Spain, Diocese of Lugo, Catholic Parish Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes digital copies of records of baptisms, marriages, and burials of the parishes of the Diocese of Lugo, Spain covering the years from 1550 to 1966. Some records have been indexed and are searchable as part of this collection. Most of the parish records from the Diocese of Lugo have been preserved well, but some earlier entries may have some damage.

Parish priests performed the baptisms, marriages, deaths, burials, and other holy sacraments in their assigned parish or parishes. All of the original parish records were kept in the parish archive, however, the older records were centralized into the diocesan archive. Usually separate registers were maintained for baptisms, marriages, and deaths, however, in localities with a small population the records of baptisms, marriages, and burials were recorded in the same register. Confirmations were usually recorded with the baptismal registers, but can also be found with deaths and/or marriages. Generally, entries were created in chronological order.

These records are in Spanish; see the section "For Help Reading These Records" for links to translation help guides. Early registers may have some ecclesiastical wording written in Latin.

Catholic Church parish records cover about 95 to 100% of the population. However, this collection only includes the parish records that have been centralized through the years into the diocesan archive.

Reading These Records
These records are in Spanish or Latin. For help reading these records see the following guides:


 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * Latin Genealogical Word List
 * Reading Spanish handwritten records
 * Script tutorial for Spanish

Collection Content
The information in each record may vary by year.

Baptism records may include the following information:


 * Date and place of baptism
 * Name and gender
 * Date of birth or age at time of baptism
 * Legitimacy to parents (whether biological or adopted)
 * Parents names, their residence, and place of origin
 * Names of paternal grandparents and their place of residence
 * Names of maternal grandparents and their place of residence
 * Name of godparents
 * Name of witnesses

Marriage records usually include:


 * Date and place of marriage
 * Names and ages of the bride and groom
 * Marital status, residence, and origin of bride and groom
 * Names of groom's parents, their residence, and place of origin
 * Names of bride's parents, their residence, and place of origin
 * Names of witnesses

Burial records usually include:


 * Date and place of death
 * Name and age of deceased (keep in mind that the records of women may be filed under their married name)
 * Marital status/name of spouse
 * Residence and/or place of origin
 * Cause of death
 * Date and place of burial
 * Sometimes, deceased may have left a testament
 * Sometimes, entries give the names of children

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?

 * 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 to find each of the couple's birth records and parents' names
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate civil records Spain Civil Registration - Vital Records
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family
 * The name of a marriage officiator is a clue to their religion or area of residence in the province. However, ministers may have reported marriages performed in other provinces
 * 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
 * Use the marital status (whether a divorce or death dissolved a marriage) to identify previous marriages
 * Witnesses often were relatives of the parents

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct
 * Regarding marriage and death records, name changes, shortened names, or nicknames may have been used by your ancestors, so pay attention to other relationships (parents, spouse, siblings, children, etc.) that can confirm whether you have the right person/record
 * 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
 * Continue to search the indexes and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have lived in the same area or a nearby area

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Maybe your ancestor immigrated to another country. Search immigration/emigration records
 * Spain Emigration and Immigration
 * Civil registration records (birth, marriage, and death records) are also a good substitute for when a church record cannot be found
 * Spain Civil Registration - Vital Records

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

"Spain, Lugo Diocese, Catholic Parish Records, 1550-1966" Database. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2017. Citing Archivos Diocesanos, Lugo, Spain.
 * Collection Citation:

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