Belgium, East Flanders, Parish Registers - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
Roman Catholic parish registers from the province of Oost Vlaanderen (East Flanders). Includes baptisms, marriages, deaths and indexes.

Reading These Records
These records are written in Dutch. For help reading these records see: FamilySearch Learning Center
 * Dutch Genealogical Word List
 * Intro to Reading Dutch Records: Part 1
 * Intro to Reading Dutch Records: Part 2
 * Beginner Dutch Handwriting, Quirks: Dutch Names

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Birth Marriage
 * Birth date and place of birth
 * Name of child
 * If still-born, illegitimate, or twin
 * Gender
 * Names of parents, father's occupation and their residence
 * Birthplace of father
 * Birthplace of mother
 * Date and number of record
 * Date and Place of Event
 * Name of Bride and Groom
 * Residence, Marital Status, and Age
 * Names of Parents
 * Names of Witnesses

Death
 * Date and Place of Death
 * Name of Deceased Person
 * Age or Birth Date
 * Residence Place and sometimes the Place of Origin
 * Cause of Death
 * Marital Status
 * If Married, the Name of the Spouse and sometimes the Names of Children
 * Sometimes Names of Parents
 * Names of Witnesses

Inventory
• 2

How Do I Search the Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * Approximate date of the event

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. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add the new information to your records
 * Use the information to find the person in other records
 * Analyze the entry to see if it provides additional clues to find other records of the person or their family

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

 * The person may be recorded with an abbreviated or variant form of their name
 * Try searching by surname only

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in Belgium.
 * Belgium Record Finder

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.