SOUTH AFRICAN FAMILY HISTORY
A name is only the beginning.
Follow the places, documents and small details that turn a family story into a researchable history.
INDEPENDENT PUBLICATIONPRACTICAL RESEARCH NOTES
01Family records02Place names03Archive practice
FROM THE NOTEBOOK
A useful place to begin.
Start here01
Begin with one relative
A small, well-defined question is easier to investigate than a surname without a time or place.
A practical reading guide↗
Research notes02
When a place has more than one name
A family can remain in one place while the names around it change.
A practical reading guide↗
Field guide03
Prepare an archive visit
A little preparation gives you more time with the material and less time reconstructing your question.
A practical reading guide↗
OUR EDITORIAL STARTING POINT
Good questions bring people into focus.
Begin with what you know. Keep the source beside the claim. Leave room for uncertainty—and for other people’s choices.
How we approach the subject →