Sri Lanka, Colombo District Dutch Reformed Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Sri Lanka

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains records from 1677 to 1990.

The earliest records are handwritten in Dutch and are badly water damaged. From the 19th century on, the records are recorded in English. The later records (mid-19th century on) are on printed forms filled in by the record keeper. After the 20th century the records are on printed forms in English and Tamil.

The Dutch Reformed Church was established in Sri Lanka (then known as Celyon) in 1648. A church was established in the city of Colombo in 1652. This collection contains records from various Dutch Reformed churches in the area of Colombo and Sri Lanka.

This collection was created to record the baptisms, marriages, and burial information of the individuals who were members of the religious organization.

This collection includes the following records:


 * Accounts
 * Applications for Baptism
 * Baptism Registers
 * Baptisms
 * Baptisms and Marriages
 * Communion Roll
 * Correspondence
 * Deaths
 * English Bible
 * Inventory of Records
 * Lapidarium Zeylanicum (Monumental Inscriptions)
 * Local Consistory Correspondence
 * Marriages
 * Minute Books
 * Psalm Book
 * The Herald (Monthly Newsletter)
 * Visitors Book
 * Other Miscellaneous Records

Reading These Records
These records are written in Dutch, Tamil, and English. See the section: For Help Reading These Records, for translation help.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Baptism records usually contain the following information:


 * Date and place of baptism
 * By whom baptized
 * Child's date of birth
 * Name and gender of child
 * Father's name and occupation
 * Mother's maiden name
 * Parents' residence
 * Names of the Godparents

Marriage records usually contain the following information:


 * Name, age and civil status of groom
 * Profession and race of groom
 * Residence of groom
 * Name of groom's father and his profession
 * Name, age and civil status of bride
 * Profession and race of bride
 * Residence of bride
 * Name of bride's father and his profession
 * Date and place where marriage was solemnized
 * Names and residences of witnesses

Death records usually contain the following information:


 * Date of death
 * Name of deceased
 * Age at death
 * Officiating Minister

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Your ancestor's given name and surname
 * Identifying information such as residence
 * Estimated marriage or birth year

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select Province
 * 2) Select District
 * 3) Select Record Type and Years to view the images.

Search the collection by image 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.

For Help Reading These Records
These records are in Dutch, Tamil and English. For help with reading the records, see the following resources:


 * Netherlands Language and Languages
 * Netherlands - Dutch Genealogical Resources on the Internet (National Institute)
 * Dutch Genealogical Word List

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?

 * If you find a record of your ancestor print a copy of the original document, if possible, or at least the information where you found it. Sometimes you may find errors in the indexed or hand-copied documents.  Also, in the original, you may find more information about your ancestor
 * Use the christening date or age along with the place of christening of each person to find a birth record and parents' names
 * Use the burial date or age along with the place of burial to find death records

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

 * Collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you identify possible relations that can be verified by records
 * When looking for an individual with a common name, look at all the search results before deciding which is the correct person. Use other information, such as place of birth, age, occupation, or names of parents, to help with this decision
 * Vary the search terms. For example, expand the date range or search by either the given name or surname to return a broader list search results

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.

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.

"Sri Lanka, Colombo District Dutch Reformed Church Records, 1677-1990" Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2017. Citing Dutch Reformed Church, Wolvendaal Street.
 * Collection Citation:

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