Netherlands Births and Baptisms - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
This index covers events from 1564 through 1910.

Record Description
This index is an electronic database of information. The entries are primarily from the International Genealogical Index (IGI) along with some entries derived from compiled and original records such as:


 * Family Records
 * Church Records
 * Civil Registration

It may also include indexes generated by the internet indexing project sponsored by the LDS Church.

There may be entries that cite a specific source such as the following:


 * "Vital Record of Rhode Island, 1636-1850: a Family Register for the People" by James Arnold
 * "Paul Dingwell Genealogical Collection" by Paul Dingwell
 * A county or state vital record registration

These entries are in this collection for one of the following reasons:


 * They were submitted by private individuals to the LDS Church and as such are part of the IGI resulting in their inclusion in this index.
 * They have been indexed through the internet indexing project sponsored by the LDS Church. If this is the case, the index they are a part of has been included as part of this database.

The Vital Record Index databases are not necessarily intended to index any specific set of records although some sub-indexes (an index to a set of records within the database) have been found. When we identify a sub-index, we remove it from the database and post it separately on FamilySearch under its appropriate title.

For over 30 years, volunteer indexers extracted this information from microfilm copies of the original records. In 2001, some of the entries were published on 1 CD by the Family History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the "Western Europe Vital Records Index: Netherlands." This is an index of some births or baptisms throughout the Netherlands. The index is not necessarily complete for any particular place or region. Some of this information is also found in the International Genealogical Index (IGI). This index is not complete for any particular place or region.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the data and images pubished on FamilySearch.org Historical Records. It may include the author, custodian, publisher, or archive for the original records.

Information about creating a source citation for FamilySearch Historical Collections is listed in the wiki article: Help:How to Create Source Citations For FamilySearch Historical Records Collections.

Record Content
The key genealogical facts found in birth or baptism index entries may include:


 * Name of the child
 * Gender
 * Names of the parents
 * Birth date
 * Birthplace
 * Baptism date (if the source is a church record)
 * Family History Library Microfilm and item numbers for the source materials

How to Use the Record
Use this index to help you learn more about your ancestors. The information could help you identify family relationships and lineages as well as direct you to original records of your ancestors, which may contain additional information.

In birth or christening records, if a surname is not listed for the child, the indexer often assigns the father’s surname to the child. This surname may not be correct. So if you are looking for a birth or christening, search by the given name of the child, adding parents' names and as much locality information as is permitted.

Finding the Original Source for an Entry in This Collection
Each entry in this index has a source listed which includes a batch number. You will need to trace the batch number for the individual entry to learn its source. Please see the following wiki articles for more information on batch numbers:


 * IGI
 * IGI Batch Number Descriptions

If an FHL film number is given in the entry for your ancestor, search for it in the Family History Library Catalog.

Why This Record Was Created
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sponsored the indexing of this collection to help individuals find information about their ancestors.

Record Reliability
Church records and civil registration were official records and are some of the most reliable sources of information available for those who were born, married, or died in the Netherlands.

Related Web Sites
There is a site called Genlias which is a compilation of indexed records from the Netherlands, including some from Dutch colonies, mostly dating from 1811 until the mid-1900s. It can be found at http://www.genlias.nl/nl/page0.jsp

It is in Dutch, but with an option to view and search in English. While it is not complete as yet, it is extensive, with records still being added. Images for many of the indexed records on Genlias can be found in the collections on Familysearch.org.

Related Wiki Articles
Netherlands

Netherlands Civil Registration - Vital Records

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should also list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. 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.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the Wiki Article: Help:How to Create Source Citations For FamilySearch Historical Records Collections.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
"Netherlands, Births and Baptisms, 1564-1910," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X1QZ-W2J : accessed 23 May 2012), Judick Pietter Jansen, 1657; citing Netherlands Dutch Reformed Church Leeuwarden (Friesland), Parish Registers, FHL Film 107994, State Archives, Leeuwarden, Friesland, The Netherlands.