South Africa, Free State Dutch Reformed Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
Suid-Afrika, Vrystaat Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk Rekords

Record Description
This collection will include records from 1848 to 1956.

Index and images of christenings, marriages and memberships.

The Dutch Reform Church records have been maintained in good condition. Records are found in different registration formats, most written in Dutch and others in Afrikaans and English.

From 1652 to 1862, all church records are in the Dutch Reformed Church's Cape Archives. From 1862 to the present, records are in individual churches and the church's provincial archives. From 1632 to 1780, this was the only established church, and it recorded other denominational baptisms. Forty-three percent of the white population are members of the Dutch Reformed Church.

To learn more about the Dutch Reformed Church Records, see the wiki article, South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records) for more information.

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

Record Content and Use
For details about the contents of these records, their history, and help using them see the wiki article: South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Search the Collection
Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. 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.

To search the collection image by image ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page: ⇒Select the appropriate “Province” ⇒Select the appropriate “Town/Municipality” ⇒Select the appropriate “Event Type” which will take you to the images.

Look at the images one by one 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. Keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

For Help Reading These Records
These records are in Dutch, Afrikaans, and English. For help reading the records, see the following wiki articles:


 * Dutch Genealogical Word List
 * Afrikaans Word List

Related Websites
Genealogical Institute of South Africa

Related Wiki Articles

 * South Africa Vital Records Index (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * South Africa

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
Citations for individual image records are available for this collection. Browse through images in this collection and click on the "Show Citation" box: South Africa, Free State Dutch Reformed Church Records, 1848-1956

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