South Africa, Netherdutch Reformed Church Registers (Pretoria Archive) - FamilySearch Historical Records

South Africa

What is in This Collection?
This collection will include records of christenings, marriages, and membership records of the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa located in Pretoria for the years 1838-1991. These records are from various areas of Angola, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The Dutch East India Company sent a crew to create a Dutch settlement in the Cape of Good Hope in 1652. Many of the members of the crew belonged to the Dutch Reformed Church, and created a community in Cape Town. The church group suffered from several divisions, most notably the Doppers.

Reading These Records
These records are in Afrikaans and English. For help reading these records see the following guides:


 * Afrikaans Word List
 * South Africa Language and Languages

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

Christening Records
 * Date of baptism
 * Place of baptism
 * Name of the minister
 * Name of the child
 * Date of birth
 * Names of the parents
 * Witnesses

Membership Records
 * Full name of member
 * Date of birth
 * Date they joined
 * Where they joined
 * Pastor that oversaw joining

Marriage Records
 * Race
 * Full names
 * Date of marriage
 * Ages
 * Countries of birth
 * Occupations
 * Residence at time of marriage
 * District and province of marriage
 * Name of person giving consent to the marriage
 * Name of person solemnizing the marriage
 * Other notes

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, death)

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the 
 * 1) Select Country
 * 2) Select Province
 * 3) Select Municipality or Town
 * 4) 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 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 the Person 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
 * 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

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.

"South Africa, Netherdutch Reformed Church Registers (Pretoria Archive), 1838-1991." Database and Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 24 June 2016. Dutch Reformed Church of Africa, Pretoria Archives, Pretoria.
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