Free State Province, South Africa Genealogy

Guide to Province of Free State family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

History
The capital of Free State is Bloemfontein, which is also South Africa's judicial capital. Its historical origins lie in the Orange Free State Boer republic and later Orange Free State Province. The current borders of the province date from 1994 when the Bantustans were abolished and reincorporated into South Africa.
 * Free Statia: reminiscences of a lifetime in the Orange Free State - Available on microfilm at the FamilySearch Library and some FamilySearch centers.

Localities

 * List of cities and towns in the Free State at Wikipedia

Maps and gazetteers

 * A comprehensive set of maps of the Free State, South Africa at SA-Venues.com

Cemeteries

 * Grave yards in Free State The Genealogical Society of South Africa
 * Cemeteries in Free State, South Africa at Find A Grave

Dutch Reformed Church (NGK)

 * 1660-1970 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1690-2011 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1838-1991 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1848-1956 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images

Catholic
Parish registers, Catholic Church, Mission, Tempe (Orange Free State), 1869-1930 - microfilm available at the FamilySearch Library and some FamilySearch centers.

Other

 * 1801-2004 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images

Civil Registration
Births, marriages, and deaths began to be registered in 1902.

Deaths

 * 1902-1954 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1955-1966 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images

Marriages

 * 1840-1973 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images

Land records

 * 1848-1934 Orange Free State (South Africa). Registrar of Deeds, 1848-1934


 * 1853-1866 Orange Free State (South Africa) Land Borad Property claims, confiscations and forfeitures

Probate Records
See here for a description of what death notices are and where they are located.


 * 1832-1989 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1951-2006 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images of estate files from The Master of Supreme Court in Bloemfontein.
 * Index of Surnames for complete files in the 1951 Free State Estate Files collection on familysearch.org

Websites
Microfilm available at the FamilySearch Library