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Parish Registers: a Challenge for African Historical Demography

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 May 2014

Harri Siiskonen ,
Anssi Taskinen  and
Veijo Notkola
Harri Siiskonen
Affiliation:
University of Joensuu
Anssi Taskinen
Affiliation:
University of Joensuu
Veijo Notkola
Affiliation:
University of Helsinki
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Extract

On the worldwide scale Africa is the least-known continent demographically. Until the mid-twentieth century not even the size of the population was precisely known in many areas of sub-Saharan Africa. The major problems in African historical demography have either been the almost total lack of relevant sources or, if some have been available, they have been fragmentary and non-systematic. The reliability of the most commonly-used sources in African historical demography—population counts and early censuses—remained questionable until the 1960s. However, fairly far-reaching conclusions and estimations based on these sources using indirect methods have been drawn. Despite the development of methods in historical demography, the questionable source materials have naturally provided serious grounds for argumentation.

An excellent example is the debate between the natalistic and antinatalistic school over changes in fertility and mortality in sub-Saharan African societies during the precolonial and early colonial period. The fragmentary nature of the available sources has offered a firm basis for the disagreement.

The objective of this paper is to discuss limitations, pitfalls, and opportunities related to sources used in African historical demography. The paper first reviews the conventional sources—population counts, censuses, and surveys—and then presents an old but seldom-used group of sources, Christian parish registers. The usability of parish registers is discussed through a concrete research project based on data produced since the late nineteenth century in the parishes of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN). Finally, attention is paid on widening the range of disciplines where African parish registers could be utilized.

Type
Research Article
Information
History in Africa , Volume 32 , 2005 , pp. 385 - 402
Copyright
Copyright © African Studies Association 2005

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28 The following are the number of parishioners in the microfilmed parishes at the end of 1991. Ovamboland parishes: Eenhana 5,577, Elim 5,704, Nakayale 7,141, Okahao 9,220, Olukonda 7,080, Omulonga, 4,511, Onankali 7,184, Oshigambo 9,082, Oshitutuma 2,946, Tshandi 8,398. Kavango parishes: Mpungu 4,463, Mupini 3,330, Nepara 1,397, Nkarapamwe 3,705, Nkurenkuru 5,889, Rupara 5,203. Auala ELCIN Library Archives, Oniipa, Statistical Tables of ELCIN for the Year 1991; Republic of Namibia (RoN), 1991 Population and Housing Census. Report A: Statistical Tables, Volume 1, (Windhoek, 1993), 1Google Scholar.

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