South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Registers (Cape Town Archives) - FamilySearch Historical Records

South Africa

What is in This Collection?
This collection dates from 1660 through 1970 and includes records of baptisms, marriages and membership records. The Dutch Reformed Church records have been maintained in good condition. Baptisms and marriages are found in different registration formats, usually in bound registers, which are kept at the local church archives 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.

Reading These Records
These records are in Afrikaans and English. For help reading these records see the following guides:
 * Afrikaans Word List
 * Netherlands Language and Languages
 * South Africa Language and Languages

General Information about the Dutch Reformed Church
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 Reformed Church has been very much bound up with the politics of the Afrikaner community of South Africa.

The Dutch 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 Reformed Church (Nederduitse Gereformeede Kerk) was the only officially recognized Church denomination in South Africa and many white residents of the Cape belonged to it. In later years other church denominations were created in Cape, leaving a decline in the membership of the Dutch Reformed Church.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Baptism records usually contain the following information:
 * Name
 * Date of baptism
 * Place of baptism
 * Date of birth
 * Names of parents

Marriage records usually contain the following information:
 * Names
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Ages
 * Country of birth
 * Marital status
 * Occupation
 * Residence
 * Names of persons giving consent

Coverage Table
The collection includes records from the following municipalities in Namibia and South Africa:

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How Do I Search This Collection?
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 * Name of the person you are looking for
 * Approximate date of birth or marriage

View the Images
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How Do I Analyze the Results?
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I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the age to find an approximate birth year to begin your search in civil records
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have moved, been recruited or lived nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify. Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual. This compiled list can help you identify possible relations that can be further verified by researching vital records indexes in the country
 * When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Save a copy of the image or transcribe the information. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details such as a title, an occupation, or land ownership. Add this new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors
 * Church Records often were kept years before government records were required and are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Switch to a different record collection. Depending on the time period, either Civil Registration records or Church Records may be more useful
 * While searching, it is helpful to know such information as the ancestor’s given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence and age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as an ancestor and that the ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist during the periods our ancestors lived in. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images. Pay special attention to how the name should have been pronounced and try variations on the pronunciation
 * Search the indexes and records of local genealogical societies
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1800
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another
 * Be aware that there may have been some transcription errors

Known Issues with This Collection
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Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

"South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Registers, 1660-1970." Database with Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2017. Citing State Archives, Cape Province.
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