South Africa, Cape Province, Probate Records of the Master of the High Court - FamilySearch Historical Records: Difference between revisions

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Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a [[Use_Appropriate_Forms#Prepare_a_Research_Log |research log]].
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a [[Use_Appropriate_Forms#Prepare_a_Research_Log |research log]].
== What Do I Do Next? ==
== What Do I Do Next? ==
=== I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now? ===
=== I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now? ===
*Add any new information to your records                        
*Add any new information to your records
*Use the age to find an approximate birth year to begin your search in church or civil records for the person and other family members 
*If available, check the image for additional information
*Use the information to find the person or family in prior census records                         
*Analyze the entry to see if it provides additional clues to find other records of the person or their family
*Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have lived nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify
=== I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now? ===
*Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual       
*The person may be recorded with an abbreviated or variant form of their name
*The probate record may contain an inventory of personal property, and a list of who received the property 
*Try searching by surname only
*Check for siblings, especially women, to determine if they married                       
*Remember that spelling was generally not standardized until the early part of the 20th century
*[[South Africa Church Records|Church Records]] often were kept years before government records were required and are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900
=== Research Helps ===
===I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?===                              
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in [[South Africa Genealogy|South Africa]].
*Switch to a different record collection. Depending on the time period, either Civil Registration records or Church Records may be more useful             
*[[South Africa Record Finder]]
*Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as an ancestor and that the ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times                         
*[[South Africa Finding Town of Origin]]
*Keep in mind that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name                         
*Standard spelling of names typically did not exist during the periods our ancestors lived in. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images. Pay special attention to how the name should have been pronounced and try variations on the pronunciation
*Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well           
*Search the indexes and records of [[South Africa Societies|local genealogical societies]]
*Try different ways of searching the collection. For example, fill in just the given name or the surname. This will return a list of everyone with that name so you can browse through options 
*Be aware that there may have been some transcription errors
=== Record Finder ===
Consult the [[South Africa Record Finder]] to find other records


== Citing This Collection ==
== Citing This Collection ==

Revision as of 16:02, 11 January 2022

Cape Province
Access the Records
South Africa, Cape Province, Probate Records of the Master of the High Court, 1834-1989
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This article describes a collection of records at FamilySearch.org.
Cape Province, South Africa
800px-Flag of South Africa.svg.png
Flag of South Africa
ZA Locator Map South Africa Cape Province.png
Location of Cape Province, South Africa
South Africa locator map.jpg
Location of South Africa
Record Description
Record Type: Probate Records
Collection years: 1834-1989
Languages: Afrikaans and English
FamilySearch Resources
Related Websites
Archive
Pietermaritzburg Archives (Formerly Natal State Archives), South Africa


What is in This Collection?[edit | edit source]

This collection includes records from 1834-1989. Probate records often include heirs, locations, property transfers, wills, and other important information. The most useful records in the collection are the death notices which give much more information than a death certificate. The probate records are contained in packets with a record cover identified by an assigned file number. When a person died, the nearest relative or other connection should have completed a death notice and sent it to the Master of the High Court within 14 days of the death.

This collection includes several handwritten and typed indexes. You can use these lists to quickly scan for your ancestor’s name and where his or her records are located. The index includes the name of the person who died, the death dates, the name of the spouse, and the probate file number. The death notices and wills included in the probate files are hand-written. The death notices are on a pre-printed form.

The original probate records from the Master of the High Court in Cape Province, South Africa are located in the Cape Archives Depot, Cape Town.

Image Visibility[edit | edit source]

Whenever possible FamilySearch makes images and indexes available for all users. However, rights to view these data are limited by contract and subject to change. Because of this there may be limitations on where and how images and indexes are available or who can see them. Please be aware some collections consist only of partial information indexed from the records and do not contain any images. For additional information about image restrictions see Restrictions for Viewing Images in FamilySearch Historical Record Collections.

Reading These Records[edit | edit source]

These records are in Afrikaans and English. For help reading these records see:

What Can These Records Tell Me?[edit | edit source]

The following information may be found in these records:

  • Name of the deceased
  • Birthplace of the deceased
  • Age of the deceased
  • Names of the deceased’s parents
  • Occupation of the deceased
  • Names of surviving or deceased spouses (with death date) if any
  • Date and place of death
  • Names of the children of the deceased
  • Whether the deceased owned property
  • Whether the deceased left a will
  • Name of the informant

Collection Content[edit | edit source]

Sample Images[edit | edit source]

  • 1947 Death Notice

    1947 Death Notice

  • 1947 Will Page 1

    1947 Will Page 1

  • 1947 Will Page 2

    1947 Will Page 2

Digital Folder Number List[edit | edit source]

This collection was published as a DGS browse collection. The list does not contain any description of the DGS folder's content. A table listing each DGS number and its contents can be found at South Africa, Cape Province, Probate Records of the Master of the High Court Digital Folder Number List.

How Do I Search This Collection?[edit | edit source]

Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:

  • The name of the deceased
  • Location of residence upon death

Search The Index[edit | edit source]

Search by name on the Collection Details Page.
  1. Fill in the search boxes in the Search Collection section with the information you know
  2. Click Search to show possible matches

View the Images[edit | edit source]

To view images in this collection:
  1. Look at the South Africa, Cape Province, Probate Records of the Master of the High Court Digital Folder Number List article to determine the folder/film number for the images you want to see
  2. Go to the Browse Page
  3. Select the Film number to view the images
Tip
 More images are available in the FamilySearch Catalog at Probate Records, 1834-1989. Click on camera icon to see images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?[edit | edit source]

Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?[edit | edit source]

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?[edit | edit source]

  • Add any new information to your records
  • If available, check the image for additional information
  • Analyze the entry to see if it provides additional clues to find other records of the person or their family

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?[edit | edit source]

  • The person may be recorded with an abbreviated or variant form of their name
  • Try searching by surname only
  • Remember that spelling was generally not standardized until the early part of the 20th century

Research Helps[edit | edit source]

The following articles will help you in your research for your family in South Africa.

Citing This Collection[edit | edit source]

Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

Collection Citation:
The citation for this collection can be found on the Collection Details Page in the section Citing this Collection.
Record Citation:
When looking at a record, the citation can be viewed by clicking the drop-down arrow next to Document Information.
Image Citation:
When looking at an image, the citation is found on the Information tab at the bottom left of the screen.

To access available information, first log into FamilySearch.

DGS stands for Digital Genealogical Society also known as an Image Group Number. Each set of digital images is assigned a DGS number for identification purposes.

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