South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Records (Stellenbosch Archive) - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
Zuid-Afrika, Nederlands Hervormde Kerk Records

Record Description
The collection of records covers the years 1690 to 2007.

The Dutch Reform Church records have been maintained in good conditions. Records are found in different registration formats, most written in Dutch and others in Afrikaans, Dutch, and English.

For a list of records by date and event currently published in this collection, select the Browse.

When South Africa was settled by the Dutch in the 16th and 17th centuries, they transplanted their Dutch Reformed theology into the African continent. The Dutch Reformed Church of South Africa was formally established in 1652, and became the only official church in South Africa until 1778, when freedom of public worship was given to other churches. The history of the Dutch Reform Church has been very much bound up with the politics of the Afrikaner community of South Africa. The baptism and marriage records are recorded in bound registers, which are kept at the local churches archive in care of the registrar. Since 1928 the registrar sends the registries to be archived at the Central Archive of the Dutch Reformed Church in Cape Town, South Africa.

Reformed Church in South Africa consists of three separate churches: the Nederduitse Gereformeede Kerk (the largest and usually called the Dutch Reform Church; the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk (largely restricted to the Transvaal); and the Gereformeede Kerk in Suid Afrika (the Doppers). During the 17th and 18th Centuries the Dutch Reform Church (Nederduitse Gereformeede Kerk) was the only officially recognized Church denomination in South Africa and practically all the whites in the Cape belonged to it. In the following Centuries, several other churches denominations were created in Cape, leaving a decline in the membership of the Dutch Reform Church.

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Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
These baptismal records usually contain the following information:


 * Name of child
 * Child's date of birth
 * Date and place of baptism
 * Parents' names, including maiden name of mother
 * Parents' residence
 * Names of witnesses names and their residence
 * Name of officiant at baptismal ceremony

These marriage records usually contain the following information:


 * Date and place of the marriage
 * Race of the husband and wife
 * Name and age of groom
 * Groom's place of birth
 * Groom's marital status, occupation and residence
 * Name and age of bride
 * Bride's place of birth
 * Bride's marital status and residence
 * Marriage by license or published banns
 * Names of witnesses
 * Name of minister and religious denomination

Beginning Your Search
To begin your search, it would be helpful if you knew the following information:


 * Ancestors name
 * Religion
 * Names of parents
 * Approximate birth year, marriage year and death year.

Searching the Images
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Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.

Using the Information
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For example:


 * Use the marriage date and place as the basis for compiling a new family group or for verifying existing information.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each partner to find a couple's birth records and parents' names.
 * Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records.
 * Use the parents’ birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname as the child being baptized, the bride, or the groom; this is especially helpful if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the marriage records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives of the bride and groom who may have married in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

Keep in mind:


 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1900.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one marriage record to another record.

Known Issues with This Collecton
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Related Websites
Genealogical Institute of South Africa

Related Wiki Articles

 * Afrikaans Word List
 * South Africa Vital Records Index (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * South Africa, Cape Province, Civil Deaths (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * South Africa

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Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
“South Africa Dutch Reformed Church Records, 1666-2011," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 21 June 2012), Zimbabwe &gt; Mashonaland &gt; Various Towns &gt; Baptisms or Christenings 1993-2007 &gt; Image 2 of 915, Austin Jacky, born 7 December 1990, Christened 6 June 1993; citing Reformed Churches. Genealogical Institute of South Africa. South Africa Dutch Reformed Church Records. The Dutch Reformed Church Archives, Stellenbosch, Cape Town, South Africa.