=KEVIN/>

Property

:: Date: 1708: 350 sheep <ref name=ANDREW/>:: Date: 1709: 500 vines according to the Opgaafrol <ref name=ANDREW/>:: Date: 17 OCT 1709: Property: the farm "Hottentotsfontein", Dist Riebeeck-Kasteel <ref name=ANDREW/>:: Date: 1711: Property: the farm "Vrymansfontein", District Paarl, (Sold) <ref name=ANDREW/>:: Date: OCT 1711: Vrymansfontein Farm, Agter Paarl, Drakenstein;the farm "Rensburg" <ref name=ANDREW/>:: Date: 17 DEC 1711: Place: district Tulbagh: 200 sheep <ref name=ANDREW/> :: Date: 1712: Property: 2000 vines <ref name=ANDREW/> :: Date: 1717: Property: 1000 vines <ref name=ANDREW/> :: Date: 1718: Property: 6 slaves <ref name=ANDREW/> :: Date: 1723: Property: the farm "Zeekoegat" <ref name=ANDREW/>:: Date: 7 MAY 1723: Place: district Wellington, Property: the loanfarm, Claas Voogts <ref name=ANDREW/>:: Date: 5 JUL 1724: Property: as CJ van Rynsburg, Place: farm at the "boloop" of Kleinbergrivier" <ref name=ANDREW/>

Death ===:: Date: Claas Janze passed away in 1728 <ref name="text-201">Enteredby Janse van Rensburg-201 | Thinus Janse van Rensburg, Monday, November 18, 2013.</ref> / [on] 5 Oct 1728 <ref name=ANDREW/>

:: Place: Rensburg Farm, Land van Waveren, ZA <ref name=ANDREW/>

Will ===:: Date: 21 MAR 1727 <ref name=ANDREW/> / 8 DEC 1728 <ref name=KEVIN/>

:: Place: Kaapse de Goede Hoop <ref name=ANDREW/>

Claas was born about 1661. He passed away about 1728.

• Fact: Emigration (Abt 1705) Rijnsburg, South Holland, Netherlands* Fact: Occupation (27 May 1709) Soldier - Corporal Drakenstein, CapeOf Good Hope, South Africa* Fact: Occupation (10 February 1710) Soldier - Sargent Drakenstein, Cape Of Good Hope, South Africa* Fact: Residence (1710) Farmer on Vrymansfontein, Agter Paarl, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa* Fact: Residence (17 December 1711) Farmer on Rensburg, Land van Waveren, Wolsley, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa* Fact: Residence (1712) Farmer on Hotentotsfontein, Riebeeck Kasteel,Gape of Good Hope, South Africa* Fact: Residence (20 February 1717) Farmer on Groote Craal, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa* Fact: Residence (7 May 1723) Farmer on Zeekoeigat, Wellington, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa* Fact: Residence (5 July 1724) Farmer on Claas Voogtsrivier, Robertson, Cape od Good Hope, South Africa* Fact: National Id Claasz Janz birth about 1661 came to South Africa, in the 1712 . as well as Church registers is he known as Clasz Janz van Rhuynsburg, as well as farmer owner in district Wolsley,
• Fact: http://familysearch.org/v1/LifeSketch 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 AnnaMargaretha 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 July1774 (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 married2 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 Mariavan 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

See discussion : https://www.geni.com/discussions/247461?msg=1700008

Sources

<references />

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* WikiTree profile Janse van Rensburg-81 created through the import ofAncestors_DippenaarAndre_noinfo.GED on Oct 23, 2012 by Dippenaar-12| Andrew Dippenaar. User ID: 7936C538-00F2-436F-AB27-0CF3DBA8B4DC: Record ID Number: MH:I400 : UPD 13 JAN 2012 10:55:29 GMT+2

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* WikiTree profile Van Rensburg-32 created through the import of wikitree upload.ged on Jul 19, 2012 by Klopper-13 | Arrie Klopper. UserID: AEC0514E41AF23499B2A2EBADC693E80195F Prior to import, this record was last changed 8 Jan 2010.

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* WikiTree profile Janze-3 on 18 Nov 13 by Janse van Rensburg-201 |Thinus Janse van Rensburg.

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* WikiTree profile Van Rensburg-24 created through the import of AJBOTHA.ged on Feb 25, 2012 by Botha-12 | Deon Botha.

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* WikiTree profile Janse van Rensburg-1074 created through import of 45h653_12500457sh4eh53o669fet.ged by Van_Rensburg-229|Kevin van Rensburg 16 Jan, 2016.

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• "Family Tree," database, <i>FamilySearch</i> (http://familysearch.org : modified 24 July 2019, 14:16), entry for Claas Jansz Van Rensburg(PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:L62Q-MQ2); contributed by various users.* [https://www.stamouers.com/stamouers/surnames-v-z/553-van-rensburg-c...] [https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VRLS-YNZ][https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-1-260044321-156-641907/c...]

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• Reference: Ancestry Genealogy - SmartCopy: May 5 2021, 16:02:32 UTC
• Reference: Ancestry Genealogy - SmartCopy: May 5 2021, 16:04:02 UTC