Peru, Callao, Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

What Is In The Collection?
This collection consists of digital images of original civil registration records of births, marriages, and deaths from the Provincia Constitucional, or Callao, in Peru from 1874 to 1996.

El Callao (/kɑːˈjɑː.oʊ/; Spanish pronunciation: [kaˈʎa.o] or [kaˈʝa.o]) is the chief seaport of Peru. The city is also called Provincia Constitucional (Constitutional Province), the only province of the Callao Region. The Historic Centre of Callao is located 15 km (9.3 mi) west of Historic Centre of Lima, the country's capital, and is part of the Lima Metropolitan Area. Callao borders Lima Province on the north, east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west.

The registration of births, marriages, and deaths in Peru documents the civil status of the residents.

Earlier records are all handwritten in a narrative format. The later records are also handwritten but on a printed format. Some of their text may also vary slightly.

Before the government instituted civil registration in Peru, the Catholic Church was the only institution tracking the births, marriages, and deaths of the population. In 1852, during the Republican Era, the government instituted civil registration. This was first done by political authorities, such as prefecture, subprefecture, and state. In 1856, this responsibility was given to municipalities. Currently, civil registration is in the hands of RENIEC, which delegates the registration process to municipal registrars.

Reading These Records
These records are written in Spanish; see the section For Help Reading These Records for translation helps.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Information found in birth records may include the following:


 * Date and place of registration
 * Child's name and gender
 * Child's date and place of birth
 * Legitimacy
 * Father's name, age, occupation and origin
 * Mother's maiden name, age, occupation and origin

Information found in marriage records may include the following:


 * Date and place of the registration
 * Groom's name and age
 * Groom's occupation, origin and residence
 * Names of groom's parents, their origin and residence
 * Bride's name and age
 * Bride's origin and residence
 * Names of bride's parents, their origin and residence
 * Names of witnesses, their age(s), civil status and residence

Information found in death records may include the following:


 * Time, date, and place of registration
 * Name, age and gender of deceased
 * Race, civil status, and occupation of deceased
 * Nationality and origin of deceased
 * Parents' names
 * Declarents' name, age, civil status, occupation, origin and residence
 * Names of witnesses, their age(s), origin and residence

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Map of Peru, showing Callao next to Lima
 * AD 1797 map showing Callao de Lima (top map)

How Do I Search The Collection?
You can search the index or view the images or both. Before using this collection it is helpful to know:
 * Your ancestor's given name and surname
 * Identifying information such as residence
 * Estimated marriage or birth year
 * Family relationships

Search The Index
Search by name by visiting the Collection Page. For more tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.
 * 1) Fill in the search boxes on the Collection Page with the information you have.
 * 2) Click Search to show possible matches.

View The Images
View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page.
 * 1) Select Province
 * 2) Select District or Municipality
 * 3) Select Record Type and Years to view the images.

For Help Reading These Records
For help reading these Spanish records see the following guides:


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

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.

What Do I Do Next?
To learn more about using the information available in these records, view these lessons for free: 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. Keep in mind:
 * Documentos esenciales para buscar a sus antepasados - Spanish
 * Registros Civiles y Parroquiales - Spanish
 * 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.

I Found Who I was Looking for, Now What?

 * For 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.
 * Witnesses were sometimes relatives of the deceased or the deceased's parents.
 * 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.
 * 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 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.
 * 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.

I Can't Find Who I'm Looking for, Now What?
A boundary change could have occurred and the record of your ancestor is now in a neighboring region. Your ancestor may have also immigrated to another country. Search the records of nearby areas or immigration/emigration records: Church records are also a good substitute when birth, marriage, and death records can’t be found or are unavailable. Before the government instituted civil registration in Peru, the Catholic Church was the only institution tracking the births, marriages, and deaths of the population.
 * Peru Emigration and Immigration

Church records are also a good substitute when birth, marriage, and death records can’t be found or are unavailable. Before the government instituted civil registration in Peru, the Catholic Church was the only institution tracking the births, marriages, and deaths of the population.


 * Peru Baptisms (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Peru Marriages (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Peru Deaths (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Peru Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Peru Church 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.
 * Collection Citation:

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