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Auction records, consumer culture and social networks in the Cape Colony, 1701-1825

Author

Listed:
  • Johan Fourie

    (LEAP, Department of Economics, Stellenbosch University)

  • Helena Liebenberg

    (Tracing History Trust)

  • Jonathan Schoots

    (LEAP, Department of Economics, Stellenbosch University and Department of Economic History, Lund University)

  • Paul van der Linde

    (LEAP, Department of Economics, Stellenbosch University and Department of Department of History, Radboud University, Nijmegen)

Abstract

By the early nineteenth century, the Cape had evolved from a small VOC outpost into a sprawling colony of over 100,000 square miles, integrated into global trade and migration networks. Its population included colonial officials, European settlers, enslaved people and indigenous groups, but everyday life in this society remains underexplored in the economic history literature. This article draws on a newly digitised source, the auction records (vendurolle) of the Cape Orphan Chamber from 1701 to 1825, to analyse patterns of kinship and material culture. As records of estate sales, these data reveal who bought what, and at what price, offering rare insight into household possessions and social networks. The article shows how these auctions can deepen our understanding of the economic and social fabric of life at the Cape.

Suggested Citation

  • Johan Fourie & Helena Liebenberg & Jonathan Schoots & Paul van der Linde, 2025. "Auction records, consumer culture and social networks in the Cape Colony, 1701-1825," Working Papers 02/2025, Stellenbosch University, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:sza:wpaper:wpapers387
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    File URL: https://www.ekon.sun.ac.za/wpapers/2025/wp022025/wp022025.pdf
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Auctions; Cape Colony; transcription; material culture; family networks;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • N37 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Africa; Oceania

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