Most Recent Genealogy Records for African Countries
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Below is a list and discription of the most recent genealogy records for African countries (see list of most recent records for other countries). Many of these records can be searched using our free Genealogy Search Engine.
2012
Ghana – FamilySearch.org has put online 273,000 images of marriage records from Accra, Ghana. Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana and these new marriage records date from 1929 to 1983. A typical marriage record from Ghana lists the name and age of both the husband and wife. It also lists the date and place of marriage, occupation of the husband, witnesses and place of residence. Also, something you don’t see every day on a marriage certificate, some marriage certificates also list other existing marriages of the husband. FamilySearch’s entire Ghana record collection now lists marriage and divorce records that span the years 1863 to 2003. Access is free. [Ghana Marriage Records]
Commonwealth – The UK National Archives working with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is going to release colonial administration records over the next year. This is a wide-ranging collection of records associated with the colonial administration of many of the UK’s former overseas territories and protectorates such as the Bahamas, Fiji, Jamaica, Kenya, Palestine, Uganda, etc. It does not cover some of the larger Commonwealth countries such as Canada, Australia or New Zealand.
The records will be released in batches over the next year according to the schedule posted on the website of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. In total, 38 countries/regions are represented, with the greatest concentrations in the Caribbean and Africa. Most of the countries on the list traditionally lack good genealogy records. This could be a very valuable collection for anyone with ancestors from these regions. [Colonial Administration Records]
2011
Africa – The International Mission Photography Archive is a new collection of 60,000 historical photographs taken by missionaries throughout Africa and Asia. The images date from the 1860s to World War II. Missionaries tended to move around a lot and usually had a mandate to document their surroundings. As well, they were often assigned to more remote regions of Africa and Asia. As a result, missionaries were often the first people to photograph parts of Africa and Asia. They tended to focus on photographing local people and local scenes. The images in this collection range from visually stunning to technically crude. It is, however, a wonderful resource for anyone looking for genealogy context for historical images from Africa or Asia. The collection is managed by the University of Southern California and the images can be searched by phrase and country. Access is free. [Historic Tribal Images of Africa and Asia]
Men Playing the Game Warri - Ghana circa 1920
South Africa – FamilySearch has added 54,000 records of baptisms and marriages from Dutch Reform church registers in Cape Province. The records cover the years 1660 to 1970. [Historic South Africa Baptism and Marriage Records]
Africa – The UK National Archives has posted online thousands of historic images of Africa. These images are likely to be of interest to a large number of people with black ancestry. The collection is called Africa Through a Lens. Three things make this collection unique. First, a significant number of the images are from the 1800s and some pictures go back as far as 1860. Images of Africa from the 1800s are rare. Second, the breadth of images is astonishing. Almost every African country that was a British colony is extensively represented in the collection. Third, the collection comes from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. These are the guys that practically invented the field of social anthropology (the study of cultures). Many of the photographs are of people. The photographs have definitely been taken in such a manner as to attempt to capture the dress and style of the people in the images. For example, the photograph below shows the chief of a tribe in Sierra Leone around 1890. This photographic collection provides a great visual context for anyone with African ancestry. Access is free. [Historic African Genealogy Images]
2010
Ghana – FamilySearch has added some 460,000 Ghana census records from the period 1982-1984. This is the first time FamilySearch has added genealogy records from Ghana. Access is free. [FamilySearch]
South Africa – FindMyPast has just published the Register of the Second Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902. The database contains 260,000 entries compiled from over 330 sources. Included is the casualty roll with details on over 59,000 individuals. The database can be searched by surname. Access is by subscription. [FindMyPast]
Liberia – A new website has been created to track the genealogical history of the 15,000+ African Americans who left the US and emigrated to Liberia between 1820 and 1904. The database lists some individuals who were born in the late 1700s, a rare occurrence in black genealogy. Access is free. First-time users must register with an email address. [Liberian Genealogy Records 1820-1904]
Tunisia – The Tunisia National Library has begun digitizing their national book collection. The digitized books can be downloaded to smart devices such as the iPod, iPhone and the iPad. Tunisia’s National Library contains 1 million books, 40 thousand manuscripts and 16 thousand periodicals. This is a rare online genealogical resource for anyone with Tunisian ancestors. We have not checked this, but it may also contain some useful information relating to World War II battles fought on Tunisian soil. Access is free. Note: most of the books that have been digitized so far are in Arabic and French. [Tunisia Historic Book Collection]
Uganda – Uganda has joined the World Digital Library and is expected to upload content to the site over the next several months. The World Digital Library makes available on the internet unique source material from various cultures around the world. This will be of particular interest to anyone with Ugandan ancestors. Access is free. [Uganda joins World Digital Library]
2009
East Africa: A rare collection of 7,000 photographs documenting the European colonization of East Africa has just gone online. The Northwestern University Library Humphrey Winterton Collection of East Africa Photographs: 1860-1960 contains photographs of white settlers and many landscapes and images of East Africa, with a particular focus on Ethiopia. Access is free. [Humphrey Winterton Collection of East Africa Photographs: 1860-1960]
South Africa: Ancestry24 has put online the marriage and baptism records of St. George's Cathedral in Cape Town. The marriage records from 1825 and the baptism records from 1921 to 1969 are the first phase of an agreement to put online the marriage and baptism records from the South African Anglican Church archives. Access to these records is free. Access to other content is by subscription. [St. George's Cathedral Historic Marriage and Baptism Records 1825-1969]
