Bevolkingsregister..in other words - Population Registers

 As you work through any Dutch ancestor one Source Material you will find time and time again is the Bevolkingsregister......or as called in English, Population Registers.  The name of what it is kind of speaks for itself. It is a registration of a Dutch citizen.  This register follows them around as they move to new house, new city, add a family member, etc.  It can be a very handy and helpful piece of source material.  However, there is one confusing element to the record, and that is the date it was created.

When you pull up a record most of the time it has a date.  Sometimes the date shown is an accurate date as to when the record could have been updated.  Other times there is no way the date listed could be accurate as it is earlier than a birth date of the ancestor you are looking at.  This is where I started getting all confused.

When you add a source to your Family Tree on Family Search you need to have a date.  Plain and simple.  But what date?  You want to try and be as accurate as possible, so you don't want to add it on the date your ancestor was born, especially if a spouse or additional children are added.  

When I started out I was all confused about these particular sources.  I asked for some help on a Dutch group I'm a member of and finally got some help.  I understand the material a little better, but still a little confused, but I do at least know how to proceed when I come upon a Source Record for an ancestor.

These records are especially helpful when it comes to children.  As I stated above, this record follows the person throughout their lives.  So, spouses and children are added.  So, when you come upon a newer "Bevolkingsregister" for an ancestor you could find new information.  In fact, once or twice I have come upon an ancestor that listed a child or two that I didn't have on my Family Tree.  This ended up being extremely helpful in finding children or spouses that I didn't know existed.

I may still be a little confused with the concept and how they date these records, but I'm getting there.  I am open to any and all extra help on these records.