|
Si, se puede! ~ Researching Your Family in Spanish Records
Spanish Aids & Resources for Family Historians
Ferretting out the lineage of Spanish ancestors can be extremely rewarding.
The genealogical challenges are in locating and translating the documents. On the other hand, the records of Spanish-speaking countries are unmatched anywhere in their quality, quantity, and availability.
Parish records of Spain, Mexico, and Peru are the oldest and most complete of any in the world. The oldest known parish records in Spain date from the year 1394.
Parish records in the sprawling Spanish colonies were kept with equal faithfulness. Record-keeping practices were formalized in the colonies as early as 1563, with the Catholic Church acting as the primary record keeper until civil registration started.
During the colonial period, the regular clergy throughout Spanish America provided their superiors with detailed, comprehensive reports on the numbers, dispersion, and characteristics of the native populations.
Additionally, practically every Catholic parish had (has) a set of books that records in greater or lesser detail the occurrence of baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and deaths. A large percentage of the colonial populace is named in these records.
In the rare instances when ecclesiastical records cannot be located, civil registers, notarial records, military records, tax lists, and detailed censuses will probably be available.
This section offers resources for the family historian who needs to locate and understand (translate) spanish genealogical source records.
Translating Spanish Records
|
|
