South Africa, Cape Province, Probate Records of the Master of the High Court - FamilySearch Historical Records
| Access the Records | |
| This article describes a collection of records at FamilySearch.org. | |
| Cape Province, South Africa | |
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| Flag of South Africa | |
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| Location of Cape Province, South Africa | |
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| 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?
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.
Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.
Index and Image Visibility
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
These records are in Afrikaans and English. For help reading these records see:
What Can These Records Tell Me?
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
Sample Images
1947 Death Notice
1947 Will Page 1
1947 Will Page 2
Digital Folder Number List
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?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
- The name of the deceased
- Location of residence upon death
Search The Index
Search by name on the Collection Details Page.- Fill in the search boxes in the Search Collection section with the information you know
- Click Search to show possible matches
View the Images
To view images in this collection:- 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
- Go to the Browse Page
- Select the Film number to view the images
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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?
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?
I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?
- 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?
- 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
The following articles will help you research your family in South Africa.
Citing This Collection
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 Cite 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. |