Belgium Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

Belgium

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains civil registration of birth, marriage, and death for the years 1795-1910.

Reading These Records
For help reading these records see the following guides:

Dutch
 * Netherlands Languages
 * Dutch Genealogical Word List
 * Netherlands Handwriting

French
 * France Language and Languages
 * French Genealogical Word List
 * French Handwriting
 * Brigham Young University Script Tutorial for French
 * FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
 * Reading French Handwritten Records

German
 * German Language and Languages
 * German Genealogical Word List
 * Germany Handwriting
 * FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
 * Reading German Handwritten Records

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The information in these records usually include the following:

Birth Marriage
 * Day and hour of birth
 * Name of parents
 * Occupation and age of parents
 * Names of witnesses to the birth
 * Birthplace of the child
 * Names of the couple
 * Their birthplace and place of residence
 * Birthdates and ages of the couple
 * Names and consent of parents
 * Occupations of the couple to be married
 * Place of residence and occupations of parents

Death
 * Date and place of death
 * Day and hour of death
 * Age or birth date of the deceased
 * Birthplace of the deceased
 * Name of the deceased person
 * Marital status of the deceased and former occupation (when applicable)
 * Name of the spouse (when applicable) and may give the date and place of that spouse’s death
 * Indicates if parents are deceased or gives their residence if they are still living. When they are deceased, it may give their burial location
 * Witnesses may be members of the family

Collection Content
Find out more about these records at Belgium, Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records.

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 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

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

 * Consult the Belgium Record Finder to find other records
 * Switch to a different record collection. Depending on the time period, one or the other collection may be more helpful
 * 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

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

Related FamilySearch Historical Records Collections

 * Belgium, Antwerp, Civil Registration, 1588-1913
 * Belgium, Brabant, Civil Registration, 1582-1914
 * Belgium, East Flanders, Civil Registration, 1541-1914
 * Belgium, Hainaut, Civil Registration, 1600-1913
 * Belgium, Limburg, Civil Registration, 1798-1906
 * Belgium, Liège, Civil Registration, 1621-1914
 * Belgium, Luxembourg, Civil Registration, 1580-1920
 * Belgium, Namur, Civil Registration, 1800-1912
 * Belgium, West Flanders, Civil Registration, 1582-1910

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.