South Africa, Transvaal, Probate Records from the Master of the Supreme Court - FamilySearch Historical Records
| Access the Records | |
| This article describes a collection of records at FamilySearch.org. | |
| Transvaal, South Africa | |
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| Flag of South Africa | |
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| Location of Transvaal, South Africa | |
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| Location of South Africa | |
| Record Description | |
| Record Type: | Probate Records |
| Collection years: | 1869-1958 |
| Languages: | Afrikaans, English |
| FamilySearch Resources | |
| Related Websites | |
| Archive | |
| Pietermaritzburg Archives | |
What is in This Collection?[edit | edit source]
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.
Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.
Index and 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 them 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]
Estate File Cover
1910 Death Notice
1910 Will Page 1
Will Page 2
Will Page 3
1910 Distribution Page 1
Distribution 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, Transvaal, Probate Records from the Master of the Supreme 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 person you are looking for
- Approximate date of death
Search the Index[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
To view images in this collection:- Look at the South Africa, Transvaal, Probate Records from the Master of the Supreme 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
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 research 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 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. |