South Africa, Free State Dutch Reformed Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
Suid-Afrika, Vrystaat Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk Rekords

Record Description
This collection includes records from 1848 to 1956. It consists of an index and images of christenings, marriages and memberships.

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

From 1652 to 1862, all church records are in the Dutch Reformed Church's Cape Archives. From 1862 to the present, the records are in individual churches and the church's provincial archives. From 1632 to 1780, the Dutch Reformed Church was the only established church, and it recorded other denominational baptisms. Forty-three percent of the white population in Free State, South Africa are members of the Dutch Reformed Church.

To learn more about Dutch Reformed Church Records, see the wiki article, South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records) for more information.

Record Content and Use
Christening records may contain the following information:
 * Full name
 * Date of christening
 * Place of christening
 * Parents' names
 * Date of birth
 * Names of witnesses

Marriage records may contain the following information:
 * Place of marriage
 * Date of marriage
 * Groom's full name and surname
 * Bride's full name and surname
 * Bride and groom's ages
 * Occupation of groom
 * Occupation of bride
 * Residence at time of marriage
 * Names of witnesses

Membership records may contain the following information:
 * Name
 * Date of baptism
 * Age
 * Place of residence

How to Use the Record
This section provides tips and information on how to search the collection. As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor's given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence, age, estimated event year, and family relationships.

Search the Collection
To search by index: Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

To browse by image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page: ⇒Select the appropriate “Province” ⇒Select the appropriate “Town/Municipality” ⇒Select the appropriate “Event Type” which will take you to the images.

Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

For Help Reading These Records
These records are in Dutch, Afrikaans, and English. For help reading the records, see the following wiki articles:


 * Dutch Genealogical Word List
 * The Dutch Language
 * Dutch Language Characteristics
 * Afrikaans Word List

Related Websites

 * Genealogical Institute of South Africa
 * Africa Websites
 * Africa Historic Maps

Related Wiki Articles

 * South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * South Africa Vital Records Index (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * South Africa Genealogy

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection citation:

Record citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image citation: