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Netherlands Civil Registration- Vital Records: Difference between revisions
Netherlands Civil Registration- Vital Records (view source)
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Civil registers (Registers van de Burgelijke Stand)are the vital records made by the government. Records of births, marriages, and deaths are commonly referred to as "vital records" because they refer to critical events in a person’s life. Dutch civil registration records are an excellent source for accurate information on names | Civil registers (Registers van de Burgelijke Stand)are the vital records made by the government. Records of births, marriages, and deaths are commonly referred to as "vital records" because they refer to critical events in a person’s life. Dutch civil registration records are an excellent source for accurate information on names, dates, and places of births, marriages, deaths, and divorces. | ||
Civil | Civil registers are crucial for research in the Netherlands. Civil authorities began registering births, marriages, and deaths on 1 March 1811 (earlier for some southern areas). After this date all individuals who lived in the Netherlands are recorded. Because they cover the entire population, are indexed (one year and 10 year indexes), and are easily accessible, civil registration records are the most important source for genealogical research in the Netherlands. | ||
For birth, marriage, and death records before 1811, see the "[[Netherlands Church Records|Church Records]]," "[[Netherlands Public Records|Public Records]]," and "[[Netherlands Taxation|Taxation]]" sections. | For birth, marriage, and death records before 1811, see the "[[Netherlands Church Records|Church Records]]," "[[Netherlands Public Records|Public Records]]," and "[[Netherlands Taxation|Taxation]]" sections. | ||
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Birth records usually give the child’s name; sex; date, time, and place of birth; and parents’ names, including the mother’s maiden surname. The occupations and ages of the parents are also given. | Birth records usually give the child’s name; sex; date, time, and place of birth; and parents’ names, including the mother’s maiden surname. The occupations and ages of the parents are also given. | ||
Births were usually registered within two or three days of the child’s birth, usually by the father but sometimes by a relative or friend, especially if the father was absent. Children are never labeled as 'illegitemate', but the mother is noted as being 'unmarried'. If the father and mother of the child later marry it will be mentioned in the margin of the birth certificate as well and that the child is 'recognized' as theirs. The child's last name will now have been changed to the father's last name as well, so the child is born with the mother's last name, but later will go on in life with the father's last name. Other corrections to a birth record may have been added as a marginal note. | Births were usually registered within two or three days of the child’s birth, usually by the father but sometimes by a relative or friend, especially if the father was absent. Children are never labeled as 'illegitemate', but the mother is sometimes noted as being 'unmarried'. If the father and mother of the child later marry it will be mentioned in the margin of the birth certificate as well and that the child is 'recognized' as theirs. The child's last name will now have been changed to the father's last name as well, so the child is born with the mother's last name, but later will go on in life with the father's last name. Other corrections to a birth record may have been added as a marginal note. | ||
Children whose records show they died very young were not necessarily stillborn [levenloos or doodgeboren] even if it states that they are, but probably died shortly after birth. Legally, information about children who were born "without life" was not to be reported to the civil registrar. Children who died at birth are only recorded in the death records. They are either found under the last name of the father (or in case of an illegitimate child, the last name of the mother) or under the letter L in the index. L stands for Levenloos - lifeless. | Children whose records show they died very young were not necessarily stillborn [levenloos or doodgeboren] even if it states that they are, but probably died shortly after birth. Legally, information about children who were born "without life" was not to be reported to the civil registrar. Children who died at birth are only recorded in the death records. They are either found under the last name of the father (or in case of an illegitimate child, the last name of the mother) or under the letter L in the index. L stands for Levenloos - lifeless. | ||