South Africa

This article details connections between Colonial India and The Cape/South Africa, with particular reference to emigration/immigration.

• The Anglo-Indians at the Cape Anne Lehmkuhl's article in Generations - A South African genealogy newsletter.

• The 1820 Settlers Association - a genealogy resource for British ancestors who colonized South Africa. Records connected to India can be found by location here. Other information may be available on the forums.

Monument inscriptions

• Monumental inscriptions at the Cape of Good Hope C. Graham Botha's transcriptions of graves in two Cape Town cemeteries include many with India connections.

• Stuart Green transcribed the following entries in the SA Genealogical Society database for the Roots Mailing list:

• Gravestones in South Africa - Bombay Connections
• Gravestones in South Africa - Madras connections
• Gravestones in South Africa - Bengal connections
• Gravestones in South Africa - India connections
• Gravestones in South Africa - Calcutta connections
• Gravestones in South Africa - St. Helens connections
• Gravestones in South Africa - Ceylon connections
• Gravestones in South Africa - Karachi connections
• Gravestones in South Africa - HEIC connections

Jager (Jaeger) Corps

In 1860 the 109th Regiment of Foot in India was joined by 500 men of the Jaeger Corps who had volunteered from the Cape Colony (part of South Africa under British Occupation until 1910) for service in India on the outbreak of the Indian Mutiny according to this India List thread. The Jager (Jaeger) Corps had its origin in the German Legion sent to the Crimea, which was then resettled in South Africa according to this Victorian Wars Forum post by Mark Simner 12 July 2009

There are India Office Records at the British Library British Army in India: Nominal and Casualty Rolls of Jager Corps Volunteers IOR/L/MIL/15/31-36 1860-1866

"The East India Campaign", page 70 Ten years in South Africa. Only complete and authentic history of the British German Legion in South Africa and the East Indies. From the memoirs of Wm. Westphal 1892 Archive.org

Boer War

• Website containing some information re Indian and Ceylon Units in the Boer War AngloBoerWar.com
• Lumsden's Horse was a Volunteer Regiment from India which fought in the Boer War. The full history of the regiment is given in The History of Lumsden's Horse; a complete record of the corps from its formation to its disbandment by Henry H. S Pearse 1903 Archive.org

On return of the regiment to India, page 409 of the History states "They left nearly sixty of their number in South Africa, some as administrators, some in the Regular Army, some in the Police" and page 418 of the History gives a List of Lumsden’s Horse who joined the Johannesburg Police in December 1900.

• See POW Camps in India-Boer War for details of the Boer prisoners of war who were taken to camps in India, Ceylon and elsewhere. Some of the prisoners in India died there.

General information

• Sharon Warr’s South African Genealogy
• Conrod Mercer’s South African Genealogy Page
• Mole’s Genealogy Blog
  • In 1900 the South African Constabulary (SAC) was established and included recruits from India

Mailing Lists

• Rootsweb South Africa Mailing Lists includes
  • South-Africa-Immigrants-British-L

A mailing list for the discussion and sharing of information regarding the immigrants from the United Kingdom to South Africa prior to 1900.

• Rootsweb Africa Mailing Lists also include some South Africa Mailing Lists

Historical books online

• This India List post mentions a book which gives details/trees for families who settled in the Cape area of South Africa. This page mentions the East India Company.

Geslacht-Register der Oude Kaapsche Familien by Christoffel Coetzee De Villiers c 1894 Archive.org (in Dutch/Africaans)

Part 1 A-J, with index. Part 2 A-O, with index, Part 3 P-Z, unfortunately index missing, with some additional entries at the end