Belgium Church Records

Belgium

Church records (Parochieregisters, Kerkelijke registers, Registres ecclésiastiques)
Research use: Usually information given is quite complete and identifies parents and other relationships. There are gaps, however, in many parish registers.

Record type: Births and baptisms; marriages, marriage proclamations; deaths and burials; confirmations; church censuses, memberships, and family registers.

Time period: 1500s-present. Many early church records were destroyed during the Thirty Years’ War 1618-1648 and in subsequent conflicts. Generally registers exist for the following denominations:


 * Roman Catholic (Rooms Katholieke, Eglise catholique) 1527-
 * Dutch Reformed (Nederlands Hervormde) 1553-
 * French Reformed (Waals Hervormde, Eglise réformée) 1583-
 * Evangelical Lutheran (Evangelisch Lutherse, Eglise luthérienne) 1590-
 * Old Catholic (Oud Katholieke) 1615-
 * German Reformed (Evangelisch Hervormde) 1615-
 * Baptist/Mennonite (Doopsgezinde, Eglise baptiste) 1622-
 * Anglican (Engelse) 1698-
 * Jews (Joodse gemeende, Congrégation Juive) 1709-
 * Greek Catholic (Grieks Katholieke) 1798-

Contents:
 * Baptismal/birth records: Baptism and/or birth dates; children’s names, parents’ residence and names (sometimes mother's maiden name is given); witnesses’ and godparents’ names, and sometimes their residence and relationships to infants.
 * Marriage records: Candidates’ names, marriage and/or proclamation dates; often parents’ names, birth places, residence, witnesses and former spouses.
 * Death/burial records: Name of deceased, death and/or burial dates; often age and/or birth date and cause of death; residence, spouse’s name, especially for women; parents’ names for deceased children.
 * 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.

Location: Provincial, state, municipal and church archives.

Population coverage: 20% before 1700; 50-70% after 1700.

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%.