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

Record Description
Index and images of christenings, marriages and memberships.

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

To learn more about the Dutch Reformed Church Records, go to the Historical Records 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.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the data and images published on FamilySearch.org. It may 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 the christening records may include the following information:


 * Full name of child
 * Date of christening
 * Date of birth
 * Names of parents
 * Occupations
 * Names of witnesses

Key genealogical facts found in the marriage records may include the following information:


 * Full name of spouse
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Marital Status
 * Name of father and mother
 * Age of spouse
 * Occupation
 * Residence at time of marriage
 * Spouse's age
 * Estimated birth year for spouse
 * Names of witnesses

How to Use the Record
To search these records, you should already know the following information:


 * Ancestor's Name
 * Parent's names
 * Approximate date for birth, marriage or death (for example: abt 1841)

If you cannot find the information that you are looking for:


 * Try searching for the nickname, such as George for Geo
 * Try looking through the estate files for the last residence of the deceased OR for the birth of a child.

Searching the Index

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 compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

Searching the Images

Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the “Province” ⇒Select the “Town/Municipality” ⇒Select the “Event Type” 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.

Related Websites

 * Genealogical Institute of South Africa

Related Wiki Articles

 * Afrikaans Word List
 * South Africa Vital Records Index (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * South Africa

Citing FamilySearch 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
“Argentina, Buenos Aires, Catholic Church Records, 1635-1981,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 28 February, 2012), La Plata > San Ponciano > Matrimonios 1884-1886 >  image 71 of 389 images, Artemio Avendano and Clementina Peralta, 1884; citing Parroquia de San Ponciano en la Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Matrimonios. San Ponciano, La Plata, Buenos Aires.