Dutch term – Familiebijbel

25 December 2017 by 2 Comments

A familiebijbel is a family bible. Some Dutch families recorded births, marriages, and deaths in their bibles.

Familiebijbels were not as common in the Netherlands as they were in other parts of the world. Until the 1900s, a large part of the population was illiterate and only richer people were able to create their own records. You rarely see family bibles cited in Dutch genealogical publications. The records kept by the churches and civil registration are readily available, include the whole population, and are generally more accurate than family records.

family bible

Family bible of the Alewijn family, 1637. Credits: collection Amsterdam Museum (CC-0).

Filed Under: Dutch terms Tagged With:
About Yvette Hoitink

Yvette Hoitink, MLitt, CG®, QG™ is a professional genealogist, writer, and lecturer in the Netherlands. She has a Master of Letters in Family and Local History from the University of Dundee, and holds the Certification of Genealogist and Qualified Genealogist credentials. Yvette served on the Board of Directors of the Association of Professional Genealogists and won excellence awards for her articles in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly and the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly. Yvette has been doing genealogy for over 30 years. She helps people from across the world find their ancestors from the Netherlands and its former colonies, including New Netherland. Read about Yvette's professional genealogy services.

Comments

  1. Cheree says
    2 October 2022 at 1:06 am

    Hi,

    Lovely to read up about Familijiebibles.

    I have a Bible from 1762 in Ducth From South Africa. Do you know any restoration people in South Africa I can contact?

    Reply

Leave comment

*