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

South Africa

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes records from 1801 to 2004. There are some records prior to 1801. Church Records often were kept years before government records were required and are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900.

The records in this collection include 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.

Reading These Records
These records are in Afrikaans and English. For help reading them see:
 * 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:

Baptism
 * Date and place of baptism
 * Child's name and gender
 * Child's date and place of birth
 * Parents' names and their residence
 * Occupation of father
 * Names of sponsors or witnesses
 * By whom the baptism was performed

Marriage
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Race of the bride and groom
 * Name and age of groom
 * Groom's birthplace, marital status, and occupation
 * Groom's residence at the time of marriage
 * Name and age of the bride
 * Bride's birthplace, marital status, and occupation
 * Bride's residence at the time of marriage
 * Marriage by license or banns
 * Names of witnesses
 * Name of minister and religious denomination

Burial
 * Date and place of burial
 * Name and age of deceased
 * Residence at time of death
 * Who performed burial ceremony

Coverage Table
The collection contains records from the following locations:

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, marriage, baptism, 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?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * If available, check the image for additional information
 * Analyze the entry to see if it provides additional clues to find other records of the person or their family

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * The person may be recorded with an abbreviated or variant form of their name
 * Try searching by surname only
 * Remember that spelling was generally not standardized until the early part of the 20th century

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in South Africa.
 * South Africa Record Finder
 * South Africa Finding Town of Origin

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Digital Library
South Africa, Church of the Province of South Africa, parish registers

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.

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