Other Belgium Genealogy Information
Jurisdictions
The country of Belgium is divided into various levels of jurisdiction. The town and province levels are the most often referred to and used in research. However, other levels exist. The basic hierarchy for research can be defined as follows:
- town
- judicial arrondissement
- province
- country
Regions also have names - sometimes official, sometimes not - that may have been the basis for an ancestor’s statement of origin. Several on-line gazetteers exist to help with the identification of a locality. One of many published sources is Eug. De Seyn's Geschied- en Aardrijkskundig Woordenboek de Belgische Gemeenten. (2 vols. Turnhout: Uitgaven Brepols, n.d.)
Boundary Changes
Belgium is a relatively new country, gaining independence from the Netherlands in 1831. Viewing the most recent history, Austria administered this region from 1477 to 1506. At that time, Spain gained possession. Spain continued it’s hold on Belgium until 1713, with the exception of 1598-1621, when Belgium, for a short time, gained independence. In 1713, Belgium reverted back to Austria and continued as such until the conquest of Napoleon. This event defined boundaries that are still mostly prevalent today. Prior to 1795, Belgium included portions of northern France, southern Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Germany. A distinct far eastern segment of Belgium, involving the provinces of Liege and Luxembourg, were also held by West Germany from 1815 until 1925. Fortunately, the records for most areas, regardless of sovereign administration, are held in the present-day archives of the region to which they currently belong. Some 14th century records are held in Spain, and a few select records are in Germany, though the bulk of research can take place in the geographical location in which an ancestor’s event actually took place in Belgium.
Calendar Conversions
The French Republican Calendar was the basis for recording events between 1792-1806. Their months were not transferable to our own months, and require a conversion to decipher a date according to existing calendar systems. There are several conversion guides available from various repositories, and excellent conversion sources are also found on the Internet. See http://www.eskimo.com/~lisanne/frenchrep.htm
Essential Vocabulary
Records generated in Belgium can be found in Latin, French or Dutch (Flemish). Be prepared with word lists of all when researching these records. Church records are found mostly in Latin. Civil registers vary, depending on the time period and locality. As well, dates are usually written out in text format. A knowledge of such vocabulary is essential to research in most records. Below are a few helpful wordlists for research in Belgian records.
- Latin Genealogy Word List (from FamilySearch.org)
- French Genealogical Word List (from FamilySearch.org)
- Dutch Genealogical Word List (from FamilySearch.org)
At ProGenealogists, we have the background, experience, and expertise to be able to efficiently solve Belgian research problems. We would love to help with yours, so please ask for a free estimate now!
