South African Genealogy: Locating Pre-1950 Estate Files Online

NASA (National Archives of South Africa): goo.gl/hsZlnX
Cape: goo.gl/CBuIFl
Transvaal: goo.gl/yDZCM4
Orange Free State: goo.gl/iRzvny
Natal: goo.gl/QJyrGh
Link to sheet compiled by Linda Farrell: bit.ly/2JxD8pJ

[@TheFinliz]

Thank you so much for this informative video! I always found the browse searches just too hard but your video opens up a great new source.

[@fridaisabella1593]

Very well done! Thanks for the links. Looking forward to your next video.

[@hannienel]

Matthew Bode, you are amazing. Thank you for this wonderful tutorial.

[@MatthewBode]

Most welcome :)

[@kennywilliamson]

Fantastic Matthew... thanks for this

[@Allisonisi]

Thank you .. this has helped heaps!

[@oubaas49]

Amazing work. Is it possible to make an updated video? Some of the pages look a bit different now.

[@justinej3470]

Thank you for this video, which is really nice and clear. I am just wondering what I can do when I know that there was a will and estate documents (Cape) but they are can't be found by clicking right on the DN file.

[@duncanbennie1585]

Thank you for these links. I have been using family search for years and years now, but did not know these databases existed. Am yet to make sense of the ordering of the Kimberly Archives, just seems to have things all over the place.

[@MatthewBode]

No worries! Kimberley estates can be found here (they go from the years 1872 - 1937): goo.gl/j69aLp

[@loulaevert-smith1728]

Thank you Matthew, one question though? under which Data base would MAFIKENG (MADIBENG) fall under?

[@lizuys8445]

Thank you very much for your video - that led me to the National Archives, and I discovered something about rent with my grandmother's name on it - not Genealogy related though. But maybe you could tell me where I need to search to get more info the document below? DEPOT KAB SOURCE 1/SSW TYPE LEER VOLUME_NO 72 SYSTEM 02 REFERENCE 33/4/4/229 PART 1 DESCRIPTION RENT BOARD: CASES. BEAN, MRS. MJM. STRAND. STARTING 1944 ENDING 1944 Again, thanks for the FamilySearch tools you explained, now it all makes sense to me!

[@MatthewBode]

Hi Liz, only a pleasure. This file isn't available online. You'd need to order it through a private researcher such as Heather MacAlister ([e-mail]) once the Archives reopen.

[@ashgroenewald8365]

Very informative and helpful, thanks for the video. Question to you and everyone else reading, where can on find the estate files for 1956, Cape Province? There is absolutely nothing on Family Search, unless I'm not checking properly. Anyone have an idea? It literally ends with 1955 to begins with 1957

[@MatthewBode]

Regrettably, 1956 has not yet been digitised. You'd need to order the relevant file from a private researcher with access to the Cape Town Archives.

[@marinesatellite]

Matthew Thank you so much for a fantastic video. Excellernt work. I have a problem. Benjamin Doveton Hudson who died in 1900 had 27 Liquidation and Distribution Accounts. I cant find any of the accounts. I realize that sometimes they were not filed in the same year as the death occurred. I have tried the references in 1901/2/3/4 but found nothing. I would really appreciate your help

[@MatthewBode]

Hi David, you are most welcome. L&D accounts (listed separately from Estates on NAAIRS) aren't accessible online. You'd need to order the relevant file from a private researcher, once archives in South Africa reopen.

[@leonholmes7108]

Cannot access Death Notices on Family Search. Can someone tell me how it is done?

[@marypianka3078]

this is great... still can't find my grandmother's family! I had birth record from Pietermaritsburg 1888 but nothing else. any ideas? i'm based in Australia.

[@MatthewBode]

Hmm, have you tried searching for a death reference on NAAIRS (www.national.archsrch.gov.za/sm300cv/smws/sm30ddf0?201511191324319378C969&DN=00000002)? Or a headstone on eGGSA (www.eggsa.org/cgi-bin/library/dosearchGraves.pl)?

[@katrienaprinsloo5932]

Matthew, need to know if you tipe in all there name on one line or each one on separate lines or only use one name because I do not know which name he were called on?

[@MatthewBode]

Write each name on a seperate line for the best results (follow the instructions in this video). Remember, only people with assets to pass down left estate files. I had a look for your guy and couldn't find him on NAAIRS. If you give me his exact DOD however, I should be able to locate a civil death notice.

[@katrienaprinsloo5932]

Hello Matthew, I still cannot find my grandfather Andries Lukas Jurie Venter died 1926 Dundee Estate file...new to this

[@MatthewBode]

Not everyone left an estate, Katriena - this is possibly why you can't find him. Have you found a reference to his estate on NAAIRS?

[@MatthewBode]

Hi Katriena, just found your grandfather's civil death notice (death certificate): www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C91P-Z3J1-J

[@leonavanderwatt9063]

Hi Matthew, do you have a video showing how to locate the wills with NAAIRS references like this: Identifier: KAB MOOC_7/1/250_60_1 Please, and thanks. Leona

[@MatthewBode]

Hi Leona, unfortunately that's a 1960 file so it has not been digitised yet

[@Allisonisi]

Matthew I was wondering if you know if there is a way I can find more recent marriage certificates? My grandfather got remarried in the 1960s or 70s .. I know her name .. Also do you know how to access information on the 2 Rhodesias?

[@MatthewBode]

Hi Allison, what was your grandmother's name? There are some but very few South African marriages available for that time period. There is virtually nothing online for Zambia (some Afrikaans parish registers), and likewise very little online for Zimbabwe (civil death notices up to the early 70s, estate death notices up to the mid 70s, some Afrikaans parish registers). www.familysearch.org/search/collection/location/1927049?region=Zimbabwe www.familysearch.org/search/collection/location/1927050?region=Zambia

[@Allisonisi]

Hi, my grandma was Marie Patricia Booth born 1905 Hoopstad (I’m not which province that was) but my step Nana was Anna Ludwick. She was married twice my grandpa Stuart Finley-Bissett lived with her around Bloemfontein in the 80s I have a truckload of ancestors in The Kimberley’s. Will that be the orange free state records? Or? Thank you so much for you video it’s up my knowledge already

[@MatthewBode]

Birth Info: PERSONAL INFORMATION FULL NAMES MARIE PATRICIA. MAIDEN SURNAME BOOTH. SURNAME FINLEY-BISSETT. DATE OF BIRTH 1905-12-30. SPOUSE NAMES STUART. Marriage info: PERSONAL INFORMATION SPOUSE MARIE PATRICIA FINLEY-BISSETT [ BOOTH ] . SPOUSE STUART FINLEY-BISSETT [ ] . MARRIAGE INFORMATION DATE OF MARRIAGE 1938-09-08.

[@MatthewBode]

PERSONAL INFORMATION FULL NAMES ANNA JACOBA MARIA. SURNAME FINLEY BISSETT. MAIDEN NAME LUDICK. IDENTITY NUMBER 2502210034081. DATE OF BIRTH 1925-02-21. DEATH INFORMATION DATE OF DEATH 1998-01-02. PLACE OF DEATH PRETORIA. CAUSE OF DEATH KORONERE TROMBOSE.

[@Allisonisi]

Matthew Bode i:) thanks it’s the third marriage with Anna Ludwick I’m struggling with You’re a gem!

[@ChooseU4ever]

If you had searched the name directly on Family search, wouldn’t you end up on the same page?

[@MatthewBode]

Not necessarily. When I made this video 4 years ago, very few, if any South African estates had been indexed. There is a huge backlog of SA records yet to be indexed/reviewed, many of which are estate files.

[@ChooseU4ever]

Matthew Bode Thanks Mathew and David.