South Africa, Church of the Province of South Africa, Parish Registers - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection includes digital images of parish registers of the Church of the Province of South Africa, also known since 2006 as the "Anglican Church of Southern Africa". The Church includes dioceses in Angola, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Saint Helena, South Africa and Swaziland. Records were acquired from the collection of the William Cullen Library, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, and include baptisms, marriages, deaths, and burials. The text of the records is in English and Afrikaans.

For a list of records by localities and dates currently published in this collection, select the Browse.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information for collections published in FamilySearch.org. Source citations include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
Key genealogical facts found in baptism records may include:


 * When baptized
 * Full Name
 * Date of Birth
 * Name of Parents
 * Residence of Parents
 * Occupation
 * Names of Witnesses
 * By whom the baptism was performed

Key genealogical facts found in marriage records may include:


 * Date of marriage
 * Full name of groom
 * Full name of bride
 * Age at marriage
 * County of birth
 * Occupation
 * Residence at time of marriage
 * Type of marriage (Bann or special marriage licence)
 * Names of Witnesses

Key genealogical facts found in burial records may include:


 * Date and place of burial
 * Name of deceased
 * Age
 * Residence at time of death
 * Names of witnesses

How to Use the Record
To search the collection, select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the Country ⇒ Select the Province ⇒ Select the Diocese, Town and/or Parish ⇒ Select the Record Type and Years which takes you to the images.

Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.

To use the church records whether it is baptism, marriage or burials, you need to know the following information:


 * Ancestor’s name
 * Residence at the time of the event
 * Your ancestor’s occupation
 * Age at the time of event (marriage or death)

If you are looking at the marriage records, and you don’t know the name of the wife or the husband, try searching for the names of the parents, or the county of birth and the age at that time of marriage.

If you cannot find your ancestor, try searching the censuses for your ancestor’s residence at the time of the event. That’ll give you some clues as to who your ancestors parents were and the age as well.

Searching the Images

To search the collection select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the “Record” ⇒Select the “County” ⇒Select the “Volume and Year” which takes you to the images

Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.

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
South Africa Church Records

Related Wiki Articles

 * South Africa

Citing Family Search 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.

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

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
"South Africa, Church of the Province of South Africa, Parish Registers, 1850-2004" digital images FamilySearch (https://.familysearch.org: 1 May 2012); South Africa, Church of the Province of South Africa, Parish Registers, 1850-2004 &gt; Swaziland &gt; Swaziland &gt; Swaziland, Usuthu Parish &gt; Marriages 1929 &gt; image 1 of 1; entry for marriage of Ernest Maseko age 33 to Martha Mashisini age 21, 12 February 1929; Anglican Church of Southern Africa. Mixed Church Records. William Cullen Library, Johannesburg, South Africa