South Africa, Cape Province, Western Cape Archives Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes various records from 1792 to 1992. It has various records from the Western Cape Archives in Cape Town, South Africa. It includes the following: Birth, Marriage and Death Registrations, Probate Estate Files, Slave Records and Immigration Records. This collection is being published as images become available.

The Union of South Africa was established in 1910 by combining four British colonies into four original provinces of the Union: Cape Province, Transvaal Province, Natal Province and Orange Free State Province. In 1994 all of these provinces were dissolved and the current nine new provinces were established. The Cape Province was broken up into three smaller provinces: the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Northern Cape. Parts of it were also absorbed into the North West.

Reading These Records
These records are in Afrikaans and English. For help reading these records see:
 * Afrikaans Word List
 * Netherlands Language and Languages
 * South Africa Language and Languages

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Marriage
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Name and age of groom
 * Occupation of groom
 * Name and age of bride
 * Birthplace of each
 * Marital status of each
 * Residences of both bride and groom
 * Names of witnesses

Slave
 * Colony where transaction took place
 * Date of sale
 * Name of vendor
 * Name of purchaser
 * Amount paid
 * Number of slaves purchased
 * Sometimes, names and ages of slaves

Census
 * Names of family members
 * Number of males in household
 * Number of females in household

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person you are looking for
 * Approximate date of the event (birth, marriage, death, etc.)

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 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 in your research for your family in South Africa.
 * South Africa Record Finder
 * South Africa Finding Town of Origin

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.

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