GuidedResearch:Why Can't I Find the Record - Mexico Deaths

This page will give you additional guidance and resources to find death information for your ancestor. Use this page after first completing the death section of the Mexico Guided Research page.

Other Databases

 * 1537-1966: Mexico, Select Church Records at Ancestry ($)
 * 1546-1980:  States of Mexico, Catholic Church Records Collections at Ancestry's Card Catalog ($)
 * 1680-1940:  Mexico, Select Deaths  at Ancestry ($)

Online Images (Browsable Only)
Some collections have not been indexed but are available to browse image by image.
 * 1557-1978: Mexico, Chiapas, Catholic Church Records, 1557-1978  at FamilySearch
 * 1664-1762, 1848-1852: Defunciones de Santa Ana, San Román, Lerma, San Francisco, Campeche y China 1664-1762, 1848-1852  in the collection Registros parroquiales, 1638-1895 in the FamilySearch Catalog
 * 1652-1826: Defunciones de Chiapas  in the collection Registros parroquiales, 1599-1933 in the FamilySearch Catalog
 *  Distrito Federal: Documentos eclesiásticos, registros parroquiales  - list of collections in the FamilySearch Catalog
 * 1903-1914: Defunciones  in the collection Registros civiles : Topilejo, Tlalpan, 1903-1914 in the FamilySearch Catalog
 * 1875-1879: Defunciones  in the collection Registros civiles : Iztacalco, 1866-2005 in the FamilySearch Catalog

Additional Records with Death Information
Substitute records can contain information about more than one event, and are used when records for an event are not available. Because the substitute records may not be created at the time of the event, it may contain incorrect information. Search for as many substitute records as possible to corroborate information found in substitute records to help improve accuracy.

Redirect Research Efforts
Due to the nature of Mexico's Civil Registration and Catholic Church Records, if you have not found your ancestor in the indexes to those records, there are not many substitute records available to find death information. However, here are some ways to redirect your searching:
 * Try browsing images manually through Catholic Church Records if you know your ancestor's location.
 * Search instead for a different individual, such as your ancestor's siblings, parents, etc.

Tips for finding deaths
Successfully finding death records in online databases depends on a few key points. Try the following search suggestions:
 * Hispanic people traditionally had two surnames. The first is the father's first surname, and the second is the mother's first surname. Try searching by either just the paternal or the maternal surname.
 * Upon marriage, a woman often drops her second surname,replacing it with her husband's first surname, and inserting a "de" between the two.
 * Your ancestor’s name and surname may have had many different spelling variations.
 * If you are not finding what you’re looking for, try using wildcard characters. That is, use an asterisk * to replace one or more characters.
 * Try searching surrounding areas. Your ancestors may have died in another town than where they lived earlier in life.
 * Be flexible with year searches. Give a year range of about 2-3 years on either side of the believed year of the event.

Known Record Gaps
Records Start The Roman Catholic Church records began about the 1560s. The Church was the primary record keeper for Mexico until civil registration started in 1859, although these records weren’t kept regularly until 1867. Records Published Records Destroyed Church and civil registration records have been lost during Mexico's military conflicts; other records have deteriorated due to natural effects such as humidity, insects and more dramatic events such as fires, floods, and earthquakes. Some records were destroyed or damaged because of poor storage.
 * Mexico Deaths, Coverage Table (FamilySearch)