South Africa, Reformed Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

South Africa

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes christenings, marriage, and membership records from 1856 to 1988. These records are from various areas of Angola, Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

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

Baptism
 * Name of child
 * Date and place of baptism
 * Child's birthdate
 * Names of parents, including maiden name of mother
 * Name of person performing baptism

Marriage
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Name and age of groom
 * Groom's country of birth
 * Groom's occupation and residence
 * Name and age of bride
 * Bride's country of birth
 * Bride's occupation and residence
 * Race of both husband and wife
 * Person who granted consent or order for marriage
 * Names of witnesses
 * Name of officiant at ceremony

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * Approximate date of the event

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 in your research for 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 Historical Records

 * South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

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.

África do Sul, Registros da Igreja Reformada (Registros Históricos do FamilySearch)