Mexico, Guanajuato, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection from several parishes in the State of Guanajuato, Mexico, covers the years 1519 to 1984.

Reading These Records
Example: These records are in Spanish. For assistance with the Spanish language, see the section For Help Reading These Records.

What Can These Records Tell Me?

 * Baptism
 * Confirmation
 * Marriage
 * Death

Sample Images
Baptism records usually contain the following information:


 * Date and place of baptism
 * Child's name and gender
 * Child's date and place of birth
 * Parents' names
 * Godparents' names

Confirmation records usually contain the following information:


 * Date and place of confirmation
 * Name and birth date of person being confirmed
 * Parents' names
 * Godparents' names

Marriage records usually contain the following information:


 * Date and place of marriage
 * Names of the bride and groom
 * Names of the parents
 * Names of godparents
 * Names of the witnesses

Death records usually contain the following information:


 * Name and age of deceased
 * Date and place of death
 * Cause of death
 * Origin and marital status of deceased
 * Parents' name
 * Burial information

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Your ancestor's given name and surname
 * Identifying information such as residence
 * Estimated marriage or birth year

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select City or Town
 * 2) Select Parish
 * 3) Select Record Type and Years to view 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.

For Help Reading These Records
Examples:
 * 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

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.

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

 * 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.
 * 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 employment records or other types of records such as military records
 * 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

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?
New information is constantly being indexed, microfilmed or updated. Periodically check back to see if your ancestor’s records have been added. You can see if the area you’ve been looking in has been recently updated by going to Historical Records Collections. Watch for an asterisk for recently added or updated records.
 * Consult the Mexico Record Finder to find other records marriages, and deaths cannot be found or are unavailable
 * Check for variants of given names, surnames, and place names. Transcription errors could occur in any handwritten record; also, it was not uncommon for an individual be listed under a nickname or an abbreviation of their name. Click here for a list of Spanish name abbreviations
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1800
 * Unable to find your ancestor? Try looking through records in the surrounding localities. Jalisco is to the west, San Luis Potosí to the north, Querétaro to the east, and Michoacán to the south. (Zacatecas and Guanajuato share a northern border for a little over one mile.)

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached 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.

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.

"Mexico, Guanajuato, Catholic Church Records, 1519-1984." Database and images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 17 February 2017. Parroquias Católicas, Guanajuato (Catholic Church parishes, Guanajuato).
 * Collection Citation:

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