(1) Reference code
(2) Name of day and date of meeting
If there were various meetings held per day, sessions in the morning, afternoon and evening were thus distinguished.
(3) Attendance register
(4) Text regarding discussions of particular matters and the decisions or resolutions taken at the meeting.
(4a) In the preceding minutes the verbatim statement of constable Willem Willemsz. was included. In most of the Council minutes full reports etc. brought before the Council for discussion, approval and/or decision-making were appendices to the minutes.
(The appendices are available under inventory numbers C. 1 to C. 2776; or visit http://www.tanap.net/_EAD_findingaids/kaapstad/council/index.html for more information.)
Such appendices, i.e. financial statements of congregations, “memories” [lists of goods], reports of assets and liabilities, letters received, also letters in languages other than Dutch and usually accompanied by translations thereof, requests, petitions, supplications, extracts, reports concerning a variety of matters, shipping matters etc. were signed (signature, or cross as mark in the case of an illiterate person) where necessary and accompanied by a date and place of signing.
(4b) Then the decision/resolution of the Council on the particular matter followed directly afterwards. In the above minutes, however, the resolution precedes the statement.
(5) “General matters”
In the above minutes these were matters concerning bandits and ships.
(6) Closing phrases, consisting of
(6a) a fixed wording where the meeting place (Fort, Fortresse/Casteel, Cabo de Goede Hoop) was mentioned, followed by
(6b) a list of signatures beneath one another of Council members and the Secretary.
When high-ranking guests and VOC officials attended a Council meeting, their signatures followed one another in a hierarchy determined by rank and seniority.
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