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

South Africa

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South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Registers, 1660-1970 CID1478678 {{{CID2}}} {{{CID3}}} {{{CID4}}} {{{CID5}}} {{{CID6}}} {{{CID7}}} {{{CID8}}} {{{CID9}}}
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South Africa
Flag of South Africa
Location of South Africa
Record Description
Record Type:	Church Registers
Collection years:	1660-1970
Languages:	Dutch Genealogical Word List and Afrikaans Word List
Title in the Language:	Suid-Afrika, Kaap Provinsie Nederduitse Hervormde Kerk Rekords
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Related Websites
Records and Resources in South Africa
Cape Master Death Notice Index Project
Archive
State Archives, Cape Province

What is in the Collection?

This collection dates from 1660 through 1970.

The Dutch Reform Church records have been maintained in good condition. Baptisms and marriages are found in different registration formats; most are written in Dutch, though others are in Afrikaans, Dutch, or English. Deaths records are not found among these registers.

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.

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 Reform 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 churches denominations were created in Cape, leaving a decline in the membership of the Dutch Reform Church.

For a list of records by localities and dates currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

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)

Collection Content

Sample Images

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• 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 Namibia and South Africa as follows:

Karas, Namibia Cape of Good Hope, South Africa Transvaal, South Africa Keetmanshoop Cape Town Brixton Ceres Jeppe Paarl Johannesburg-Wes Richmond Turffontein Stellenbosch Tulbagh What Can this Collection 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 How Do I Search the Collection? Search by Name by visiting the Collection Page: Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor. View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒ Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒ Select the "Country" category ⇒ Select the "Province" category ⇒ Select the "Municipality or Town" category ⇒ Select the "Record Type and Years" category which takes you to the images If you did not find the person you were looking for, consider selecting the "Illegible Surname" category and see if you can locate them. 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. What Do I Do Next? When you have located your ancestor’s death record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family. 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 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. How Can I Contribute to the FamilySearch Wiki? In other languages: English | português |

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