South Africa, Cape Province, Kimberley, Probate Records of the Supreme Court - FamilySearch Historical Records

South Africa

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes records from 1871 to 1937. It consists of probate records from the Supreme Court located in Kimberley, Cape Province, South Africa.

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 much more information than a death certificate. 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 records are located in the Cape Archives Depot, Cape Town.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Death 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

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How Do I Search This Collection?
Before using this collection it is helpful to know:


 * Name of the person you are looking for
 * Approximate year 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. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use any information available 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 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.
 * 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 and that the ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.
 * 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.
 * Search the indexes and records of local genealogical societies.
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1800s.
 * 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.

"South Africa, Cape Province, Kimberley, Probate Records of the Supreme Court, 1871-1937." Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2017. Pietermaritzburg Archives Repository and National Archives of South Africa, Pretoria.
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