South Africa, Orange Free State, 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. | |
| Free State, South Africa | |
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| Flag of South Africa | |
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| Location of Free State, South Africa | |
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| Location of South Africa | |
| Record Description | |
| Record Type: | Probate Records |
| Collection years: | 1832-1989 |
| Languages: | Afrikaans, English |
| FamilySearch Resources | |
| Related Websites | |
| Archive | |
| Free State Archives Repository | |
What is in This Collection?
This collection includes records from 1832-1989. The province changed names from the Orange Free State to the Free State in 1994. 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 the Orange Free State, South Africa are located in the Master's Office of the Orange Free State Archives, Bloemfontein.
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 them see:
What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:
- Name of the deceased
- Birthplace of the deceased
- Nationality of deceased
- Names of parents of deceased
- Age of the deceased
- Occupation
- Marital status
- Place of last marriage
- Name of surviving spouse
- Date and place of death
- Whether there is a will
- Property left
- Name of children
- Relationship of the deceased
How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching for this collection, it is helpful to know:
- The name of the person you are looking for
- Approximate date of 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
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. |