South Africa, Netherdutch Reformed Church Registers (Pretoria Archive) - FamilySearch Historical Records
| Access the Records | |
| This article describes a collection of records at FamilySearch.org. | |
| South Africa | |
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| Flag of South Africa | |
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| Location of South Africa | |
| Record Description | |
| Record Type: | Church Records |
| Collection years: | 1838-1991 |
| Languages: | Afrikaans, English |
| Title in the Language: | Suid-Afrika, Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika, Kerk Rekords |
| FamilySearch Resources | |
| Related Websites | |
| Archive | |
| Dutch Reformed Church of Africa, Pretoria | |
What is in the Collection?
This collection will include records of christenings, marriages, and membership records of the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa located in Pretoria for the years 1838-1991. These records are from various areas of South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.
The Dutch East India Company sent a crew to create a Dutch settlement in the Cape of Good Hope in 1652. Many of the members of the crew belonged to the Dutch Reformed Church, and created a community in Cape Town. The church group suffered from several divisions, most notably the Doppers.
Sample Images
Click on images for a larger view.
- South Africa Netherdutch Church Records Christenings DGS007499344 20.jpg
Christening Records
- South Africa, Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa, Church Records 13-0297 Membership Records.jpg
Membership Records
- South Africa Netherdutch Church Records Marriage DGS007499286 35.jpg
Marriage Record
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Christening Records may contain the following information:
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Membership records may contain the following information:
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Marriage records may contain the following information:
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How Do I Search the Collection?
| You can browse through images in this collection using the waypoints on the Collection Browse Page for South Africa, Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa, Church Records, 1838-1991. |
To browse by image:
To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links:
⇒ Select the appropriate 'Province'
⇒ Select the appropriate 'Town/Municipality'
⇒ Select the 'Event Type' category which takes you to the images.
Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.
I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?
- Use the age in the citizen to find an approximate birth year to begin your search in church or 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.
- Keep in mind that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
- 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.
- Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well.
- 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.
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):
Image Citation:
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