Mexico, Puebla, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Records
Registros Paroquiales del Estado de Puebla, México

Record Description
This collection of parish records for the State of Puebla includes the years 1545 to 1977. The text of the records is in Spanish.

For additional details about the history of these records and help using them, see the wiki article Mexico Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records).

The records are in relatively fair condition, with the exception of some older records that may be damaged, and therefore hard to read or missing some information. Most of the older records are handwritten in narrative style and follow a common text with some variations depending on the style used by the priest. Newer records are handwritten in formatted registers; some are even written in ledger style registers.

Record Content
Baptism or confirmation records usually contain the following information:


 * Date and place of baptism or confirmation
 * Child's name and gender
 * Legitimacy
 * Child's date and place of birth
 * Names of parents
 * Names of godparents

Marriage records usually contain the following information:


 * Date and place of marriage
 * Names of the bride and groom
 * Groom's birth date, place of birth, baptismal date and religion
 * Names of groom's parents, their residence and religion
 * Bride's birth date, place of birth, baptismal date and religion
 * Names of bride's parents, their residence and religion
 * Paternal grandparents of the bride and groom
 * Maternal grandparents of the bride and groom
 * Names of the witnesses
 * Witnesses' age, civil status, occupation, origin and residence
 * Length of time witnesses have known bride and groom

Death records usually contain the following information:


 * Name of deceased
 * Age, origin and diocese of deceased
 * Date and place of death
 * Cause of death
 * Sometimes, name of spouse, if deceased was married
 * Parents' names
 * Burial location
 * Sometimes, the race of deceased

Search the Collection
To search the collection by index: Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

To browse the collection by image: ⇒ Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒ Select the "City or Town" ⇒ Select the "Record Type and Years" which takes you to the images.

Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family.

For example:


 * Use the marriage date and place as the basis for compiling a new family group or for verifying existing information.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each partner to find a couple's birth records and parents' names.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and land records.
 * Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records.
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.
 * The name of the officiator is a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county. However, ministers may have reported marriages performed in other counties.
 * Compile the marriage entries for every person who has the same surname as the bride or groom; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the marriage records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives of the bride and groom who may have married in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * Use the marriage number to identify previous marriages.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

Keep in mind:


 * The information in church records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant.
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1800.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another.

For Help Reading These Records
These records are in Spanish. For help reading the records, see the following resources:


 * Mexico Language and Languages
 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * BYU Spanish Script Tutorial
 * FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 1
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 2
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 3

Surrounding Localities
Unable to find your ancestor? Try looking through records in the surrounding localities. Morelos is to the west, Estado de México to the northwest, Tlaxcala to the north, Hidalgo to the west of Puebla's northern "peninsula," Veracruz to the east, Oaxaca to the south, and Guerrero to the southwest.

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Related Websites

 * Puebla Maps
 * Puebla History

Related Wiki Articles

 * Mexico
 * Puebla
 * Mexico Church Records
 * Mexico Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection Citation:  Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation: