Where to find records in Hainaut, Belgium before 1795?
Hello! I recently was able to finally find my family in Belgium (YAY!) and I have been primarily searching the record images on Family Search which have been AMAZING, but I'm finding that in most of my towns the records only cover 1795 - 1910 or so. However I found several trees on Geneanet that extend the lines into the 1600s in Belgium. Is there anywhere online that I can search/view those earlier records, or would I have to request them directly from the towns?
I've looked on the Belgium archives, Ancestry, and geneaknowhow, and they all seem to cover the same range as the Family Search records.
Answers
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I went to familysearch.org, clicked on Search, then Catalog. On the catalog page I entered Belgium, Liege(the Province), Hermalle-sous-Huy and clicked the blue Search button.
It brought up a list and I clicked the Church records (1) link. I then clicked on the Registres paroissiaux, 1586-1961 link.
- I scrolled down and there was a list. I was lucky that the first item was a Tables to the records of the Roman Catholic Church. This Tables is what we would call an index. In the Research Wiki I read that those records are the vital records for Belgium before 1795 when Civil Registration began. I felt very fortunate to find a camera icon at the right and clicked on it and I was into the church records. I found my family and then went to the record books (which were on the list under the Tables). The records are in Latin and I had to use the Latin Word List I found on the Belgium Home Page in Research Wiki.
- I was so excited to find this information. I hope you will be as fortunate as I was!!
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In Belgium, pre-1795 the main records are (Catholic) Church records, and after this date there is civil registration. Both types of records can be found at FamilySearch and there are no access restrictions. However most are not yet indexed, particularly for the church records. But in most towns there is an alphabetical table as Joan says.
The Belgian State Archive also has these church records, but the images they have on their website are exact copies of the ones on FamilySearch.
The FamilySearch Wiki has an article on Belgium Church records.
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