South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Registers (Cape Town Archives) - FamilySearch Historical Records

South Africa

Access the Records
South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Registers, 1660-1970 CID1478678 {{{CID2}}} {{{CID3}}} {{{CID4}}} {{{CID5}}} {{{CID6}}} {{{CID7}}} {{{CID8}}} {{{CID9}}}
This article describes a collection of records at FamilySearch.org.
South Africa
Flag of South Africa
Location of South Africa
Record Description
Record Type:	Church Registers
Collection years:	1660-1970
Languages:	Afrikaans, Dutch, English
Title in the Language:	Suid-Afrika, Kaap Provinsie Nederduitse Hervormde Kerk Rekords
FamilySearch Resources
South Africa Genealogy
Africa Websites
Africa Historic Maps
South Africa Websites
South Africa Church Records
South Africa Civil Registration
Related Websites
South Africa Genealogy
Genealogy In Time Magazine
Cape Master Death Notice Index Project
Cyndis List
ancestry.com$
The Genealogical Society of South Africa
Archive
State Archives, Cape Province

What is in the Collection?

This collection dates from 1660 through 1970 and includes records of baptisms, marriages and deaths. The Dutch Reformed Church records have been maintained in good condition. Baptisms and marriages are found in different registration formats, usually in bound registers, which are kept at the local church archives in care of the registrar. Since 1928 the registrar sends the registries to be archived at the Central Archive of the Dutch Reformed Church in Cape Town, South Africa.

Reading these Records

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

General Information about the Dutch Reformed Church

When South Africa was settled by the Dutch in the 16th and 17th centuries, they transplanted their Dutch Reformed theology into the African continent. The Dutch Reformed Church of South Africa was formally established in 1652 and became the only official church in South Africa until 1778, when freedom of public worship was given to other churches. The history of the Dutch Reformed Church has been very much bound up with the politics of the Afrikaner community of South Africa.

The Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa consists of three separate churches: the Nederduitse Gereformeede Kerk (the largest and usually called the Dutch Reform Church; the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk (largely restricted to the Transvaal); and the Gereformeede Kerk in Suid Afrika (the Doppers). During the 17th and 18th Centuries the Dutch Reformed Church (Nederduitse Gereformeede Kerk) was the only officially recognized Church denomination in South Africa and many white residents of the Cape belonged to it. In later years other church denominations were created in Cape, leaving a decline in the membership of the Dutch Reformed Church.

To Browse this Collection

You can browse through images in this collection using the waypoints on the Collection Browse Page for South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Registers (Cape Town Archives), 1660-1970.

What Can these Records Tell Me?

Baptism records usually contain the following information:

• Name
• Date of baptism
• Place of baptism
• Date of birth
• Names of parents

Marriage records usually contain the following information:

• Names
• Date and place of marriage
• Ages
• Country of birth
• Marital status
• Occupation
• Residence
• Names of persons giving consent

Collection Contents

Sample Images

Click on images for a larger view.

• South Africa, Cape Province Dutch Reformed Church DGS 4434392 68 Baptism.jpg

  Baptism Record

• South Africa, Cape Province Dutch Reformed Church DGS 4434431 23 Marriage.jpg

  Marriage Record

Coverage Table

The collection includes records from the following municipalities in Namibia and South Africa:

Province Municipality Record Type Year Range Karas Keetmanshoop Marriage 1936-1960 Cape of Good Hope Cape Town Baptism 1695-1948 Marriage 1839-1952 Memberships 1757-1929 Ceres Baptism 1903-1926 Paarl Baptism 1849-1865 Richmond Baptism 1844-1865 Stellenbosch Baptism 1688-1908 Marriage 1700-1944 Memberships 1732-1857 Tulbagh Marriage 1899-1911 Transvaal Brixton Marriage 1931-1951 Jeppe Marriage 1942-1952 Johannesburg-Wes Baptism 1931-1948 Memberships 1931-1943 Turffontein Marriage 1931-1956 How Do I Search the Collection? You can search the index or view the images or both. Before using this collection it is helpful to know: Name of the person you are looking for Approximate date of birth or marriage Search the Index Search by name by visiting the Collection Page: 1. Fill in the search boxes on the Collection Page with the information you have 2. Click Search to show possible matches View the Images View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page: 1. Select the appropriate "Country" 2. Select the appropriate "Province" 3. Select the appropriate "Municipality or Town" 4. Select the appropriate "Record Type and Years" to view the images. 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. For more tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks. For Help Reading these Records These records are in Afrikaans, Dutch 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? I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now? Use the age to find an approximate birth year to begin your search in civil records. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 Problems with this collection? See a list of known issues, workarounds, tips, restrictions, future fixes, news and other helpful information. 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 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 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. Collection citation: Collection Citation: The citation for this collection can be found on the Collection Details Page in the section Cite This Collection. Record citation (or citation for the index entry): When looking at a record, the citation is found below the record. You can search records in this collection by visiting the search page for South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Registers, 1660-1970. Image citation: This template has been deprecated and is no longer used. When looking at an image, the citation is found on the Information tab at the bottom left of the screen. You can browse through images in this collection by visiting the browse page for South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Registers, 1660-1970. Top of Page How Can I Contribute to the FamilySearch Wiki? In other languages: English | português |

To access available information, first log into FamilySearch.

DGS stands for Digital Genealogical Society also known as an Image Group Number. Each set of digital images is assigned a DGS number for identification purposes.