Belgium Church Records

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Belgium

Church Records

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

Always note the witnesses, as they often are a close relative such as an aunt/uncle, grandparent or an older sibling, even if it is not stated that they are related.

A Latin baptism record

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%.

Accessing Records

1. Online Digital Records for Church Records

For most localities, digital copies of church records are included in the civil registration online collection. Church records prior to 1796 were considered to be the country's civil registration:

• 1582-1914 - Belgium, Brabant, Civil Registration, 1582-1914, free, index and images. incomplete.
• 1582-1914 - Belgium, Brabant, Civil Registration, 1582-1914, free, browseable images. incomplete.
  

• Dutch titles for recorded events: "Geboorten" means births. "Huwelijken" means marriages. "Overlijden" means deaths. "Huwelijksafkondigingen" means marriage proclamations. "Huwelijksbijlagen" means marriage supplements. "Tienjarige tafels" means 10-year indexes.

• French titles for recorded events: "Naissances" means births. "Mariages" means marriages. "Décès " means deaths. "Publications de mariage" means marriage proclamations. "Pièces de mariage " means marriage supplements. "Tables décennales" means ten-year indexes.

• German titles for recorded events: "Geburten" means births. "Heiraten" means marriages. "Toten" means deaths.
  

2. Online Digital Records at the State Archives

Church records digital images are also online from the State (National) Archives (Rijksarchief in België), for records at least 100 years old. You will need to complete a free registration here: Register.
This address leads to the Zoekrobotten--Search Robot (or Search Engine) which leads to several search options:

• Zoeken naar personen searches by individual name. English instructions are provided.
• Zoeken naar archieven searches by location. English instructions are provided.

3. Microfilm Copies of Church Records Searched at a Family History Center

There are many microfilmed records available but not included in the online collections above. Currently, they are being digitized, and plans are to complete that project by 2020. Check back occasionally to see if your records have become available. In the meantime, some of them might be available at a Family History Center near you. To find a microfilm:

a. Click on this link to see a list of records for Belgium.

b. Click on "Places within Belgium" and a list of towns and cities will open.

c.

c. Click on the town or city you wish to search.

d. Click on "Church Records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.

e. Choose the correct event and time period for your ancestor.

f. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the microfilm listed for the record. . Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to the index. Clicking on the camera will take you to an online digital copy of the microfilm.

4. Writing to a Catholic Priest for Church Records

When you cannot locate the records online or in a microfilm, baptism, marriage, and death records may be found by contacting or visiting local parish priests.

Write a brief request to the proper church using this address as guide replacing the information in parentheses:

Reverend Pastor

(Street address, if known: see The Catholic Directory)

(Postal code) (City)

(state)t, BELGIUM

• Find the Belgian postal code here.

Send the following:

• Cashier’s check or international money order (in local currency) for the search fee. Usually $10.00.
• Full name and the sex of the person sought.
• Names of the parents, if known.
• Approximate date and place of the event.
• Your relationship to the person.
• Reason for the request (family history or medical).
• Request for a complete extract of the record
• International reply coupon, available from large post offices (optional).

Most Church records are on the website of the Rijksarchief in België/Les Archives de l'Etat en Belgique(National Archives of Belgium). If you register for free, you can view images of the originals there. Many parishes drew up an alphabetical list of persons mentioned in their records, and some are searchable in the Archives's search engine.

Some church records can be found on the site Geneaknowhow, which contains many links to local genealogical websites and sources.

Most church records have been microfilmed by FamilySearch and are in the FamilySearch catalog. A few are being digitized and put online.