South Africa, Natal Province, Civil Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records

South Africa

What is in the Collection?
These records include an index with images of marriage records from the Natal Province of South Africa.

Civil marriage certificates for Natal Province are sent to the Registrar General in Pretoria. Records are usually filed by date of registration and include registrations of whites, coloureds and Indians.

When searching the index, researchers should be aware that in some instances individuals only have a single name versus having both a given name and surname. Original records are conserved at the National Archives, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa.

Reading These Records
These records are written in English and Afrikaans. See the section For Help Reading these Records for translation helps.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Marriage records may contain the following information:


 * Date of marriage
 * Full name of bride and groom
 * Ages of bride and groom
 * Occupation
 * Residence at the time of marriage
 * Name of Judge
 * Names of witnesses

Sample Image
Click on image for a larger view.

How Do I Search the Collection?
To begin your search, it would be helpful if you knew the following information:


 * Ancestors name
 * Approximate year of birth
 * Place of birth

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images.

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


 * Afrikaans Word List
 * Netherlands Language and Languages
 * South Africa Language and Languages

For more tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Use the age in the citizen to find an approximate birth year to begin your search in church or 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 Who 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.
 * Keep in mind that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * 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.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well.
 * 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
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Citing This Collection
A citation is a note that shows where you found information. Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Using citations allows others to find the same records.

Collection citation:

Record citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image citation:

South Africa, Natal Province, Civil Marriages (FamilySearch Historical Records)

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