South Africa, Transvaal, Probate Records from the Master of the Supreme Court - FamilySearch Historical Records

South Africa

Access the Records
CID2520237 {{{CID2}}} {{{CID3}}} {{{CID4}}} {{{CID5}}} {{{CID6}}} {{{CID7}}} {{{CID8}}} {{{CID9}}}
This article describes a collection of records scheduled to become available at FamilySearch.org.
Transvaal, South Africa
Flag of South Africa
Location of Transvaal, South Africa
Location of South Africa
Record Description
Record Type:	Probate Records
Collection years:	1869-1958
Languages:	Afrikaans, English
Title in the Language:
FamilySearch Resources
South Africa Genealogy
Africa Websites
Africa Historic Maps
South Africa Websites
Related Websites
Records and Resources in South Africa
Cape Master Death Notice Index Project
Archive
Master of the High Court, Pretoria

What is in the Collection?

This collection includes records from 1869-1958.

South African 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 detailed information. The probate records usually have multiple pages and are included in a probate file, which is identified by a probate 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.

The original probate records from the Master of the Supreme Court in Transvaal, South Africa are located in the Transvaal Archives Depot, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa.

Sample Images

Click on images for a larger view.

• South Africa, Transvaal, Probate Records from the Master of the Supreme Court ( 15-0564) DGS 007805926 Image 13.jpg

  Estate File Cover

• South Africa, Transvaal, Probate Records from the Master of the Supreme Court (15-0564) DGS 007805926 Image 14.jpg

  Death Notice

• South Africa, Transvaal, Probate Records from the Master of the Supreme Court (15-0564) DGS 007805926 Image 15.jpg

  Will Page 1

• South Africa, Transvaal, Probate Records from the Master of the Supreme Court (15-0564) DGS 007805926 Image 16.jpg

  Will Page 2

• South Africa, Transvaal, Probate Records from the Master of the Supreme Court (15-0564) DGS 007805926 Image 17.jpg

  Will Page 3

• South Africa, Transvaal, Probate Records from the Master of the Supreme Court (15-0564) DGS 007805926 Image 18.jpg

  Distribution Page 1

• South Africa, Transvaal, Probate Records from the Master of the Supreme Court (15-0564) DGS 007805926 Image 19.jpg

  Distribution Page 2

Death notices within the probate records may contain the following information:

• 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

How Do I Search the Collection?

You will be able to browse through images in this collection when it is published.

To search by index:

Fill in the requested information in the boxes on the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the individuals in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to look at the information on several individuals comparing the information about them to your ancestors to make this determination.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

To browse by image:
⇒Select “Browse through images” on the initial collection page
⇒Select the appropriate “Description” which takes you to the images

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

• Use the age in the citizen to find an approximate birth year to begin your search in church or civil records.
• Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have moved, been recruited or 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. This compiled list can help you identify possible relations that can be further verified by researching vital records indexes in the country.
• When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Save a copy of the image or transcribe the information. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details such as a title, an occupation, or land ownership. Add this new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors.
• 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 Who 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.
• While searching, it is helpful to know such information as the ancestor’s given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence and age, and family relationships. 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.
• 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 local genealogical societies.
• Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1800.
• There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another.
• Be aware that there may have been some transcription errors.

Citing This Collection

Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation:

Collection Citation: The citation for this collection can be found on the Collection Details Page in the section Cite This Collection.

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

The citation for a record will be available with each record once the collection is published.

Image Citation:
This template has been deprecated and is no longer used.

The image citation will be available once the collection is published.

How You Can Contribute

In other languages: English | português |

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.