Lesotho, Evangelical Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains records kept by the Lesotho Evangelical Church from 1874-1983. There is a possibility that a few records may be dated as early as 1839.

The church was previously named the Paris Evangelical Mission or the Church of the Basutoland. Church records include births, baptisms, marriages, and membership lists. The original documents are kept in the Morija Museum and Archives in Morija, Lesotho.

Reading These Records
The collection is written in both English and Southern Sotho, also known as Sesotho. See the section For Help Reading These Records for translation helps.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Membership lists generally include:
 * Name of the member
 * Birth date
 * Baptism date
 * Age
 * Church branch name
 * Names of close relatives

Marriage records generally include:
 * Date of marriage
 * Names of the bride and groom
 * Ages
 * Parents’ names on both sides
 * Witnesses names

Birth and Baptism records, often combined, generally include:
 * Name of child
 * Date of birth
 * Place of birth
 * Parents’ names
 * Place of baptism
 * Date of baptism
 * Name of the person who performed the baptism

Sample Images
Click on image for a larger view.

How Do I Search This Collection?
You can search the index or view the images or both. Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the person you are looking for
 * Approximate date of the event (birth, marriage, etc.)

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the 
 * 1) Select District and Parish
 * 2) Select Record Type and Year Range to view the images.

For Help Reading These Records
Some of these records are in Sesotho. For help reading the records, see the following articles:


 * South Africa Language and Languages
 * Sesotho Online

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?

 * When looking through the baptismal records, look for other children with the same surname or relatives on the list
 * Use the church records to help identify additional family members
 * Use the church records to help identify places where your family may have moved
 * Use the church records to help identify unknown dates and places

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

 * Try checking South African records. Lesotho is a small country landlocked by South Africa, and your ancestor may have spent time there.
 * Check the birth and baptismal records for variant spellings of the names.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. There also may be variations in the spelling of names. Try variations while browsing through images.
 * Witnesses listed on the marriage record may be relatives of the bride and groom

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:

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