South Africa, Free State Dutch Reformed Church Records, 1848-1956

What is in This Collection?

This collection includes records from 1848 to 1956. It consists of an index & images of christenings, marriages and memberships. The collection also includes marriage records from 1921 through 1947 from Lusaka (Zambia). The Dutch Reformed Church records have been maintained in good condition. The records are found in different registration formats, most are written in Dutch while others are in Afrikaans and English. From 1652 to 1862, all church records are in the Dutch Reformed Church's Cape Archives. From 1862 to the present, the records are in individual churches and the church's provincial archives. From 1632 to 1780, the Dutch Reformed Church was the only established church, and it recorded other denominational baptisms. Forty-three percent of the white population in Free State, South Africa are members of the Dutch Reformed Church.

General Information about Free State

Under the Union of South Africa in 1910, South Africa had four provinces: the Transvaal and Orange Free State, previously Boer republics, and Natal and the Cape, once British colonies. In 1994, under South Africa’s new democratic constitution, the country was broken up into nine provinces: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, and Western Cape. Free State was originally the Orange Free State. To learn more about Dutch Reformed Church Records, see the wiki article, South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records for more information.

Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

Reading These Records

These records are in Afrikaans and English. For help reading them see:

• Afrikaans Word List
• Netherlands Language and Languages
• South Africa Language and Languages

To Browse This Collection

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in these records:

Collection Content

For additional details about these records and help using them see South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records.

Sample Images

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  1863-4 Baptismal Record

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  1947 Marriage Record

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  1904 Membership Record