Belgium Church Records

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Belgium

For information about records for non-Christian religions in Belgium, go to the Religious Records page.

In the period before 1795, Church records(Parochieregisters, Kerkelijke registers, Registres ecclésiastiques) are the main genealogical resource in Belgium. The earliest start in the 1500s, but in many parishes they do not start until well into the 1700s. The main types of church records are:

• Baptisms

• Marriages

• Burials

• Confirmations

The records will be written in Latin for Catholics(the vast majority of the population, and the only legal religion before 1781), or in the local language, either Dutch, French or German. There were a small number of Dutch Reformed(Nederlands Hervormde), French Reformed(Egilse Reformee) and Lutheran churches, as well as some Jews.

Baptisms

Catholics traditionally baptised children a few days after birth. A typical baptism record includes:

• The name of the baptized
• The date of baptism, and sometimes the birth date
• The names of the parents, often including the mother's maiden name
• The names of godparents or witnesses
• Sometimes the residence of the parents, the relationship between witnesses and child, and whether the child was illegitimate.

Marriages

A typical marriage record includes:

• The names of the bride and groom
• The date of marriage
• Whether they were single, divorced or widowed. Any previous spouses may be named
• The witnesses to the marriage
• Sometimes parent's names, birthplaces and residences

Burials

A typical burial record includes:

• The name of the deceased
• The date of burial
• The spouse or widow of the deceased for married women, and the parent's names for children.
• Sometimes additional information such as age or residence

Other records

• Confirmation records: Children were confirmed between the ages of 7 and 12. Candidates name, age, residence and father’s name. Church censuses, membership lists, family registers: Names of married couples, their ages or birth dates and places, sometimes marriage dates, childrens’ names, ages or birth dates, death or burial dates of children. Sometimes marriage dates and names of spouses of children are given.
• Donations before death or for masses for the dead: Names of husbands and wives, and sometimes other family members.

Marriage contracts and banns (Huwelijksvoorwaarden en bijlagen, Contrats de mariage)

Research use:Gives marriage information, identifies family relationships, shows places of residence not shown in parish registers.

Record type: Marriage information and documentation.

Time Period: 1300-present.

Content: Couples’ names, marriage intention dates, residences, occupations, witnesses’ names, often parents’ names and sometimes other relationships.

Location: City, state and church archives.

Population coverage: Possibly 5-10%.

Alphabetical indexes by parish are available and could comprise more than one village. All of these records are generally kept at the National Archives (Archives générales du Royaume) for the Brabant Province, and at the State Archives in each of the other Provinces (see list above for addresses). They are sometimes found in City Archives (Brussels, Antwerp, and Mechelen for example).

Depending on the parish, the records go back to the early 18th century, and in some cases, to the 17th and 16th centuries. Although some may not have been available, all of Belgium’s Parish registers that are extant have been microfilmed, along with their indexes (Tables). In an effort to preserve the records in Brussels (AGR), using the microfilms is preferred over handling the originals.

Parish records sometimes give minimal information, such as missing parents’ names on christening records. In such cases, it is vital to take note of the godparents or sponsors to establish kinship.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has microfilmed and is continuing to microfilm these records for all of Belgium for the Archives Générales du Royaume (AGR) as the privacy laws permit. The microfilms can be viewed at the Archives’ facilities or through a Family History Center. Check the FamilySearch Catalog at http://www.familysearch.org to find the one you need.