Netherlands, Drenthe Province, Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The collection consists of church records of baptisms, marriages, memberships, deaths and burials. Civil births, marriages, and deaths before the advent of Napoleonic Civil Registration in 1811 are also included. Not all places or denominations are represented. The collection contains many indexes. Most of the records do not go beyond 1811.

The collection covers the years 1580 to 1911.

For a list of records by localities, document type and dates currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

For information about the history, content, and use of these records see the wiki article Netherlands Church Records.

Record Content
Baptism Records generally contain the following information:


 * Date and Place of Event
 * Name of Child
 * Age or Birth Date
 * Legitimacy
 * Names of Parents
 * Residence Place
 * Witnesses or Godparents

Marriage Records generally contain the following information:


 * Date and Place of Event
 * Name of Bride and Groom
 * Residence, Marital Status, and Age
 * Names of Parents
 * Names of Witnesses

Death Records generally contain the following information:


 * 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

How to Use
To search the collection image by image: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the appropriate "Religion or Other Record Category" ⇒Select the appropriate "Municipality" category ⇒Select the appropriate "Record Type, Years and Volume" category which takes 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.

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 and age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

For Help Reading These Records
These records are in Dutch or Flemish. For help with reading the records, see the following resources:


 * Netherlands Language and Languages
 * Dutch Genealogical Word List

Related Websites

 * Zoekakten - This website is in Dutch. It narrows down this collection by different regions and records.
 * National Archives of the Netherlands

Related Wiki Articles
The Netherlands

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 Image Citation: