SOUTH-AFRICA-L Archives

Archiver > SOUTH-AFRICA > 1998-03 > 0889454743


From: Delia Robertson <>
Subject: Re: Newbie Question
Date: Mon, 09 Mar 1998 06:45:43 -0800


Hi Pat:

If your mothers uncle left even a modest estate a death notice will have
been filed and will be part of the estate file. Estate files are held at
regional depots of the national archive, i.e. Pretoria, Cape Town,
Pietermaritzburg and so on. A national computer database which is
searchable at all the archive depots will tell if indeed there is an
estate file and where it is held.

Post to the list your relative's name and date of birth and when someone
is visiting one of the depots they can do a lookup and see if and where
an estate file is held. That way when you get here you will know which
depot you need to visit to do your research.

I am going to the Pretoria depot on Saturday March 21st - and will
happily do the lookup then but perhaps someone can help you sooner than
that.

Regards. Delia.

Pat Straughan wrote:
> snip
> My question is this: is this all too vague to find out what happened to my
> great uncle and whether he did leave property in SA? I know his name and
> approximate date of birth but nothing else.
>
> I am visiting SA in a few weeks and could do some research if someone would
> point me in the right direction.
>
> Thanks for reading this.
>
> Pat

This thread: