Church Records in Belgium

E. Wade Hone, 2004

Church (Ecclesiastical) records provide a unique service, even in times of civil registration. They can be used to clarify discrepancies and fill in for events not civilly registered (due to resistance) during the Napoleon era. Many church records prior to the turn of the twentieth century are housed in the various provincial archives, and include both Catholic and Protestant. However, significantly fewer Protestant records exist. Most church records are now indexed, and are most useful for pre-1795 and some 1795-1815 research. They usually contain the following information:

• Birth/Christening records can show the date of each event, name of child, whether legitimate or illegitimate, names of parents, residence within the parish, witnesses to the christening, etc.. Residences are important to segregate common names within the parish.
   
• Marriage records will usually show the marriage date, name of bride and groom, their residences, prior marital status, and names of witnesses/sponsors. Many records also show the names of the parents of the bride and groom. Residence can often lead to outside parishes of origin, especially when births did not occur in the same parish being researched.
   
• Death/Burial records will help identify the age, residence and sometimes the occupation of an ancestor. Many times the records will also identify the cause of death, whether a widow or widower, record the specific relationship to a father if a small child, and occasionally even record information about origins if a notable individual.

At ProGenealogists, we have the access and knowledge of Belgian church records, using the Family History Library and working in the provincial archives in Belgium. Ask us for a free estimate on your Belgian ancestry today!