Maria Catharina Roestoff, e4 Twin

Baptism:

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSV8-HSH7-Q?i=194&...

BIRTH: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSV8-HSH7-Q?i=194

12 August 1825

The now widowed Christiaan Johannes Frederik Roesdorf marries Maria Christina Minie. Christiaan's status as a widow is clearly noted in the marriage register and Maria is referred to as a young girl. Maria is a twin and was born 8 September 1807 in Paarl to Johannes Carolus Minnie and Martha Elizabeth de Beer. Her twin was named Jan Willem.

16 July 1826

Christiaan and Maria welcome the first of their 4 sons into the world. They name him Carolus Johannes Roerstorf and he is baptised on the 14 January 1827 in the presence of Jan Willem Miene and 3 of Christiaan's children from his first marriage namely Dina Dorothea, Hester Engela and Christiaan Johannes Roerstorf. Carolus or Karel Johannes marries Susanna Getruida Vosloo in January 1858 in Uitenhage.

16 November 1827

Maria gives birth to her second son, Jan Willem Frederik Roerstorf - this is the name that appears on all official records with the exception of his baptism on the 16 November 1827. He is baptised Jan Frederik on the 14 February 1829. The dominee notes that the family are living at Langkloof and Christiaan's sister Elsje Maria Roerstorf and her husband Hermanus Hendrik Leeuwendaal (residents of Cape Town) as well as Grahamstown couple Frederik Jordaan and Johanna Schusweitzche attend.

Jan Willem Frederik has a total of 19 children across his 2 marriages. His first wife is Margaretha Cornelia Maria Blignaut who he marries in Uitenhage 24 December 1849. Margaretha is barely 16 years old when they wed. She bears him 4 sons and a daughter before dying on the 30 July 1960 in Uitenhage. Jan decides to join his Blignaut in laws and makes the trek from Uitenhage to Potchestroom with them. It is here that he meets his second wife, the young Anna Catharina Cornelia Louisa Scheepers. They marry on the 25 March 1865 and she goes on to bear him 14 children - 9 sons and 5 daughters.

11 October 1829

The couple welcome their first daughter whom they name after Maria's mother Martha Elizabeth on the 11 October 1829. Martha Elizabeth Maria Roerstorf is baptised on the 4 July 1830. Her baptism is attended by Anthonie Christoffel Smit and Hendrina Christina Mienie from the Cango District and Christiaan's daughter Elsje Maria Roerstorf and Carolus Johannes Miene. The family seem to be resident at Atta x Kloof per the baptism document.

25 December 1832

Christmas baby, Jacobus Lodewikus Roestorf is the third son born to the couple. He is baptised on the 3 February 1833 and his baptism is attended Jacobus Lodewikus Du Plessis and Johanna Jacomina Du Plessis. Jacobus marries Hester Engela Cornelia Swiegelaar in Oudtshoorn on the 8 May 1854. Their descendants bear the variation Roestorf/Roesstorff of our surname and can be found in Oudsthoorn, Port Elizabeth and Potchestroom.

25 November 1833

The last of the boys is born on the 25 November 1833. He is named Hendrik Jacobus Roestoff (according to all official documents) although his baptised name is given as Hendrik Marthinus. He is baptised on the 6 July 1834. Attendees are Hendrik Jacobus Raubenheimer (I'm of the opinion that he was named after this man who is potenitally his godfather), Helena Susanna Heyns, Hendrik Frederik Miene and Anna Susanna Miene.
Hendrik marries Martha Christina Elizabeth Minnie on the 15 August 1870 in Kroonstad. They have 5 daughters and 5 sons.

1835

A daughter (based on her marriage documents) is born to the couple in 1835. Her name is Christina Johanna Frederika Roestorff. This is the only sibling I cannot locate a baptism for - believe me I have tried everything I can thing of to locate one!
Christina marries Johann Friedrich Snetler on the 14 January 1868 in Oudtshoorn. They have 3 daughters and 3 sons before Johann's early death in 1876. Johann died before the baptise and birth of his last son who Christina named after her deceased husband. Child's baptism indicates that the father was deceased.

31 August 1836

Maria Catharina Roerstorf is born on the 31 August 1836 and is baptised on 7 May 1837 in front of Jacobus Miene, Margaritha Elizabeth Miene, David Willem Landel and Maria Elizabeth Miene.
Maria marries James Payne in Oudtshoorn on the 10 April 1865.

20 July 1840

The last child baptised by Christiaan and Maria, is a daughter Hendrina Christina Roerstorf who was born on the 20 July 1840. She was baptised on the 6 December 1840 in the presence of Anthony Christoffel Smith and Hendrina Christina Smith.
This is the only official document I can find for Hendrina.

1841 onwards George & Oudtshoorn District

What has made this family particularly challenging to research is the simple fact that they resided in the Cango area of the George/Oudtshoorn District. The DRC for George was established in 1813 and the DRC for Oudtshoorn was established in 1853. As the border of the Cape pushed further East & North, the area they resided fell into a different division - knowing the geography of the area and sitting with a map has been invaluable for my research efforts. The George DRC baptism records for the period 1813-1825 is available online and then there is a large gap before they become available again - so basically a gap of around 20/30 years (depending on where you search).

The DRC Oudtshoorn is where I next find Christiaan Johannes Frederik in 1854 where he is noted as giving permission for his son Jacobus Lodewickus (1832) to marry Hester Engela Cornelia Swiegelaar. They marry on the 8 May 1854. Both Christiaan Johannes Frederik and his wife Maria Catharina Minie give their permission for the marriage. Note one of the witnesses is PJ Raubenheimer. If you remember correctly a Hendrik Jacobus Raubenheimer attended the baptism of the couple’s son Hendrik in 1834. What is the link here?

This is the last time I'm able to find either Christiaan Johannes Frederik or Maria Catharina Minie on any official document. I have carefully reviewed if they attended any grandchildren's baptisms paying particular attention to any grandchild that was given their respective names - absolutely drawn a blank here. Civil Death Notices only became mandatory in the early 1900's so have not found anything here - please note that these records are also largely unindexed. Burial records for the various churches do exist but not all are online. I have trawled cemetery photos and I have found no reference to a probate with the National Archives of South Africa.

What I do definitively know is the deaths would be after 1854.

Research by Tracey Roestorff (roestorffgenealogy@gmail.com)