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South Africa, Cape Province, Probate Records of the Master of the High Court - FamilySearch Historical Records: Difference between revisions
South Africa, Cape Province, Probate Records of the Master of the High Court - FamilySearch Historical Records (view source)
Revision as of 12:14, 10 January 2018
, 10 January 2018→What Do I Do Next?
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==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?=== | ||
*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 | *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 | ||
*Use the information to find the person or family in prior census records | *Use the information to find the person or family in prior census records | ||
*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 | *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 | ||
*Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual | *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 probate record may contain an inventory of personal property, and a list of who received the property | *The probate record may contain an inventory of personal property, and a list of who received the property | ||
*Check for siblings, especially women, to determine if they married | *Check for siblings, especially women, to determine if they married | ||
*[[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 | *[[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 | ||
===I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?=== | ===I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?=== | ||
*Switch to a different record collection. Depending on the time period, either Civil Registration records or Church Records may be more useful | *Switch to a different record collection. Depending on the time period, either Civil Registration records or Church Records may be more useful | ||
*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 | *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 | ||
*Keep in mind that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name | *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 | *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 | *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]] | *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 | *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 | *Be aware that there may have been some transcription errors | ||
== Citing This Collection == | == Citing This Collection == | ||