Church records are an extremely valuable source of information consisting of baptism, marriage and some death and burial records as well as church membership books. The first official church in South Africa was the Dutch Reformed Church, introduced to South Africa by the Dutch East India Company's settlement of Cape Town in 1652.[1] The first formal congregation began with the arrival of minister Johan van Arckel in 1665.[2]
The Dutch Reformed Church (Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk in Afrikaans, abbreviated NGK) is a reformed Christian denomination in South Africa.[1]Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa (NGK)</ref> It's origins hail from the Netherlands. There are two other sister churches, the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk (NHK), and the Gereformeerde Kerke (GK), which together with the Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk make up the Dutch Reformed tradition in South Africa.[1]
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Early Dutch Reformed Baptism RecordsEarly Dutch Reformed Baptism Records
Most of the early baptism records are written in Dutch or Afrikaans. Here are some of the most common words used:
- Doop, gedoopt, dopen = Baptism
- Geboorte, geboren = Birth
- Kind, kinderen = Child, children
- Vader = Father
- Moeder = Mother
- Maand = Month
- Ouders = Parents
- Jaar = Year
- Getuige = Witness
Dutch Reformed Church Membership RecordsDutch Reformed Church Membership Records
Congregation members often had to be voted into membership. When they moved to a new town they had to be voted into membership by the new parish. When leaving their former parish, congregation members often received a certificate or attestation (attestaat in Afrikaans) indicating they were members in good standing. Membership records will often state whether someone moved in with or without that certificate or attestation. These membership records (Lidmaten in Dutch/Afrikaans) can help pinpoint an ancestor’s location at a specific time.
See alsoSee also
Explore more about Dutch Reformed Church recordsExplore more about Dutch Reformed Church records
- South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Registers, 1660-1970 Index and images of baptisms, marriages, and membership records of the Dutch Reformed Church. This collection contains records from various locations which were part of historic Cape Colony, including Namibia, Cape of Good Hope province and Transvaal province.
- South Africa, Free State Dutch Reformed Church Records, 1848-1956 Index and images of christenings, marriages and memberships.
- The First Fifty Years A project to transcribe and publish copies of records relating to individuals who lived at the Cape (Cabo da Boa Esperança / de Caep de Goede Hoop / Die Kaap die Goeie Hoop) during the first decades of the settlement after 1652.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa (NGK)
- ↑ "Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa | University of Pretoria". www.up.ac.za. Retrieved 2024-09-19.