South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Records (Stellenbosch Archive) - FamilySearch Historical Records
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| 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: | Stellenbosch Archive |
| Collection years: | 1660-2011 |
| Languages: | Dutch Genealogical Word List and Afrikaans Word List |
| Title in the Language: | Zuid-Afrika, Nederlands Gereformeerde Kerk Records |
| FamilySearch Resources | |
| Related Websites | |
| Archive | |
| Dutch Reformed Church Archives, Stellenbosch | |
What is in the Collection?
The collection of records covers the years 1660 to 2011.
The records include images of baptisms, confirmations, marriages, deaths, and memberships of the Dutch Reformed Church (Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk In Afrika) housed at the Genealogical Institute of South Africa (Genealogiese Instituut van Suid-Afrika) Archive at Stellenbosch, South Africa. Communities from the entire country of South Africa are represented. Includes records from the current African nations of Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. This collection is being published as images become available.
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, and English.
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 Reform Church has been very much bound up with the politics of the Afrikaner community of South Africa. The baptism and marriage records are recorded in bound registers, which are kept at the local churches archive 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.
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 Reform Church (Nederduitse Gereformeede Kerk) was the only officially recognized Church denomination in South Africa and practically all the whites in the Cape belonged to it. In the following Centuries, several other churches denominations were created in Cape, leaving a decline in the membership of the Dutch Reform Church.
For details about the contents of these records, their history, and help using them see the wiki article: South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
Sample Images
Click on images for a larger view.
- South Africa,Dutch Reformed Church Records, Stellenbosch Archive DGS 005378461 35.jpg
Birth Record
- South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Records, Stellenbosch Archive DGS 005128783 4.jpg
Church Meeting Minutes
- South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Records, Stellenbosch Archive 005362893 18.jpg
Marriage Record
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, Dutch Reformed Church Records, Stellenbosch Archive 1660-2011. |
To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links:
⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page
⇒Select the appropriate "Country"
⇒Select the appropriate "Province"
⇒Select the appropriate "Municipality or Town or Province"
⇒Select the appropriate "Record Type, Years and Alphabetical Section" 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.
Known Issues with This Collection
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Problems with this collection? See a list of known issues, workarounds, tips, restrictions, future fixes, news and other helpful information. |
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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. |
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