South Africa, Western Cape, Estate Files - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection will include records from 1966-2004.

These records include images of copies of primary genealogical records such as death notices, marriage certificates, birth certificates, and wills, from the probate estate files located in the Master of the High Court Offices in Cape Town. This collection is being published as images become available.

Record Content
Estate files may contain the following information:


 * Name
 * Place of residence
 * Date of birth
 * Place of birth
 * Date of death
 * Place of death
 * Names of witnesses
 * Name of spouse
 * Race
 * Nationality
 * Occupation
 * Marital status
 * Name of deceased's father
 * Name of deceased's mother
 * Parent's date of death
 * Full names of children
 * Children's date of death
 * Spouse's date of death

How to Use the Record
To search this collection, it would be helpful if you knew the following information:


 * Name
 * Approximate year of death
 * Place of death

Search the Collection
To search the collection image by image, ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page: ⇒Select the appropriate "Year" ⇒Select the appropriate "File Number" which takes you to the images.

Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your 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 your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

Related Websites

 * South Africa National Archives
 * Estate Files, Cape Province, 1952 partial
 * Western Cape Archives and Records Service
 * TANAP Overview of Western Cape Archives and Records Service
 * Africa Websites
 * Africa Historic Maps

Related Wiki Articles

 * South Africa
 * Western Cape, South Africa

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information (often called citing your sources). This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection citation: Image citation: