Free State Province, South Africa Genealogy

Guide to Province of Free State family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

History
The capital of Free State is Bloemfontein, which is also South Africa's judicial capital. Its historical origins lie in the Orange Free State Boer republic and later Orange Free State Province. The current borders of the province date from 1994 when the Bantustans were abolished and reincorporated into South Africa. 
 * Free Statia: reminiscences of a lifetime in the Orange Free State - Available on microfilm at the Family History Library and some Family history centers.

Localities
List of cities and towns in the Free State.

Maps and gazetteers
A comprehensive set of maps of the Free State, South Africa.

Cemeteries
Bloemfontein (Hamilton) Was Cemetery grave listings

Free State, South Africa Cemeteries - War graves project.

Bethelem Cemetery - Van Heerden Family Tree listings

Grave yards in Free State (The Genealogical Society of South Africa)

Find A Grave records for Free State, South Africa

Dutch Reformed Church (NGK)
The Dutch Reform Church records collection on FamilySearch includes records from 1848 to 1956.
 * 1690-2011 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1838-1991 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Catholic
Parish registers, Catholic Church, Mission, Tempe (Orange Free State), 1869-1930 - microfilm available at the Family History Library and some Family history centers.

Civil Registration
Births, marriages, and deaths began to be registered in 1902.

Deaths

 * Civil registration (deaths), Orange Free State, 1902-1954.
 * 1955-1966 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1902-1954 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection index and images

Marriages

 * Civil registration (marriages - blacks), Orange Free State, 1931-1955.
 * Civil registration (marriages - whites, coloureds and Indians), Orange Free State, 1931-1955.
 * Civil registration (marriages), Orange Free State, 1848-1899.
 * Civil registration (marriages), Orange Free State, 1929-1930.

Land records
[https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/557414?availability=Family%20History%20Library Orange Free State (South Africa). Registrar of Deeds, 1848-1934.]

Orange Free State (South Africa). Land Board - Property claims, confiscations and forfeitures, 1853-1866.

Probate records
See here for a description of what death notices are and where they are located.


 * 1832 - 1989 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1951 - 2006 at FamilySearch — Images of estate files from The Master of Supreme Court in Bloemfontein.


 * Index of Surnames for complete files in the 1951 Free State Estate Files collection on familysearch.org


 * The Family History Library has microfilm of Estate files, Orange Free State, 1832-1989.

Websites
Microfilm available at the Family History Library