South African Records on Family Search

[Sue Mackay]

Family Search has added original images to browse for South African Methodist parish registers for various places from 1822. This is in addition to the Dutch Reformed Church images from 1660 which were already browsable.

The following places in the Cape are included:
Aberdeen
Albany
Alexandria
Aliwal North
Barkly West
Bathurst
Beaconsfield
Beaufort West
Bellville
Bergvliet
Buntingville
Butterworth
Cathcart
Clarkebury
Clumber
Cradock
Dordrecht
East London
Grahamstown
Griqualand West
Indwe
Klip River Location
Platberg

Durban is included in Natal and a handful of places in Transvaal and Orange Free State

Click on Browse by Location, then Africa

[Sue Mackay]

In addition to the above, Family Search has now uploaded original images of Anglican Parish Registers 1850-2004 covering most parishes in Cape Province, Natal, Orange Free State and Transvaal.

Click on Browse by Location under the Search Box and then click Africa.

Records are not indexed but can be browsed page by page just like the actual registers

[Sue Mackay]

Family Search has now also uploaded browseable images of Cape Province Civil Death Registrations from 1895-1954 (you will find a link for 1850 but these actually contain the records that seem to be missing when you click on 1950). These documents are not as useful for genealogists as the death notices, but not everyone had a DN (DNs were largely for the purposes of establishing heirs and so listed spouse(s) and children, but if a person had no property or had never married then they are unlikely to have a DN). The main piece of information not on a DN that the death certificate will give you is the cause of death.

Records for each year are listed by town, and therein in chronological order, so if you know where and when an ancestor died it should be relatively easy to find them - though if your computer is as slow as mine you will be very grateful if they died in January

[Sedgepea]

Thanks to Sue from a South African who has come to a brick wall. Regards Sedgepea

[Tinker]

Thanks for the heads-up, Sue. I haven't been in that section for a while, and might be able to fill in some holes in my late husband's tree, that have been driving me nuts.

[Tinker]

Sue, you've just made a good week get better. If the FamSearch server hadn't eventually thrown a wobbly last night, I'd probably have been there 'til the wee, small hours. You can guess where I'll be for the next few days!

[PClews]

I have tried Family Search for The Natal & South African Forces Deaths and any documents won't open! is there a problem with the site??

[Sue Mackay]

I have tried Family Search for The Natal & South African Forces Deaths and any documents won't open! is there a problem with the site??

When I try to load images on my PC I often just get a black screen with a navigation bar but no image. If I wait long enough the image does eventually appear, but obviously my ancient PC and village broadband is just too slow. When I try on my modern Macbook via a USB dongle the images appear straight away.

BTW, in going to check this now I noticed that some images from the Cape Archives were uploaded in September. When you click on Browse Images you are only offered Western Cape, but when you actually click on Western Cape all the towns in the Eastern Cape are there as well!!

[PClews]

I just get a white blank screen, most annoying when I am so near to finding the death records I have been looking for for ten years. Hey ho that's family research for you.

[Tinker]

Hi PClews
Sometimes the image is there but you have to scroll the page down to find it. I've been caught by that before. On occasion the image (when you get it) only opens halfway, and I've found the best way to sort that one out is to go back to the previous page and then click on the next one again. It usually loads correctly the second time, although sometimes you have to repeat the process more than once (which usually occasions a bit of unladylike swearing on my part!)