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Research in Other Countries => South Africa => Topic started by: david64 on Sunday 17 March 13 15:48 GMT (UK)

Title: Most Relevant SA States
Post by: david64 on Sunday 17 March 13 15:48 GMT (UK)

Evening,

In Britain and Ireland, the old, relatively unchanged ancient county jurisdictions are typically used by genealogist as opposed to the new-fangled government civil parishes etc. I am interested to know what divisions are most relevant for SA genealogists? Is their a particular set of divisions which are typically used as in the case of the UK and Ireland?

Title: Re: Most Relevant SA States
Post by: Nookie on Monday 18 March 13 08:45 GMT (UK)

South Africa was previously divided into four Provinces - Cape of Good Hope; Natal, Transvaal and the Orange Free State.  Hope that this answers your question! 

Title: Re: Most Relevant SA States
Post by: david64 on Monday 18 March 13 11:33 GMT (UK)

Thanks for the details. I'll take a line of research from here.

Title: Re: Most Relevant SA States
Post by: Nookie on Monday 18 March 13 11:43 GMT (UK)

If you need any help put up a posting and II am sure help will be forthcoming :)

Title: Re: Most Relevant SA States
Post by: david64 on Monday 18 March 13 12:56 GMT (UK)

Thanks, but that was all the help I needed, those provinces seem to be the best to use, as opposed to the 1994- ones.

I am currently having two South African gazetteers transcribed, which will be freely available online, and was looking for the best divisions to arrange the towns into. I'm doing this for a few countries, hence why I have no knowledge of SA genealogy and governance; and figuring out the best provinces/states/counties to use is always a problem, as most of the civilised world changed so much from century to century.

Title: Re: Most Relevant SA States
Post by: Nookie on Monday 18 March 13 14:19 GMT (UK)

That is fantastic news.  If you get stuck at all help is just a posting away.

Title: Re: Most Relevant SA States
Post by: david64 on Monday 18 March 13 16:26 GMT (UK)

Thanks  ;D

Do you by any chance know of any good topographical, geographic, gazetteer sources for SA? I found few and the ones I have a short. Particularly compared to source for the UK & US. The sources I have used are:

S. W. Silver & Co.'s Handbook to South Africa c. 1880
South Africa and its future: including the Commercial & general gazetteer of South Africa c. 1900

I suspect there may be more sources for the provinces. My initial search was for nationwide sources.

Title: Re: Most Relevant SA States
Post by: Nookie on Monday 18 March 13 17:30 GMT (UK)

There is a very nice old map listed near the bottom at

www.lib.utexas.edu › Finding Information › PCL Map Collection

Will give it some more thought and come back to you with anything else I can track down.