Your personal family history discovery journey – Now so much easier

Tracing your family history is a journey that spans generations – a quest to uncover stories, connect with ancestors, and better understand the tapestry of heritage that shapes who we are today. In the digital age, this journey is more accessible than ever before. At the forefront of this are comprehensive online resources that are changing the way we research and discover our family history.

One such resource is Familysearch.org. Over the years, they have partnered with archives, libraries, and government agencies worldwide to digitize millions of historical documents. These records, once locked away in dusty vaults or microfiche drawers, are now available on a computer screen with the click of a mouse.

How to get started

An ID number and full names of a deceased family member are usually enough to kick off the process. The digital platforms then suggest potential matches and records, encouraging further exploration.

For those tracing their ancestors in South Africa, the service offers a growing collection of digitized records unique to our country. Among these are extensive South African civil registration records, including births, marriages, and deaths from various provinces dating back to the late 1800s. The website hosts digitized church registers – baptisms, marriages, and burials – from the Dutch Reformed Church, Anglican Church, and other denominations, often covering periods when civil registration was not yet established. Even as far back as the late 1700s and beyond, in various European countries, and elsewhere.

As more details are added, the family tree grows and branches to reveal connections that span continents and centuries. In the past, we were often limited to the male in a family's surname to refer to family connections from days gone by. Although it is useful to have the reference to one of them, with modern technology and digital records we can now search for our ancestors and distant connections along various matriarchal and patriarchal lines.

Let’s do the sums.

• Mom and Dad = two lines (one generation back);

• Grandmas and Grandpas = four lines (two generations);

• Great Grandpa and ma = eight lines (three generations back);

• Their parents = 16 lines (four generations back);

• Their parents = 32 lines (five generations back);

• Their Parents = 64 lines (six generations back); and

• so on…

There are also collections of estate files and estate registers, which provide insight into family relationships and property transfers. In addition, users can access immigration records, passenger lists, and even some school registers, which provide details about the lives and movements of individuals and families in South Africa's diverse communities.

Challenges and tips for success

While digitized records open new avenues for research, challenges remain. Names can be misspelled or have different spellings over the years, handwritten documents can be difficult to interpret, and records can have gaps due to war or natural disasters. To improve the chances of success, one should start with what you know – collecting oral histories, family letters, and photographs. These can then help to complement and supplement the wide range of digital records.

Family connections

Those who use FamilySearch.org often speak of the deep connections they discover – not only with distant ancestors, but also with living relatives around the world. The type of service has reunited lost branches of families and fostered a sense of continuity that bridges the past and present.

Finally

Of course, it is not just about looking back – it is about understanding the threads that connect us all and passing this on to the future. The service works with the philosophy that knowledge of our descendants strengthens families and communities, promotes continuity and a sense of belonging to South Africa.

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Meet Jan Bezuidenhout

My name is Jan Bezuidenhout, I’m an independent consultant in scenario planning, strategy, and transformation, but at heart, I’m a storyteller and guide. I believe that understanding our past – whether it’s the history of a town, a family, or a community – can offer powerful lessons for the future.

Let’s learn from yesterday, live fully today, and plan wisely for tomorrow.