Immigrations References for the Cape Colony 19th and 20th Century are not as difficult as people imagine, however, most of them are not indexed and you would need to physically visit the archives or contact me to do it on your behalf, which is much more cost-effective than either flying halfway around the world or your time, parking, petrol, ordering copies of documents, etc.

 

Volume Description Period Collection Archive Reference
6054 Vol 1 – 4 Permits to remain in the colony 1806 – 1828 Archives of the Colonial Office CO
6055 Vol 1  Index to Permits to Remain in the Colony 1806 – 1838 Archives of the Colonial Office CO
6055 Vol 2 -3 Register of Permissions to remain in the Colony 1806 – 1838 Archives of the Colonial Office CO
6056 Vol 1 Register of Permissions to remain in the Colony 1839 – 1843 Archives of the Colonial Office CO
6056 Vol 2 Permissions granted to British Settlers 1806 – 1809 Archives of the Colonial Office CO
6059 Sundry Permits to leave/remain in the Colony 1809 -1844 Archives of the Colonial Office CO
6060 – 6066 Permits to leave the Colony 1806 -1844 Archives of the Colonial Office CO
5760 – 5769 Letters of Naturalization 1806 -1902   CO
8552 – 8696 Application Letters of Naturalization 1865 -1911 Archives of the Colonial Office CO
6137 – 6138 List of British Settlers to the Cape 1820 Archives of the Colonial Office CO
136, 158, 178, 2011, 223 and 249 Letters received from Settlers 1820 – 1825 Archives of the Colonial Office CO

For additional information on Applications for Letters of Naturalizations (CO 8662 – 8696)consult the computer printouts in the reading room 9/23/1 – 9/23/5 for the period 1899 – 1911. For Naturalizations post-1910 read more here or search the Naturalizations

 

Volume Description Period Collection Archival Reference
4/3/1 List of Immigrants on board various ships from England to the Cape. 1857 – 1862 Archives of the Immigration Board Cape Town IBC
B Applications for immigrants selected by Colonists and for the introduction of relatives and friends 1862 -1865 Archives of the Secretary Immigration Board Port Elizabeth PIB
9 – 10 Registers of Immigration Applicants 1858 – 1861 Archives of the Secretary Immigration Board Port Elizabeth PIB
14 Register Emigrants undated Archives of the Secretary Immigration Board Port Elizabeth PIB
4/3/3 Native Immigration 1878 – 1884 Archives of the Immigration Agent Cape Town AC
4/3/3 German Immigration 1883 Archives of the Immigration Agent Cape Town AC
1/42 Register of Ships’ Arrivals 1806 – 1913 Archives of the Port Captain and Superintendant Table Bay PC
1/42 Register of Ships’ Departures 1853 – 1913 Archives of the Port Captain and Superintendant Table Bay PC

The above references for Archives of the Port Captain and Superintendant Table Bay are not passenger lists but lists of ships and indicating numbers of passengers.

Volume Description Period Collection Archival Reference
  Register of Arrivals and Departures of Ships Table Bay and Simons Bay 1822 – 1917 Archives of the Secretary Cape Town Chamber of Commerce CC
  Register of Arrivals and Departures of Ships in Algoa Bay 1846 – 1901 Archives of the Secretary Cape Town Chamber of Commerce CC
  Register of Arrivals and Departures of Ships various ports excluding Table Bay and Simons Bay 1900 – 1913 Archives of the Secretary Cape Town Chamber of Commerce CC

These registers below provide the name of the Captain and sometimes the names of First Class Passengers.

Volume Description Period Collection Archival Reference
3/8/1 – 3/8/3 Passenger Lists per various ships (mostly newspaper cuttings) 1880 – 1884 Archives of the Secretary Cape Town Chamber of Commerce CC

Consult – Inventory 4/1 for volume numbers.

Volume Description Period Collection Archival Reference
2/401 Passenger Lists: Emigrants per various ships 1872 – 1884 Archives of the Secretary of Public Works PWD
2/402 – 2/404 Application Forms received for Aided Immigration 1875 – 1889 Archives of the Secretary of Public Works PWD
2/405 – 2/407 Indexes of Applications for Aided Immigration 1878 – 1881 Archives of the Secretary of Public Works PWD
2/408 -2/410 Registers of Applications for Aided Immigration 1882 -1902 Archives of the Secretary of Public Works PWD
2/750 – 2760 Immigration Papers including German, Swiss, and Scottish Agricultural Immigrants 1877 – 1883: Immigrants from St. Helena 1882 – 1884 1873 – 1902 Archives of the Secretary of Public Works PWD