Sri Lanka, Colombo District Dutch Reformed Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Sri Lanka

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains records from 1677 to 1990.

The earliest records are handwritten in Dutch and are badly water damaged. From the 19th century on, the records are recorded in English. The later records (mid-19th century on) are on printed forms filled in by the record keeper. After the 20th century the records are on printed forms in English and Tamil.

The Dutch Reformed Church was established in Sri Lanka (then known as Celyon) in 1648. A church was established in the city of Colombo in 1652. This collection contains records from various Dutch Reformed churches in the area of Colombo and Sri Lanka.

This collection was created to record the baptisms, marriages, and burial information of the individuals who were members of the religious organization.

This collection includes the following records:


 * Accounts
 * Applications for Baptism
 * Baptism Registers
 * Baptisms
 * Baptisms and Marriages
 * Communion Roll
 * Correspondence
 * Deaths
 * English Bible
 * Inventory of Records
 * Lapidarium Zeylanicum (Monumental Inscriptions)
 * Local Consistory Correspondence
 * Marriages
 * Minute Books
 * Psalm Book
 * The Herald (Monthly Newsletter)
 * Visitors Book
 * Other Miscellaneous Records

Reading These Records
These records are written in Dutch, Tamil, and English. For help reading these records see the following guides:
 * Netherlands Language and Languages
 * Netherlands - Dutch Genealogical Resources on the Internet (National Institute)
 * Dutch Genealogical Word List

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

Baptism Records
 * Date and place of baptism
 * By whom baptized
 * Child's date of birth
 * Name and gender of child
 * Father's name and occupation
 * Mother's maiden name
 * Parents' residence
 * Names of the Godparents

Marriage Records
 * Name, age and civil status of groom
 * Profession and race of groom
 * Residence of groom
 * Name of groom's father and his profession
 * Name, age and civil status of bride
 * Profession and race of bride
 * Residence of bride
 * Name of bride's father and his profession
 * Date and place where marriage was solemnized
 * Names and residences of witnesses

Death Records
 * Date of death
 * Name of deceased
 * Age at death
 * Officiating Minister

Coverage Table
As of 6 June 2018 this collection contained the following records. Please note that owing to privacy laws not all records in the database may be searchable.

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Your ancestor's given name and surname
 * Identifying information such as residence
 * Estimated marriage or birth year

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select Province
 * 2) Select District
 * 3) Select Record Type and Years to view the images.

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?

 * Use the information to find more. For instance, use the age listed in the record to estimate a year of birth, if that is yet undetermined
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each spouse to find a couple's birth records and parents' names
 * Compile the marriage entries for every person who has the same surname as the bride or groom; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual

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

 * Collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you identify possible relations that can be verified by records
 * When looking for an individual with a common name, look at all the search results before deciding which is the correct person. Use other information, such as place of birth, age, occupation, or names of parents, to help with this decision
 * Try variations of given names and surnames. A person might have been listed under a middle name, nickname, or abbreviation of their given name
 * Vary the search terms. For example, expand the date range or search by either the given name or surname to return a broader list search results

Record Finder
Consult the Sri Lanka Record Finder to find other records.

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
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.
 * Collection Citation:Sri Lanka, Colombo District, Dutch Reformed Church Records, 1677-1990." Database with images. FamilySearch. https://FamilySearch.org : 8 June 2018. Dutch Reformed Church, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Top of Page