Van Rooyen Genealogy

Willem Frederik van Rooyen and Cecilia Johanna Ferreira

Published: 23 April 2024

I’m going to kick off this series with my own family.

My great-great grandparents were Willem Frederik van Rooyen and Cecilia Johanna Ferreira. The family were from Natal.

Willem Frederik was the Commandant for Vryheid during the Second Anglo-Boer War.

Willem Frederik VAN ROOYEN

*22.09.1867

≈Greytown 29.12.1867

Son of Ignatius Michael VAN ROOYEN and Jansje SCHOON

†’Bloemendal’, dist. Vryheid 24.04.1938

Buried in Vryheid Cemetery

Cause of death: Myocardial failure with avicular fibrilation, Thyrés tricosis, prostatectomy

x Utrecht 06.01.1891

Cecilia Johanna FERREIRA

*17.07.1871

≈ Utrecht 08.10.1871

Daughter of Petrus Gerhardus FERREIRA and Susanna Elisabeth VAN ROOYEN

†’Bloemendal’, dist. Vryheid 26.05.1955

Cause of death: apoplexy (secondary hypertension and artherosclerosis)

Willem and Cecilia had four children, three sons and one daughter.

  1. Ignatius Michael *’Baltusspruit’, dist. Utrecht 07.02.1892 (my great-grandfather) x Alida Elizabeth Johanna LOUW
  2. Petrus Gerhardus *Vryheid 04.07.1894 x Petronella Johanna BOSHOFF
  3. Willem Frederik Johannes *Vryheid 12.05.1897 x Johanna Elizabeth VAN ROOYEN
  4. Susanna Elizabeth *14.02.1905 x Ernest Julius de Villiers SCHMIDT

van Rooyen Family Photo circa 1928

Standing, back from left: Petrus Gerhardus van Rooyen, Susanna Elizabeth van Rooyen, Ernest Julius de Villiers Schmidt, Willem Frederik Johannes van Rooyen, Johanna Elizabeth van Rooyen, Ignatius Michael van Rooyen
Seated, from left: Petronella Johanna Boshoff, Willem Frederik van Rooyen, Cecilia Johanna Ferreira, Alida Elizabeth Johanna Louw with Ignatius Michael van Rooyen on her lap (son of Ignatius Michael van Rooyen and Alida Elizabeth Johanna Louw)
Children seated on floor, from left:  Petrus van Rooyen (son of Willem Frederik Johannes van Rooyen and Petronella Boshoff), Willem Frederik van Rooyen (son of Willem Frederik Johannes van Rooyen and Petronella Boshoff), Johanna van Rooyen (daughter of Ignatius Michael van Rooyen and Alida Elizabeth Johanna Louw), Adriaan Jacobus Louw van Rooyen (son of Ignatius Michael van Rooyen and Alida Elizabeth Johanna Louw)

Hello,

I’m Gina Shepherd

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.

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