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

South Africa

What is in the Collection?
This collection includes records from 1848 to 1956. It consists of an index and images of christenings, marriages and memberships.

The Dutch Reformed Church records have been maintained in good condition. The records are found in different registration formats, most are written in Dutch while others are 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, the records are in individual churches and the church's provincial archives. From 1632 to 1780, the Dutch Reformed Church was the only established church, and it recorded other denominational baptisms. Forty-three percent of the white population in Free State, South Africa are members of the Dutch Reformed Church.

General Information about Free State
Under the Union of South Africa in 1910, South Africa had four provinces: the Transvaal and Orange Free State, previously Boer republics, and Natal and the Cape, once British colonies. In 1994, under South Africa’s new democratic constitution, the country was broken up into nine provinces: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, and Western Cape. Free State was originally the Orange Free State.

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

These records are written in Afrikaans and English. See the section For Help Reading these Records for translation helps.

Sample Images
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How Do I Search the Collection?
Search by Name by visiting the Collection Page: Fill in the requested information on the 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.

View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the appropriate "Province" ⇒Select the appropriate "Town/Municipality" ⇒Select the appropriate "Event Type" which takes you to 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 Afrikaans and English. For help reading the records, see the following wiki articles:


 * Afrikaans Word List
 * Netherlands Language and Languages
 * South Africa Language and Languages

What Do I Do Next?
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 Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have moved, been recruited 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.
 * Use the age to find an approximate birth year to begin your search in civil records.
 * 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.
 * Church Records often were kept years before government records were required and are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900.

I Can't Find Who I'm Looking for, What Now?

 * Switch to a different record collection. Depending on the time period, either Civil Registration records or Church 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.
 * Keep in mind that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * 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.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well.
 * 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.

Known Issues with This Collection
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Citing this Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

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