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

South Africa

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.

Reading These Records
These records are written in Afrikaans and English. See the section For Help Reading these Records for translation helps.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
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

Sample Images
Click on images for a larger view.

How Do I Search the Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the person you are looking for
 * Approximate date of death

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.

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

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Use the age in the death records 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.
 * 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 sources correctly makes it easier to refer to information which has already been found, so proper citations are key to keeping track of research. Correct citations also allow others to check completed research by helping them find and examine records for themselves.

Below are the proper citations to use for this whole collection as well as for individual records and images within it:

Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation:

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