In my last post I discussed that Cornelis van Roijen was on board the ship Middelwoud when she embarked on her maiden voyage from Wielingen to Batavia, via the Cape of Good Hope, on 14 October 1713. At the time of writing, I have not had success in locating the ship’s log recording daily events…
Like many young men of his time Cornelis faced the prospect of an uncertain future if he remained in Gorinchem. He signed up with the VOC (Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie) in late 1713. Politics and economic situation in 1713 A number of wars had taken place over the decades leading up to the time Cornelis was…
In my last blog post we learned that Cornelis van Rooijen hailed from the town of Gorinchem. We do not have a date of birth for Cornelis, which is not unusual for the time, but we know he was baptised at the Nederlands Hervormde Kerk in Gorinchem on 15 April 1695.[1] The baptism entry gives in…
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Last database update 12 July 2026.
Hello,
I have been researching the South African Van Rooyen family descended from progenitor Cornelis for more than two decades. I’m delighted to share my ongoing research with you.
This website aims to share historical and genealogical information on the Van Rooyen family in South Africa (as well as the diaspora) who descend from Cornelis van Rooijen who arrived at the Cape of Good Hope in 1714.
This website format has changed from 2026 and includes both static pages (please use menu at top) and blog posts. Click on ‘database’ to go to the website where I host the Van Rooyen genealogical information.
