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

Sri Lanka



Title in the Language of the Records
Sri Lanka, Colombo District Nederlands Hervormde Kerk Records

What is in the Collection?
This collection contains records from 1677 to 1990.

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.

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.

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

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

Collection Content
Baptism records usually contain the following information:


 * Date and place of baptism
 * By whom baptized
 * Child's date of birth
 * Name and gender of child
 * Father's name and occupation
 * Mother's maiden name
 * Parents' residence
 * Names of the Godparents

Marriage records usually contain the following information:


 * Name, age and civil status of groom
 * Profession and race of groom
 * Residence of groom
 * Name of groom's father and his profession
 * Name, age and civil status of bride
 * Profession and race of bride
 * Residence of bride
 * Name of bride's father and his profession
 * Date and place where marriage was solemnized
 * Names and residences of witnesses

Death records usually contain the following information:


 * Date of death
 * Name of deceased
 * Age at death
 * Officiating Minister

How Do I Search the Collection?
To search the records in this collection, it would be helpful if you knew any of the following information:


 * Name of parents
 * Approximate year of birth
 * Province
 * Approximate year of marriage
 * Name of deceased
 * Approximate year of death

Searching the Collection
To search by image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the "Province" you are looking for ⇒Select the "District" you are looking for ⇒Select the “Record Type and Years" which takes you to the images

Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

When searching: As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor's given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence, age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

For Help Reading These Records
These records are in Dutch, Tamil and English. For help with reading the records, see the following resources:


 * Netherlands Language and Languages
 * Netherlands - Dutch Genealogical Resources on the Internet (National Institute)
 * Dutch Genealogical Word List

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Use the estimated age to calculate a birth date.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Check for variant spellings of the names.
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community.
 * You may need to search for both their Indian name and their English name.
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur.

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Related Websites

 * Sri Lanka GenWeb
 * Genealogy Sri Lanka
 * International Ceylon Database

Related Wiki Articles

 * Sri Lanka
 * Kandy Sri Lanka Family History Centre
 * Negombo Sri Lanka Family History Centre

Citing this Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image. Collection Citation: Image Citation: