Sri Lanka, Colombo District Dutch Reformed Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Records
Please help FamilySearch Wiki by adding the record title in Tamil.

Collection Time Period
This collection contains records from 1677 to 1990.

Record Description
The earliest records are handwritten in Dutch and are badly water damaged. From the 19th century on, the records are recorded in English. The later records (mid 19th century on) are on printed forms filled in by the record keeper. After the 20th century the records are on printed forms in English and Tamil.

This collection includes the following records:


 * Accounts
 * Applications for Baptism
 * Baptism Registers
 * Baptisms
 * Baptisms and Marriages
 * Communion Roll
 * Correspondence
 * Deaths
 * English Bible
 * Inventory of Records
 * Lapidarium Zeylanicum (Monumental Inscriptions)
 * Local Consistory Correspondence
 * Marriages
 * Minute Books
 * Psalm Book
 * The Herald (Monthly Newsletter)
 * Visitors Book
 * Other Miscellaneous Records

The Dutch Reformed Church was established in Sri Lanka (then known as Celyon) in 1648. A church was established in the city of Colombo in 1652. This collection contains records from various Dutch Reformed churches in the area of Colombo and Sri Lanka.

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

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

Record Content
Baptism Records usually contain:


 * Date of Baptism
 * Name of the Child
 * Names of the Parents
 * Names of the Godparents

Marriage Records usually contain:


 * Names of Bride and Groom
 * Ages of Bride and Groom
 * Profession and Race of Bride and Groom
 * Bride and Groom's Fathers' full names.
 * Name and division of registrar who Issued Certificate
 * Location of Marriage Solemnization

How to Use the Record
In order to best use records from this collection, it is helpful to know the ancestor's name, what record to search for, and the rough date of the event.

When browsing this collection it is helpful to know the following: • The place where the event occurred • The name and surname of the person • The approximate date of the event • The name of the parents or spouse To search this collection select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the province where you ancestors lived ⇒Select the appropriate district ⇒Select the appropriate record type and years and you should see images of those records.

Compare the information in the church record to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct person. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination. Be aware that as with any index, transcription errors may occur.

When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information about them. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. For example:


 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate other church records.
 * The parents' birth places can tell you former residences and can help to establish a migration pattern for the family.
 * Use the marriage date and place as the basis for compiling a new family group or for verifying existing information.
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname your ancestor in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives.
 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.

Why the Record Was Created
This collection was created to record the baptisms, marriages, and burial information of the individuals who were members of the religious organization.

Related Websites
Sri Lanka GenWeb

Related Wiki Articles
Sri Lanka

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should 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.

Examples of Source Citations for a Record in This Collection
"Sri Lanka, Colombia District Dutch Reformed Church Records, 1677-1990." digital images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 27 March 2012), citing Church Records &gt; Western &gt; Colombo, Applications for Baptisms 1830-1836, image 34 of 360 images, John William, 30 May 1834.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.