South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Records (Stellenbosch Archive) - FamilySearch Historical Records

South Africa

What is in This Collection?
The collection includes images of baptisms, confirmations, marriages, deaths, and memberships of the Dutch Reformed Church (Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk In Afrika) for the years 1690 to 2011. The records are housed at the Genealogical Institute of South Africa (Genealogiese Instituut van Suid-Afrika) Archive at Stellenbosch, South Africa. Communities from the entire country of South Africa are represented. Includes records from the current African nations of Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. This collection is being published as images become available.

The Dutch Reform Church records have been maintained in good condition. Records are found in different registration formats. The baptism and marriage records are recorded in bound registers, which are kept at the local churches' archives in care of the registrars. Since 1928 the registrar sends the registries to be archived at the Central Archive of the Dutch Reformed Church in Cape Town, South Africa.

When South Africa was settled by the Dutch in the 16th and 17th centuries, they transplanted their Dutch Reformed theology into the African continent. The Dutch Reformed Church of South Africa was formally established in 1652, and became the only official church in South Africa until 1778, when freedom of public worship was given to other churches. The history of the Dutch Reform Church has been very much bound up with the politics of the Afrikaner community of South Africa.

Reformed Church in South Africa consists of three separate churches: the Nederduitse Gereformeede Kerk (the largest and usually called the Dutch Reform Church; the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk (largely restricted to the Transvaal); and the Gereformeede Kerk in Suid Afrika (the Doppers). During the 17th and 18th Centuries the Dutch Reform Church (Nederduitse Gereformeede Kerk) was the only officially recognized Church denomination in South Africa and practically all the whites in the Cape belonged to it. In the following Centuries, several other church denominations were created in Cape, leaving a decline in the membership of the Dutch Reformed Church.

Reading these Records
These records are in Afrikaans and English. For help reading these records see the following guides:
 * Afrikaans Word List
 * Netherlands Language and Languages
 * South Africa Language and Languages

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

Birth
 * Name
 * Date of birth
 * Date of baptism
 * Names of parents
 * Names of baptismal witnesses

Marriage
 * Names
 * Date of marriage
 * Ages
 * Marital status
 * Occupation
 * Residence
 * Names of those giving consent
 * Names of witnesses
 * Race
 * Names of parents

Church Meeting Minutes
 * Name
 * Date of baptism
 * Membership status
 * Name of mission
 * Remarks may include marital status or other relative information

Collection Content
For additional details about these records and help using them see South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records.

Coverage Table
The collection includes records from the following countries and provinces in Southern Africa: {| style="width:60%; vertical-align:top;"|
 * style=" vertical-align:top; width:20%;"|
 * style=" vertical-align:top; width:20%;"|

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person you are looking for
 * Approximate date of the event (birth, baptism, marriage, etc.)

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?

 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have moved 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 vital records indexes 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, Civil Registration records may be more useful
 * 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
 * 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
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1800's
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another
 * Be aware that there may have been some transcription errors

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.