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South African Genealogical Reference Centre

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South Africa – Genealogical Reference Centre

To participate in a project you do need to first be a collaborator.

Project Help: How to add Text to a Project - Starter Kit to get you going!

If you haven't yet visited the Geni Wiki pages please do so - there is a lot of information and guidance there.

This a reference project and so no profiles are to be added unless they are people of Genealogical importance!

Curators working on the South African Tree

See Random Acts of GENI Kindness - South Africa for small look ups.

Index

Please scroll down for the various topics

Contents: Part 1 (See Below)

Accepted use Geni fields and explanation of South African name and numbering customs.

General Profile Guidelines

Private and Public Profiles

Married Names

Personal given names

Display names

Other or A.K.A. names

South African Naming Patterns

South African Genealogical numbering System - de Villiers.

Abbreviations and Symbols used in South African Genealogy
Place names

Historical Time Line - Place names

Old and new place names in South Africa (link to pdf doc.)

South African vital Statistics

Contents: Part 2 (See Below)

Resources and records available for South African Genealogical Research

Databases
Types of Records Available
- Certificates
- Baptisms
- Marriages
- Deaths and Burials
- Death Notices
- Divorce
- Wills
- Inventories
- Passenger Lists
- Monumental Inscriptions
- Family Bibles
- Oral History
- Church Minute Books
- Military Records
- Newspapers
- Publications
Research Assistance
- Professional Researchers
- Online Guides and Resources
- Reference Books and Published genealogical tables
South African Genealogical Societies
Starting dates for South African Church Registers
Word list – Glossary (Afrikaans to English)

Part 1

General Profile Guidelines

We need to encourage accurate recording of information on Geni profiles. Sources need to be added where they exist, documents need to be uploaded to support information and explanations given for conclusions in the "about me" section of the profiles where no hard evidence has been found. Information needs to be justified.

The information included in this project will hopefully help us do this - to keep records as accurate as we can and encourage users to make the most of available South African resources. Some information on South African Research can also be found at Family Search.

The information presented here is support material for ALL South African genealogical research - the practice described above should not be confined to only progenitors but to ALL profiles of people who lived in South Africa.

The same applies to profiles in general - support needs to be added for information presented. There is always a reason for our conclusions, and whilst sometimes there might not be hard evidence available, the reasons for using the information will have come from somewhere. If it is not from a primary source (for example you have gained the information from another published family tree either in a book or online) then you do need to say this so that other users know that the information does not have primary evidence. It should be our aim to add sources, documents and references for the information we add. Conjecture should not be translated into profiles - that should be confined to the notes on a profile!

One of the objectives in compiling the information here is to help explain some things that are peculiar to South African records. I particularly we want to encourage the correct use of place names - it is incorrect to use a place name with a province added that was not relevant to that time - so Bedford was in the Cape in the 1800's, not the Eastern Cape!

There are a few things that make a big difference to how the tree can be used and shared on Geni.

Duplicate Profiles

If you add a profile which is a duplicate of one previously added please MERGE them. DO NOT DELETE PROFILES managed by other people - if there is problem please contact the manager!

After a profile has been merged with another please go to the profile page of the merged person and under the "Actions" menu at the top right see if there are any Merge conflicts that need to be resolved.

Private and Public Profiles

All living profiles should be marked Private. In addition profiles of people within the family group (4th cousins) can be set as private. However, profiles in the historical tree, beyond the family group, need to be marked PUBLIC. See this document for guidance on how to check your managed profiles.

South African Genealogical numbering system

Please DO NOT add these to any field other than the SUFFIX field

These numbers MUST NOT be added to the surname, added as a middle name or used in a display name. They can be written into the SUFFIX field. The SUFFIX field is not editable in the "add a profile" menu, options are limited to a drop-down Menu. When you go back into the edit screen you can enter a suffix other than those previously available.

Please Note This numbering system is not obligatory. It is not universally endorsed by everyone. You do not have to add them, but if you do, please respect the request above. If you do not wish to see them displayed then you do have the option to hide them in your preferences - something that can be done temporarily whilst viewing the South African tree.

The genealogical numbers used in the South African tree are according to the system that was introduced in the 19th Century by C.C. de Villiers and now being used by many genealogists in South Africa. In this system the genealogical number of the South African Stamouer/progenitor is “a” (although on the South African Geni tree we us SV/PROG instead), and his children are numbered chronologically “b1”, “b2”, “b3” etc.; his grandchildren ar the ‘c” generation, great grandchildren “d” and so on. (e.g. b1c3d5e2f5g8 etc.)

If there was more than one SV/PROG then they would be SV/PROG 1/ SV/PROG 2 etc. and their family would be numbered SV1b2c6 etc. or SV2b4c6d7 etc.

Richard Ball has written an introduction to this System.

Married/last Names

The traditional way of doing genealogy is birth surname only. But Geni is for both the traditional genealogist AND the casual or new enthusiast - who enters what they know, and adds immeasurable value to the world family tree that way.

Geni's naming fields don't follow the format of standard genealogical programs that produce Personal Ancestral Files (PAFs) and GEDCOMS. As a result they have been the subject of much debate and disagreement.

Genealogically a woman is recorded using her Maiden name. In South Africa historically a woman's maiden name was usually used in documents if her ancestry was French, Dutch or German. British records most often used a woman's married name after 1600 (and as early as 1200). In the modern era it is more usual for a woman's married name to be used.

A very interesting and informative article by Hermann Giliomee of University of Stellenbosch on the status and role of Afrikaner women pre-1930 has been attached to this project and is well worth reading.

Prior to the British occupation of the Cape in 1795, the Dutch custom of a woman using only her birth name throughout her life was followed, as the Dutch, Belgians and French were legally obliged to do. The English (or common law system) custom of women adopting their husband's names after marriage only became widespread in South Africa after the take-over by the British from 1795 onwards, with the largest influx in 1820.

Roman-Dutch Law, a variety of the European continental civil law, remained in force as the legal system of the Cape Colony before c.1800, and is still considered the basis of the SA legal system today. This may be why it is legal for a woman in SA to assume any name she has ever been legally entitled to – e.g. her father’s or any of her ex- or present husband’s surnames. It is still most common for white women in SA to legally change their surname to that of their husband when they get married.

In Geni there is no such thing as a "main last name." Because display settings can be adjusted to show "Birth Surname field only", the "Birth Surname" field comes closest to being the Main name field. The Birth Surname field (if known) should always be filled in, (for both genders), and the display preferences adjusted to best suit individual preferences.

Until Geni comes up with a new layout the following guidelines are suggested on the South African tree:

Always fill in the "Birth Surname" field - for both men and women. If the birth surname is not known a single question mark can be used. (Leaving both Surname fields blank results in MANY matches and tedious search results!)
Use the name of a woman's husband in the Surname field for marriages that took place after 1800.
In marriages before 1800, married females from the continent (France, Holland, Germany) are unlikely to have used their husband’s surnames so it is acceptable, but not obligatory, to use the birth surname in both fields.

The problem at present arises if there were multiple marriages, because there is only one field that can be used for married names. In this instance, we await modifications from Geni, in which case leave her birth surname in the surname field and add all the married surnames she used in aka field. Alternatively used the name of her most recent husband in the surname field and add the other names in the aka field.

Rather than deleting other users' choices about naming fields, change your preferences to suit yourself (See detailed examples of the available options below). The same applies to the use of capitals on Geni, which we don't use - you can change your preferences to do that for you (tab at bottom of tree view).

Geni has taken a pretty clear stand on this:

"Please be advised that on the subject of deleting content off other users’ profiles without their permission, Geni is very clear in the Terms of Service:

http://www.geni.com/company/terms_of_use

Vl. Proprietary Rights in Content.

1. .... If, however, you invite other Members to share your family tree on the Service, or agree to merge your family tree with another Member's family tree on the Service (in either case, a "Shared Family Tree"), then you agree that you will not delete Content in the Shared Family Tree except to correct inaccurate or offensive data. Willful destruction of Content in a Shared Family Tree without Geni's written permission is a breach of this Agreement and grounds for termination of your Member account."

Give consideration to the preferences people use to view the tree and display names

Using Jane married to John Smith, birth surname not known AND using Jane married to John Smith, birth surname Brown as an example. § is the entry using the name fields as designed

Do not display birth surnames

Entered Jane - blank - blank where her birth surname is not known - Jane
Entered Jane - blank - ? where her birth surname is not known - Jane
Entered Jane - Smith - ? where her birth surname is not known - Jane Smith
Entered Jane - Smith - blank where her birth surname is not known - Jane Smith
Entered Jane - blank - Brown - Jane
§ Entered Jane - Smith - Brown - Jane Smith
Entered Jane - Brown - Brown - Jane Brown

Birth surname instead of last name

Entered Jane - blank - blank where her birth surname is not known - Jane
Entered Jane - blank - ? where her birth surname is not known - Jane ?
Entered Jane - Smith - ? where her birth surname is not known - Jane ?
Entered Jane - Smith - blank where her birth surname is not known - Jane Smith
Entered Jane - blank - Brown - Jane Brown
§ Entered Jane - Smith - Brown - Jane Brown
Entered Jane - Brown - Brown - Jane Brown

Birth surname instead of last name in CAPS

Entered Jane - blank - blank where her birth surname is not known - Jane
Entered Jane - blank - ? where her birth surname is not known - Jane ?
Entered Jane - Smith - ? where her birth surname is not known - Jane ?
Entered Jane - Smith - blank where her birth surname is not known - Jane Smith
Entered Jane - blank - Brown - Jane BROWN
§ Entered Jane - Smith - Brown - Jane BROWN
Entered Jane - Brown - Brown - Jane Brown

Birth surname appended, in parentheses

Entered Jane - blank - blank where her birth surname is not known - Jane
Entered Jane - blank - ? where her birth surname is not known - Jane (?)
Entered Jane - Smith - ? where her birth surname is not known - Jane Smith (?)
Entered Jane - Smith - blank where her birth surname is not known - Jane Smith
Entered Jane - blank - Brown - Jane (Brown)
§ Entered Jane - Smith - Brown - Jane Smith (Brown)
Entered Jane - Brown - Brown - Jane Brown

Where the married name is left blank or duplicated with the birth surname the result for those whose preference is for either CAPS or (parentheses) is not a true reflection of the known facts.

So - be aware that if the maiden or birth surname is added to both surname fields, in cases where a 'married surname' exists, then those people who select the preference to either do not display birth surnames (i.e. view married names) or Birth surname appended, in parentheses, do not get an accurate picture. It is therefore preferable not to fill in the Birth Surname in the Last Name/Surname field when a legal 'married name' applies.

The a.k.a. field is searchable. If the married name(s) are not reflected in the a.k.a. field on a woman's profile where only maiden names are used in the surname fields, a search using her married name will have less chance of finding her.

Using van/Van and de/De etc.

Whether van or Van is used depends on how the surname is written. If only the surname is used, it is Van, for example Van der Merwe family. If the first name is used before the surname it is van der Merwe as in Jan van der Merwe. This is how surnames which have de or van etc. in front of them are written in Afrikaans. In Belgium the lower case van shows nobility. In Holland the lower case is always used. Reference - Leon van Schalkwyk.

With this in mind please use the lower case for all such names (de, la, le, van, von etc.) in the last name and birth name fields, but be mindful when using them in the notes etc.

Personal Given names

The spelling of names in South Africa is subject to variations because of the mixture of Afrikaans and English cultures. Willem in Afrikaans is William in English, and John can be Johan or Johannes to name but two. This means that there will to be conflicts in how information is entered on profile pages.

Generally speaking the name to use is the one that is on a primary or "official" document – usually birth or baptismal records, and later documents such as identity cards and passports. Variations in spelling need to be listed in the "also known as" (aka) or nicknames field.

It is also best to add any nicknames in the a.k.a. field - not included using brackets etc. in the first, middle and display name fields.

There are accepted spellings for most names, and it is acceptable to record a variation if that is the way the family uses it. Take Jansen van Rensburg as an example - my mother's family has always used the full Jansen - but others use Janse or not at all. The earlier records for this family have Janse(n) on Geni to allow for this.

If you have personal knowledge of a family’s way of spelling a name, especially in more recent years, then you need to use that, but also add a note in the “About me” section or in the AKA field.

Display Name

This field is used ONLY if the name a person was commonly known by is different from the one entered in the name fields. Specifically if there is a Title - e.g. Sir; Rev. Lord; President etc. In time it is hoped that a Prefix field will be made available for this purpose. Until then using these in the first name fields make searches and matches more difficult.

The Other names - A.K.A. (also known as) field is for nicknames, alternative spellings etc. and for multiple married names as described above.

Using a display name other than for the reasons given above distorts the tree view for people as it masks all the preferences. It is possible to elect to hide display names under preferences, but this then hides information added that is necessary. There is no need to repeat a name in the display name field - all preferences are catered for and should be selected according to how you prefer to view the tree.

The numbering system should be added to the suffix field - not the display name or middle name field, or appended to the surname.

South African Naming Patterns

First names

In Afrikaans families children were named according to European tradition. This tradition was also strong in Ireland and Scotland (less so in England) and across to eastern Europe, including the Netherlands and Germany. It seems to be most common from about the mid 1700’s to the first part of the 20th Century.

The first Son was named after the Father’s father
The second Son was named after the Mother’s father
The third Son was named after the Father
The fourth Son was named after the Father’s eldest brother
The fifth Son was named after the Mother’s eldest brother

The first Daughter was named after the Mother’s mother
The second Daughter was named after the Father’s mother
The third Daughter was named after the Mother
The fourth Daughter was named after the Mother’s eldest sister
The fifth Daughter was named after the Father’s eldest sister

Subsequent children were named following the same pattern, being named after the next eldest sibling of the father and mother.

This system can be very useful genealogically. If there is a break in the pattern or the names appear to be out of order it could indicate that a child has died young. The names were not usually used more than once (see note below), but the system can result in children having the same name, e.g. if the child is the third child, and the father is the first child of a father who was the first child!

Note - if a child died, the name was usually used again, particularly in Afrikaans families and commonly in English families. It was not the name of the dead child that was being re-used but the name of the grandfather or grandmother, etc, that was being given again.

The system is by no mean invariable, even amongst Afrikaner families.

There is a very good article about naming patterns on the eGGSA website.

Abbreviations and Symbols used in South African Genealogy

* Born/Geboorte
≈ Christened or Bapt./Doop
† Died/Sterfte
Ω Buried/Graf of begrafnis
ω Cremated/Veras
x Marriage/Huwelik
xx Second Marriage, etc/Tweede Huwelik
÷ Divorced/Egskeiding
s.o./s.v. Son of/Seun van
d.o./d.v. Daughter of/Dogter van
wed Widow/ Weduwee
wew Widower/Wewenaar
ca About Date (Circa)/Ongeveer datum
? Estimated Date/Geskatte datum
≡ Calculated date/Berekende datum
< Before date/Voor datum
> After date/Na Datum
/ Between dates/Tussen Datums
NN Name Unknown/Van onbekend
Pn Given names unknown/ Voorname onbekend
sp Without descendants/Sonder nasate (sine prole)
[ ] Related by marriage/Aangetroudes
{ } Title of person/Titel van persoon
a. Arrival in South Africa/Aankoms in Suid Afrika

Place Names

There is an argument for using modern place names on Geni - in time it may be possible to generate distribution maps etc. and Google Maps cannot work on a combination of old and modern place names. It is historically and genealogically correct to use old place names for events that took place when those names applied. It would seem that the guideline is to use one or the other, not a combination of both. (This means that where both names have been use one or the other needs to be removed - the preference is for the place name as it was at the time of the event to be used)

'Dictionary of South African Place Names' - free online book

Historical Time Line - Place names

The Provinces of South Africa have changed over the last 360 years. Please do not use modern day place names for event that took place when these names did not apply.

The Union of South Africa was formed on 31 May 1910 as a parliamentary union of the four self-governing British colonies: See The South African War and Union at South African History Online.

Cape of Good Hope Province (Cape Province; previously Cape Colony),
Natal Province (Natal Colony),
Orange Free State Province (Oranje Vrij Staat/Orange River Colony) and
Transvaal Province (Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek/Transvaal Colony).

27 May 1994: South Africa was reorganized into nine provinces.

Cape of Good Hope was divided into 3 new provinces –

Eastern Cape (Capital Bhisho)
Northern Cape (Capital Kimberley)
Western Cape (Capital Cape Town)

Transvaal was divided into 4 new province –

Gauteng (Capital Johannesburg)
Limpopo (Capital Polokwane)
Mpumalanga (Capital Nelspruit)
North-West (Capital Mmabatho)

Orange Free State became Free State (Capital Bloemfontein)
Natal became KwaZulu-Natal (Capital Pietermaritzburg)

In 1995: Name of Northern Transvaal changed to Northern Province.
29 Jun 1995: Name of Orange Free State province changed to Free State.
24 Aug 1995: Name of Eastern Transvaal province changed to Mpumalanga.
8 Dec 1995: Name of Pretoria-Witwatersrand-Vereeniging province changed to Gauteng. (Another source says March 1995)
11 Jun 2003: Name of Northern Province changed to Limpopo, and the name of its capital from Pietersburg to Polokwane.
2004: Ulundi ceased to be co-capital of KwaZulu-Natal.
2004: Name of capital of Eastern Cape changed from Bisho to Bhisho.
26 May 2005: Name of administrative capital of South Africa changed from Pretoria to Tshwane.

Old and new place names in South Africa. pdf format.

South Africa - vital statistics

ISO code: ZA
Languages:

There are eleven official languages recognised in the constitution. Two of these languages are of European origin: Afrikaans, a language which originated mainly from Dutch, and English. Just under 80% of the South African population is of black African ancestry, divided among a variety of ethnic groups speaking different Bantu languages, nine of which have official status. South Africa also contains the largest communities of European, Asian, and racially mixed ancestry in Africa.

The main languages in order of usage -

Zulu / IsiZulu

Xhosa / IsiXhosa

Afrikaans

Sesotho sa Leboa

Tswana / Setswana

English

Suto / Sesotho

Ndebele / IsiNdebele

Tsonga / Xitsonga

Swati / SiSwati

Venda / Tshivenda

Time zone: +2
Capitals: Pretoria, Cape Town, Bloemfontein,Pietermaritzburg

Names in other languages:

Afrikaans: Republiek van Suid-Afrika (formal)
Danish: Sydafrika
Dutch: Zuid-Afrika, Republiek Zuid-Afrika (formal)
English: Republic of South Africa (formal)
Finnish: Etelä-Afrikka
French: Afrique du Sud
German: Südafrika
Icelandic: Suður-Afríka
Italian: Sudafrica, Repubblica Sudafricana (formal)
Norwegian: Sør-Afrika, Republikken Sør-Afrika (formal)
Portuguese: África do Sul, República da África do Sul (formal)
Spanish: Sudáfrica, República de Sudáfrica (formal)
Swedish: Sydafrika
Turkish: Güney Afrika, Güney Afrika Cumhuriyeti (formal)

South African Genealogical Source Documents

Databases

National Archives of South Africa (NASA)

The National Automated Archival Information Retrieval System (NAAIRS) is "a finding aid to assist users of archives to identify and locate archival material that is relevant to their requirements. NAAIRS contains only information about archival material and not the actual texts of documents. Having identified relevant material, a user would usually arrange to visit the repository concerned to consult the documents, or request further information or copies where such services are available".

The National Archives and Records Service is responsible for archives repositories and record centres in Pretoria, and Cape Town. The archival function of the repositories in Port Elizabeth, Pietermaritzburg, Durban and Bloemfontein has already been devolved to their respective provincial legislatures.

OFFICES WHICH FORM PART OF THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS SERVICE OF SOUTH AFRICA.

The reference numbers of documents found in the NAAIRS indexes have prefixes according to the repository where the original documents are housed.

KAB: Cape Town Archives Repository

NAB: Pietermaritzburg Archives Repository

TAB: National Archives Repository (public records of former Transvaal province and its predecessors as well as of magistrates and local authorities)

TBD: Durban Archives Repository

TBE: Port Elizabeth Archives Repository

TBK: Cape Town Records Centre

VAB: Free State Archives Repository

Other databases

GEN: Data of the South African Genealogical Society on gravestones

HER: Data of the Bureau of Heraldry on heraldic representations registered

MAN: National Registers of Manuscripts and Photographs; National Archives' cartographic material, library material and copies

OVM: National Register of Audio-Visual Material

ROS: National Register of Oral Sources

SAB: National Archives Repository (public records of central government since 1910)

Types of records available

1. Certificates.

South African “Civil Registration” is not available for public viewing, so there is no index or personal searching. Getting certificates are not the easy option as you need dates - and usually this is why you need the certificate. It is also slow!

Full certificates include details such as names of parents, dates and places, etc.

If you are in South Africa official application forms can be completed and handed in at any Department of Home Affairs office within the town or city where you live or work, and the completed certificates will be posted to you.

To apply for certificates from outside South Africa you need to post a request to the Department of Home Affairs in Pretoria, or alternatively request these certificates through a South African Consulate within your own country.

Examples of Certificates

South African marriage certificates do not give the names and occupations of parents

Full Death Certificate

Registration commencement dates vary according to the Provinces -

Cape

Births - 1895

Marriages - 1700

Deaths - 1895

KwaZulu Natal

Births - 1868

Marriages - 1845

Deaths - 1888

Transvaal

Births - 1901

Marriages - 1870

Deaths - 18951901

Orange Free State

Births - 1903

Marriages - 1848

Deaths - 1903

2. Baptisms

Entries in Church or Parish Registers aren't always easy to view, but these are steadily being transcribed and digitised by various organisations. Baptism entires generally give the full names and surname of the child, the birth date (but not before 1800 AD) and baptism date, the names of both parents and the names of witnesses. Witnesses are often close relatives that helps in building up family groups.

Afrikaans baptisms usually have witnesses listed and these are usually relativies of the parents, and can give clues as to which family the baptism belongs to.

eGGSA Baptism transcripts

Church Register transcripts, can be found on the e-family web site.

Cape Town Baptisms, part of Daniel Jacobs' Gendata web site. An index of baptisms of various denominations at the Cape.

Indexes by Ockert Malan to Stellenbosch baptisms on the LDS site:

FAMILYSEARCH - Dutch Reformed Church Records have added a large selection of the Registers of the Dutch Reformed Church Record from 1690-2007. These are not indexed, but Lea Herbst has made a start on explaining which registers can be found where in A Guide to FAMILYSEARCH which is and admirable document of enormous help.
See also the lists of Starting dates for Church Registers listed at the end of this project - prepared by Judi Meyer from information at Gisa.

3. Marriages

Example of Marriage Register Entry.

Marriage Register entries give the full names and surnames of both parties, their ages, occupations, whether married after banns or special licence and the names of witnesses, and of the officiant. Photocopies of the original are of particular interest as the signatures of your ancestors are often all that is available to you when there are no photographs.

5. Deaths and Burials

See example of death certificate above.

Some churches keep records of burials performed from the church or of persons buried on church property. These records vary greatly according to the minister involved, but they can be a useful source of information.

Burial Registers usually provide only the person's full names, the date of burial and the age at death. Burial registers only exist for cemeteries within municipal boundaries and are the property of the town council concerned.

These registers are particularly useful when a person is buried in a grave that doesn't have a headstone and the register is the only means of identifying where and when they were buried.

Further examples can be found at eGGSA: including images of the registers for the Stellenbosch burials

which are also at:

http://www.heemkring.org.za/Inleiding.htm and others

http://www.e-family.co.za/BMDs/nolene2/GenericList.asp

6. Death Notices

Example of Death Notice.

Death Notices are a particularly useful source of information for the family historian, and peculiar to Southern Africa. It does need to be remembered that the information relies on the knowledge of the informant, and this is not always accurate. The information can be very full giving full names of the children, their birth dates and their married names, sometimes including the names of daughter's partners. Often dates of marriage, previous marriages and birth dates are also provided. It is important to verify the information given - the inclusion of the names and dates on a Death Notice is not proof, just a valuable guide and often confirmation of information gleaned from other sources!

There are many Death Notices in the still growing collection at eGGSA

7. Divorce

Divorce papers can be quite useful. The NAAIRS archival references to divorces sometimes mention "illiquid cases" and/or "opposed applications". Sometimes details such as private detectives' reports, the names and ages of minor children and who got the custody are given.

8. Wills

No serious researcher should neglect wills.

Wills are included in the indexes at NAAIRS. - for example

DEPOT KAB
SOURCE MOOC
TYPE LEER
VOLUME_NO 7/1/139
SYSTEM 01
REFERENCE 88
PART 1
DESCRIPTION DE BEER, HERMINA CHRISTINA. WIFE OF WILLEM SMIT. WILL.
STARTING 18130000
ENDING 18130000
REMARKS FILED 1837.

But can be very disappointing! Transcript of MOOC 7/1/139 Ref 88

However - they can be extremely rewarding on occasion, particularly earlier wills, for instance the following examples kindly supplied by Richard Ball:

MOOC 7/1/19, 70 Cornelis Koopman, will dated 28 February 1759. See also Richard Ball's Coopman/Koopman research.
Pieter Lombard
Hans Ras

Early wills (before about 1750) will often mention parents names if still alive as residuary legatees and farm names. Wills of second marriages will usually name the children of the first marriage/marriages.

Inventory and Will for Maria Jacoba Grundling (Transcription).

Reference at NAAIRS -

DEPOT KAB
SOURCE MOOC
TYPE LEER
VOLUME_NO 7/1/72
SYSTEM 01
REFERENCE 9
PART 1
DESCRIPTION GRUNDELING, MARIA JACOBA. WIFE OF THOMAS KNOESEN. WILL.
STARTING 18150000
ENDING 18150000
REMARKS FILED 1816.

9. Inventories

The inventories of the Orphan Chamber are invaluable sources for researchers interested in the life and times of people at the Cape from 1652 till 1834. The inventories list all the possessions in a deceased estate, including livestock and slaves.

Example Inventory Huibrecht Bothma

Estate distribution accounts, L&D accounts are usually very useful and often extraordinarily so - see Willem van Wyk - Liquidation and Administration

10. Passenger Lists

It is always good to establish when an ancestor went to South Africa. The eGSSA branch of the Genealogical Society of South Africa has embarked on a project to transcribe all the passenger lists in the South African Archives that the archivists can find for them and some wonderful information has been found at the Pietermaritzburg Archives Repository and at the Roeland Street Archives, Cape Town.

The Olive Tree Genealogy has ship lists from 1687 to 1749, ships from Holland to South Africa and Virginia, sorted by YEAR.

11. Monumental Inscriptions

Gravestone inscriptions provide a wealth of information as they often provide the dates of birth and death as well as the names, maiden surname and 'pet names' of the deceased.

The eGGSA has an extensive program of photographing and Indexing graveyards throughout South Africa. Their Gravestones in South Africa is an essential port of call.

12. Family Bibles

If you are lucky enough to have a family bible in your possession you will know what a rich source of information these can be. There are collections housed in various repositories and Museums.

The Anglo-Boer War Museum has a large collection in need of restoration.

eGGSA Family Bibles is an on-going project photographing Family Bibles in the collection of the National Cultural History Museum organised by Colin Pretorius. This project is still in progress, the most recent large addition being the Family Bibles in the collection of the National Museum, Bloemfontein, which have been photographed by Sudré Havenga of the National Museum, and appear by kind permission of that institution.

13. Oral History

Most of us start by asking living relatives for information about our ancestors, recording what we learn and then taking the research from there.

In many societies Oral History is the principal method used to record the knowledge of ancestral lines - in particular indigenous people; for example the Australia Aboriginal people, Native Indians and the African tribes in South Africa.

14. Church Minute Books

Information of interest to the genealogist can be found but is a secondary rather than a primary source.

15. Military Records

The Department of Defence Archives has all military records. Their physical address is the Schweikert Building, 20 Visagie Street, Pretoria and the telephone number is (012) 339-4600; Fax (012) 339 4631
South African Military History Society
The Anglo-Boer War Museum has an searchable online database where information can be found in the following categories -

Cape Rebels

Prisoners of War

Farm List

Boer Internees Portugal

Foreign Volunteers

Joiners

British Concentration Camps of the South African War 1900-1902 by Elizabeth van Heyningen is an extensive database with information about inmates of the British Concentration Camps - the families of captured Boers, or those who surrendered.

Elizabeth van Heyningen has written an in-depth article about the camps - well worth reading.

Cape Town Highlanders

16. Newspapers

Newspaper Extracts - transcripts by Sue Mackay and a team of many others at eGGSA.

17. Publications

There are publication which can help with your research - but always check data where-ever possible. If you use for instance SAG to build a family please mention that in the "About me" section on the profile so that others will know where the information came from and make comments, add supporting sources etc.

South African Genealogies

South African Genealogies are a comprehensive set of books (17 Volumes) processed and researched by GISA - extremely valuable but a secondary source that has irregularities. See related project Irregularities in South African Genealogies/Suid-Afrikaanse Geslagregisters

Genealogies of Old Cape Families

by C.C. de Villiers, revised, augmented and rewritten by C. Pama, A.A. Balkema, Cape Town 1966.

British Families in South Africa

Lists more than 1,100 surnames, their meanings and origins. It also includes many different coats of arms. This is product is a must for all family historians in South Africa with an interest in the British heritage.

Research Assistance

Professional Researchers

Sometimes you need the assistance of a professional researcher who can find information on your behalf for a reasonable fee. The following are people who undertake such research. Contact them to see if they can help you and what they woud expect the cost to be.

If this is something you do please add yourself to the list.

Anne Clarkson undertakes research in Cape Town Archives and other Cape records. Please contact her for more information about her services. anne@family-research.co.za
Judi Meyer can get Death Notices and other documents available at the Pretoria Archives. Please contact her for more specific information.

Online Guides and Resources

Records and Resources - an online repository & secondary sources relevant to family & social history research in Southern Africa, with the goal of making it simple & keeping it free.
Overview of SA Family History on the Web by Sharon Marshall is very useful, giving a broad look at where to go online for South African research.
There is an online branch of the Genealogical Society of South Africa - [http://www.genza.org.za/ - which is very helpful. There are documents, gravestones and research facilities which are particularly useful. Also collections of Funeral Programs and Church pictures
The First 50 Years Project is an invaluable resource. It is a project which aims to transcribe and make available copies of records relating to individuals who lived at the Cape during the first decades of the settlement after 1652.

Please note Delia Robertson does not approve of the pages from The First Fifty Years Project being added to Geni as documents. Please add a link to the relevant page rather than the URL as a source (which automatically creates a document of that link and adds it to your documents.

Richard Ball has shared his very comprehensive research into his South African ancestors. If your family is one of those he has researched then consider yourself very lucky!
(Ancestry24 Subscription but many free pages)
Cape Master Death Notice Index Project - by Adelbert Semmelink
Cape Slave Transactions, by A.M. van Rensburg. Includes several searchable databases concerned with slaves at the Cape.
Cape Town Baptisms, part of Daniel Jacobs' Gendata web site. An index of baptisms of various denominations at the Cape (mostly of English speaking people and mostly situated in the Cape Peninsula) as well as some baptisms at the Cape Town Lutheran Congregation. It covers the period 1808 to 1854, but not for every congregation. You will need to use FireFox or Chrome browsers to view this database as it does not appear to be compatible with Internet Explorer.
Church Register transcripts, a project in progress, the eGGSA branch of the GSSA.
Church Register transcripts, a section from a variety of sects - various periods covered, to be found on the e-family web site.

Cory Library for Historical Research with a searchable catalogue.
British 1820 Settlers to South Africa and related project 1820 British Settlers in South Africa

eGGSA has a fairly valuable 1820 settler site by Sue Mackay with extra info from Church registers, etc.

Dutch East India Company Archives and Research
Genealogical Institute of South Africa See document on the South African Genealogies.
Genealogical Society of South Africa
The Huguenot Foundation of SA SA French Huguenot Settlers
Database of VOC Documents
Resolutions Of The Council Of Policy Of Cape Of Good Hope
of the Orphan Chamber of the Cape of Good Hope by the TEPC team of transcribers and editors - this series is now complete and contain 75 volumes, 1673-1834. It now also contains the first 5 volumes of the Venudrollen (auction records), the series MOOC 10, dating from 1691 to 1748. This is an amazing piece of work and immensely valuable, both for genealogists and historians
The South African Military History Society
* Website of Gray Beard is a very useful resource for research into French ancestors - go to Guînes (Northern France) and the Index File Guînes for an index of names you will recognise.

Reference Books and Published genealogical tables

British Families in South Africa : Lists more than 1,100 surnames, their meanings and origins. It also includes many different coats of arms. This is product is a must for all family historians in South Africa with an interest in the British heritage.
Die Groot Familienaamboek : 3,000 South African families are discussed, approximately 450 Family Crests and Coats of Arms are available in full colour and another 350 signatures of ancestors add value to this resource.
Genealogies of Old Cape Families, by C.C.de Villiers, revised, augmented and rewritten by C.Pama, A.A.Balkema, Cape Town, 1966
The original edition of 1894, compiled by G.M. Theal from the work of C.C. de Villiers, in three volumes, can be found in Adobe Acrobat pdf format on the University of Pretoria's web site: Geslacht-register der oude Kaapsche familien (Genealogies of old Cape families)

South African Genealogies, compiled by J.A. Heese, edited by R.T.J. Lombard, GISA, 1986 - 2008.
They Were South Africans by John Bond

South African Genealogical Societies

The Genealogical Society of South Africa

South African Genealogical and Historical Societies links and contacts.

eGGSA is the virtual branch of the Genealogical Society of South Africa. They also have a Facebook page

(Awaiting further contributions)

Starting dates for South African Church Registers

Albanie (Riebeeck-East) - 1831 Cape
Alexandria - 1854 Cape
Aliwal North - 1852 Cape
Beaufort West - 1819 Cape
Bloemfontein - 1848 Orange Free State
Boshoff - 1856 Orange Free State
Bredasdorp -1839 Cape
Burgersdorp - 1846 Cape
Caledon - 1811 Cape
Calvinia - 1847 Cape
Cape Town - 1665 Cape
Clanwilliam - 1826 Cape
Colesberg - 1826 Cape
Cradock - 1818 Cape
Darling - 1853 Cape
Drakenstein (Paarl) - 1691
Fauresmith - 1848 Orange Free State
Fraserburg - 1851 Cape
French Hoek - 1845 Cape
George - 1813 Cape
Glen Lynden (Bedford) - 1829 Cape
Graaff Reinet -1792 Cape
Harrismith - 1849 Orange Free State
Hopefield - 1851 Cape
Humansdorp - 1848 Cape
Knysna - 1851 Cape
Ladismith - 1855 Cape
Ladysmith - 1854 Natal
Lydenburg - 1850 Transvaal
Middelburg (Cape) - 1852
Mossel Bay - 1845 Cape
Napier - 1848 Cape
Oudtshoorn - 1853 Cape
Pietermaritzburg - 1839 Natal
Pietersburg - 1852 Transvaal
Piketberg- 1833 Cape
Potchefstroom - 1842 Transvaal
Pretoria - 1854 Transvaal
Prins Albert - 1842 Cape
Richmond - 1843 Cape
Rivesdale - 1839 Cape
Robertsham - 1853 Natal
Roodezand(Tulbach) - 1743 Cape
Rustenburg - 1850 Transvaal
Smithfield - 1848 Orange Free State
Somerset East - 1825 Cape
Somerset West - 1825 Cape
Springbok (Namakwaland) 1850 Cape
Stellenboch - 1686 Cape
Swartland (Malmesbury) - 1745 Cape
Swellendam - 1798 Cape
Tijgerberg (Durbanville) - 1826 Cape
Uitenhage - 1817 Cape
Utrecht - 1854 Natal
Victoria West - 1844 Cape
Wellington - 1841 Cape
Winburg - 1841 Orange Free State
Worcester - 1825 Cape
Wynberg - 1829 Cape

Word list – Glossary (Afrikaans to English)

aan, to
aangenome, adopted
aangestel, appointed
afkoms, descent
afstam, descended
afstaaeling, descendant
afsterwe, died
agter, behind
albei, both
almal, everyone
algemene, general
ander, other
baba, baby
naie, many
begrawe, buried
behalwe, except
behoort, belonged to
bekende, well known
benoem, appointed
besetting, occupation
Boer, farmer
boiu, build
broer, brother
buite-egtelike, illegitimate
burger, citizen
by, near/at/with
daar, there
dag, day
derde, third
dieselfde, the same
dogter, daughter
dood, dead, death
doop, baptism
Duitsland, Germany
eers, first/formerly
eerst, first
eeu, century
einaar, owner
Engelse, English
en, and
familielid, relative, relation
Frankryk, France
Franse, French
geboorteplek, birthplace
gebore, born
gedoop, baptised
geen, no
gekom, arrived
geland, landed
geloof, faith
gemeente, congregation
genoem, called
gesin, family
geskei, divorced
geskiedenis, history
geslag, family
getroud, married
getuie, witness
gevlug, escaped
godsdiens, religion
grootvader, grandfather
herkoms, origin
hertrou, remarried
het, had/had
hier, here
hierdie, this
hom, him
hoof, head
Hugenoot, Huguenot
huis, house
hul(le), they
huwelik, marriage
hy, he
Indiese, Indian
ingeskeep, embarked
ingeskryf registered
jaar, year
jare, years
jongedogter, spinster
jongman, bachelor
jogste, youngest
Joods, Jewish
Kaap, Cape
Keer terug, returned
kerk, church
kind, child
kinderloos, childless
kinders children
klein, small/little
kleindogter, granddaughter
kleinseun, grandson
kneg, labourer
konsentrasiekamp, concentration camp/burgher camp
koop, purchased
kort na, shortly after
kwartierstaat, table of descent/ancestral chart
laaste, latest/last
landbou, agriculture
landbouer, farmer
langs, along
lewe, life
Lutherse, Lutheran
Lutherse kerk, Lutheran church
lys, list
maand(e), month(s)
maar, but
matroos, sailor
met, with
milisie, military
moeder, mother
moontlik, possible
na, to
naam, name
naby, near
nag, night
nagelaat, left
nageslag, descendants
neem deel aan, took part in
neef, cousin, nephew
nege, nine
niggie, cousin/niece
nodig, necessary
nog, yet
noorde, north
Noorweë, Norway
nou, now
nuwe, new
onbekend, unknown
oneg, illegitimate
ongeklassifiseer, unclassified
ongetroud, unmarried
ontbind, dissolved
onwettig, illegal
oom, uncle
oor, over/ear
oorlede, deceased
oorleef, survived
oorspronklike, original
ooste, east
op, on
oud, former/old
ouderdom, age
ouderling, elder
oudste, eldest
ouers, parents
ouma, grandmother
oupa, grandfather
plaas/plase, farm/s
pokke, smallpox
pos, position
reeds, already
saam met, together with
see, sea
seun, son
siekte, sickness
sien, see
skei, divorce; geskei, divorced
skip, ship
Skotse, Scottish
skoondogter – daughter-in-law
skoonmoeder – mother-in-law
skoonseun, son-in-law
skoonvader – father-in-law
slaaf – slave
soldaat, soldier
stamouers, progenitors
stamreeks, genealogy in the direct male line
sterf, died
sterfkennis, death notice
suster, sister
swaer, brother-in-law
sy, hius/she
tak(ke), branch(es)
tans, today
tante, aunt
teen, towards
teenworgige, present
terwyl, while
tog, yet
tot, till
trou, married
tussen, between
twee, two
tweede, second
tweede hiwelik, second marriage
tyd, time
uit, out
uitgekom, came out
vader, fatgher
van, surname
van, of
vanaf, from/since
vandag, tpo=day
verder, further
verdrink, drowned
verlaat, left
verlof, leave
vermoedelik, probably
vermoor, murdered
verskillende, different
versoek, requested
vertrek, departed
verwysing, reference
vierde, fourth
vir, for
Vlaander, Flanders
vlugleling, refugee
volg, followed
volgens, according to
voor/voordat, before
vroeēr, earlier
vrou, woman/wife
vrygesel, bachelor
waar, where
waarskynlik, probable
wat, what/which
weduwee, widow
weens, because of
weesmeisie, orphan girl
wewenaar, widower
woon, live
word, became

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