South Africa, Pietermaritzburg Estate Files - FamilySearch Historical Records

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
These records are in Afrikaans and English. For help reading these records see the following guides:


 * 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:

Death
 * Name of the deceased
 * Birth place
 * Parents’ names
 * Age
 * Occupation
 * Residential address
 * Marital status
 * Place of marriage
 * Death date
 * Death place
 * Name of children

Wills
 * Name of the deceased
 * Names of family members
 * Distribution of property

Distribution Accounts
 * Names of people or companies paid from the estate
 * Names of relatives paid from the estate
 * An accounting of any expenditures

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Given name and surname 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 the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the age of 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 the Person 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
 * 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
 * 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
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.