Netherlands - Dutch Civil Registration - Marriage Related Records - International Institute

Beginning in 1795 to present, all marriages (huwelijken) were required by the government to be a civil ceremony. It was not uncommon for couples to be married twice, once by civil authorities and then by their church. Generally, marriages were usually registered where the bride resided.

Dutch Civil Registration - Marriage Related Records
The various marriage documents that were registered with the authorities provide the genealogist with a large amount of information about their ancestor. The details that can be obtained enable the researcher to extend one to two generations further back in history. The marriage registration alone provides so much information you may be tempted to overlook obtaining the other related documents. Be sure to always obtain the marriage supplement to a marriage! This is where you most often find the most fascinating information!

Marriage Intention (Huwelijksaangiften)
When a couple wanted to marry in the Netherlands, they would have to announce their intention to marry in the place of residency of both the bride and groom. These announcements were made just a few days before the marriage proclamation. The marriage intention (huwelijksaangiften) would provide the community an opportunity to raise any objections they may have had regarding the marriage. From 1811 to 1879, these records were entered into one register with the marriage proclamations. These marriage intentions were discontinued in 1935. The registers have not been indexed. To locate a copy of this document, you will want to search for the marriage registration first, then the marriage proclamation and finally the marriage intention. This seems a little backwards. However, information in the marriage registration will lead you to the proclamation. Once you have the date of the marriage proclamation, you will then be able to locate the intention record easily. Remember, this record was filed a few days before the proclamation.

Details about your ancestors that you will find in a marriage intention are:


 * Full names of the couple
 * Age
 * Marital status, prior to this marriage
 * Occupation
 * Residence

Marriage Intention



Transcription of Marriage Intention



Translation of Marriage Intention



Marriage Proclamation (Huwelijkafkondigingen)
The marriage proclamation was published for two weeks in a row prior to the marriage ceremony. These were also known as marriage banns. These records were not indexed and were kept in the same registers as the marriage intentions up until 1879. In 1935, these records were no longer required.

To locate a copy of the marriage proclamation, it is best to search for the marriage registration first, as it holds the date of the proclamation. Once you have the date, you will be able to locate a copy easily.

Details included in a proclamation include:


 * Names of the couple
 * Ages
 * Marital status, prior to this marriage
 * Occupation
 * Residence
 * Names of the couples parents, along with their occupation and residence

Marriage Proclamation



Transcription of Marriage Proclamation



Translation of Marriage Proclamation



Marriage Consents (Huwelijkstoestemmingen)
The parents of the individuals being married were required to give consent for the couple to marry. If the parents were not present at the marriage, they would give written permission.

Permission was given by the grandparents if the parents of the individual were deceased. Or, if the groom was in the army at the time of the marriage, permission would be granted by his commanding officer. In this case, you will find details about his military service in the marriage supplement. This written record was included with the marriage supplements. In 1913, the permission record was kept in a separate register.

Marriage Supplements (Huwelijksbijlagen)
The marriage supplements contain documents that were submitted to the authorities by the bride and groom to substantiate their marriage application. This is one document you do not want to overlook when gathering information on your ancestors. It is in the marriage supplements of a few of my ancestors that I have made some wonderful discoveries.

The documents that could be included in a marriage supplement include:


 * Marriage consent
 * Birth or baptism extract records of the bride and groom
 * Death certificates or extracts of the parents, if they were deceased
 * Death certificates or extracts of the grandparents, if both parents were deceased • This was only until approximately 1850
 * Military record of the groom showing he had completed his military duty • This was included up to circa 1860 • This document usually included a physical description of the individual
 * Death certificate of former spouses
 * Any documentation that supports the marriage, e.g. court documents

The marriage supplements are not indexed by name. These records are filed by the same number as the marriage entry. Therefore, you should look for your ancestor’s marriage registration first, and then search for the marriage supplement afterwards.

The following example shows all the documentation found in a very simple marriage supplement. In this example the documents included are:


 * cover page
 * details regarding the bride and groom; i.e. age, occupation, date/place of birth, residence, parents’ names, who gave consent for the marriage, and religion
 * birth extract for the bridegroom
 * birth extract for the bride
 * marriage consent extract



Marriage Supplement - Cover Page

Bartholomeus Ferdinand van der Keur and Wilhelmina Johanna Francisca Hendrika Amen, Huwelijksbijlagen Doos no. 3112, Reg. 5, Folio 50v, Registers van de Burgerlijke Stand, Amsterdam, Noord Holland, Nederlands.



Marriage Supplement - Information regarding the bride and groom 

Bartholomeus Ferdinand van der Keur and Wilhelmina Johanna Francisca Hendrika Amen, Huwelijksbijlagen Doos no. 3112, Reg. 5, Folio 50v, Registers van de Burgerlijke Stand, Amsterdam, Noord Holland, Nederlands.



Marriage Supplement - Birth Extract for the Groom

Bartholomeus Ferdinand van der Keur and Wilhelmina Johanna Francisca Hendrika Amen, Huwelijksbijlagen Doos no. 3112, Reg. 5, Folio 50v, Registers van de Burgerlijke Stand, Amsterdam, Noord Holland, Nederlands.



Marriage Supplement - Birth Extract for the Bride

Bartholomeus Ferdinand van der Keur and Wilhelmina Johanna Francisca Hendrika Amen, Huwelijksbijlagen Doos no. 3112, Reg. 5, Folio 50v, Registers van de Burgerlijke Stand, Amsterdam, Noord Holland, Nederlands. Marriage Supplement - Marriage consent extract Bartholomeus Ferdinand van der Keur and Wilhelmina Johanna Francisca Hendrika Amen, Huwelijksbijlagen Doos no. 3112, Reg. 5, Folio 50v, Registers van de Burgerlijke Stand, Amsterdam, Noord Holland, Nederlands.



Marriage Supplement - Marriage consent extract

Bartholomeus Ferdinand van der Keur and Wilhelmina Johanna Francisca Hendrika Amen, Huwelijksbijlagen Doos no. 3112, Reg. 5, Folio 50v, Registers van de Burgerlijke Stand, Amsterdam, Noord Holland, Nederlands.

Do not overlook the marriage supplement. I have found physical descriptions of my ancestors amid the military consents. This is a wonderful find particularly if you are unable to locate photos of your relatives.

In the marriage supplement for my great-grandmother, Willemina Gerdina Evers, court documents were found appointing her guardians, who provided consent for the marriage. Willemina’s mother was deceased at the time and no documents have been found which state who her father was. The guardians who raised her in another part of the country were also deceased. Willemina was eighteen years old when she married my great-grandfather and permission to marry was required up to the age of thirty years. She no longer had guardians so the courts appointed two guardians.

It is in these documents that you will find information that will provide details on the previous generation to continue your research. The marriage registration names parents, but if they are deceased at the time of marriage, you will not be provided with the details of where they died. This information is contained in the marriage supplement. So be sure to obtain a copy of the marriage supplement. ____________________________________________________________

Information in this Wiki page is excerpted from the online course Research: Dutch Ancestors in the Netherlands offered by The National Institute for Genealogical Studies. To learn more about this course or other courses available from the Institute, see our website. We can be contacted at [mailto:wiki@genealogicalstudies.com wiki@genealogicalstudies.com]

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