South Africa, Pietermaritzburg Estate Files - FamilySearch Historical Records

South Africa

What Is In This Collection?
This collection includes records for the years 1846-1950 and are in both English and Afrikaans. South Africa, Pietermaritzburg Estate Files, received from the Master of the Supreme Court in Pietermaritzburg, contains items pertaining to the administration of an estate. Records include a variety of record types including death notices, distribution accounts, and succession duty accounts. Original records are located in the Natal Archives Depot in Pietermaritzburg.

Reading These Records
The records are written in Afrikaans and English. For help in reading these records see section: For Help Reading These Records.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Death Notices may contain the following information:
 * Name of the deceased
 * Birth place
 * Parents’ names
 * Age
 * Occupation
 * Residential address
 * Marital status
 * Place of marriage
 * Death date
 * Death place
 * Name of children

Will records may contain the following information:
 * Name of the deceased
 * Names of family members
 * Distribution of property

Distribution accounts may contain the following information:
 * Names of people or companies paid from the estate
 * Names of relatives paid from the estate
 * An accounting of any expenditures

Sample Images
Click on images for a larger view.

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * Approximate date of the event

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.

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
A citation is a note that shows where you found information. Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Using citations allows others to find the same records.

Collection citation:

Record citation (or citation for the index entry):

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