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![]() | Family Group Record Sheet. |
![]() | Second Page, Family Group Record Sheet. |
This chart is simply a samples to provide an idea of what it looks like. In most instances charts can be purchased from a reputable genealogical supplies company or here in South Africa, from the Human Sciences Research Council, (HSRC).
A different Family Group Record Sheet will be completed for each indivual and for each marriage, together with the children from each marriage. If you want to, each of the children could have their own Family Group Record Sheet.
Now if you wish to record all the descendants of a particular person, say for example the first individual with a particular surname, to arrive in South Africa, you can set the information out in a Descendants Chart.
There is no preprinted form for use in this instance because the numbers of children and marriages varies so much, therefore the information can be set out using a word processor package.
All South African standard references have the information on families set out as descendants charts and even if you don't want to do the same for your family, you should at least know how it is done, to make it easier when consulting such works.
The system most widely used by South African genealogists is that of C.C. de Villiers, as first used in his "Geslacht Register der Oude Kaapsche Familien". According to this system, the South African progenitor of a family is identified by the letter a. His children are b1, b2, b3, etc., and their children c1, c2, c3, etc.
If there was more than one South African progenitor, they are numbered a1, a2, a3, etc., in the order in which they came to South Africa.
If there was only one progenitor, the identifying letter a. is normally omitted from the descendant's genealogical number.
Examples:
![]() | b4c2d3 is the third child of the second child of the fourth child of the only South African progenitor of that family. |
![]() | While a3b2c4d5 is the fifth child of the fourth child of the second child of the third South African progenitor of that particular family |
According to de Villiers' system, a person's descendants are named first before his younger brothers' and sisters' names appear in the register.
Often only the last letter (i.e. the generation) and number are used in front of the persons' name, however if the register comprises more than one page, the full genealogical number should be used at the top of each page.
EXAMPLE:
FERREIRA
![]() | a Ignatius * Lisbon, Portugal 1696 + 24.5.1722 x Stellenbosch 6.11.1735 Martha TERBLANCHE. |
![]() | b1 Maria Magdalena ~ Paarl 30.8.1733 |
![]() | b2 Jan Leogold ~ 17.4.1735 |
![]() | b3 Petrus Hendrik ~ 5.8.1736 x 28.12.1760 Catherina Maria VAN STADEN xx 23.1.1780 Martha Johanna MULLER |
![]() | c1 Martha Maria ~ 8.5.1763 x T. POTGIETER |
![]() | c2 Catharina Aletta ~ 19.1.1766 x I.P. DU PREEZ |
![]() | c3 Susanna Elisabeth ~6.3.1768 + Uitenhage 27.6.1838 x I.P FERREIRA |
![]() | c4 Petrus Hendrik ~ 8.4.1770 + Langkloof 28.3.1839 x Martha Johanna FERREIRA |
![]() | d1 Dorothea Maria ~ 25.3.1792 |
![]() | d2 Petrus Hendrik ~ 29.11.1795 |
![]() | c5 Hester ~16.2.1772 |
Note that only people with the same surname are included in the example above and that the descendants do not have their surname Ferreira added, it being assumed that all their surnames are Ferreira. A daughter's husband is mentioned, but their children are excluded.
If female descendants of a person are included in a genealogical register or descendants chart, it would be called a register of descendants. The same numbering system as discussed above could be used, but with the following modifications:
The persons' surname is added in capital letters, e.g. Abel Erasmus COETZEE.
As a person normally receives his genealogical number from his father, a number received from his mother must be written in square brackets, for example:
![]() | a1b3c3 Sarah Aletta COETZEE x Jan DE BEER |
![]() | [a1b3c3d1] Wilhelmina Maria DE BEER |
OR
![]() | [a1][b3][c3][d1] |
In Europe, generations are usually numbered using Roman numerals. This has the disadvantage that most of the numbers consist of several characters. Just compare the following:
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South Africa: - a2b3c5d10e5f1g2h3 |
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Europe : - I2.II3.III5.IV10.V5.VI1.VII2.VIII3. |
Note: A person's genealogical number may change if more ancestors or children are "discovered".
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