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

Title in the Language of the Record
Please add the title in Afrikaans here.

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.

To search through the index in the collection:

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.

To search the images in the collection:

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
“Delaware Marriage Records,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 4 March 2011), William Anderson and Elizabeth Baynard Henry, 1890; citing Delaware, State Marriage Records, no. 859, Delaware Bureau of Archives and Records Management, Dover. When the citation has been replaced with a citation specific to the collection being described, the heading should be changed to “Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection” in heading style 3.