Belgium Population and Military Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Belgium

What is in This Collection?
This is a collection of population and military records collected from various local archives in Belgium. The records appear in French and Dutch. Images will appear online as they are captured.

Reading These Records
For help reading these Dutch records see the following guides:
 * Netherlands Language and Languages
 * Dutch Genealogical Word List
 * Netherlands Handwriting
 * FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
 * Reading Dutch Handwritten Records

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

Census and population registers Military records
 * Name of head of household
 * Names of family members
 * Date of birth
 * Birth place
 * Age
 * Gender
 * Occupation
 * Soldier's or mercenary's name
 * Ages
 * Birthplace
 * Rank
 * Date and place of muster
 * Religion
 * Language spoken

Military records
 * Birth registers and lists of males 17-21 years of age
 * Parents' names
 * Residence
 * Physical descriptions
 * Death date and place or country of death
 * Date and places of discharge
 * Handicaps

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * Approximate date of the event

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?

 * Add the new information to your records
 * 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 civil registration 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?

 * 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
 * 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

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.