Spain, Province of Cádiz, Notarial Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Foreign Language Title
España, Testamentos Notariales de Cádiz

Collection Time Period
This collection of notary public wills is from the years 1550-1920.

Record Description
The records are testaments (wills) that were written in the presence of a notary public of the province of Cádiz. This collection was kept at the Archivo Histórico Provincial de Cádiz, Spain. Documents are written in Spanish.

Record Content
Key genealogical facts found in these wills may include the following: Names of testators Place of origin and of residence Legitimacy and parents’ names Burial request Marriage date and place of testators Relatives’ names Names of children and their vital information Testamentary executor’s name Witnesses’ names

How to Use These Wills or Testaments
The open wills in this collection are alphabetically organized. In order to find your ancestor, it is necessary to know the name of the deceased person that left the will and will also help to know the approximate year of his or her death.

Record History
This is a collection of wills created before a notary public, who kept the original document until the death of the person that created the will; another copy was kept at the General Registry of Wills (Registro General de Actos de Última Voluntad). Through the life of the testator, the General Registry kept the will as a secret document, not authorized to be viewed by anyone until the death of the testator. At the death of the person, the family would inquire at the General Registry of Wills to find out which will was the latest created by the testator and where it was created, especially if the family did not know which notary public was holding the original copy.

Why This Record Was Created
A wealthy person usually created a will in order to leave properties and goods as an inheritance to his or her children and others. In order to do this, the person would hire a notary public. The notary had the knowledge to write this kind of document, which needed to fulfill legal formalities.

Record Reliability
The vital information contained in these wills may be reliable since the testator had to provide his or her legal identification and proof of property and goods ownership, as well as the names and personal identification of the inheritors.

Related Websites
Tu Abogado Defensor : La Partición de la Herencia.

[http://www.imsersomayores.csic.es/documentos/documentos/melich-testamento-01.pdf Informes Portal Mayores : El testamento. Clases de testamentos y disposiciones testamentarias.]

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Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should also list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. 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.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the Wiki Article: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Examples of Source Citations for a Record in This Collection

 * United States. Bureau of the Census. 12th census, 1900, digital images, from FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: September 29, 2006), Arizona Territory, Maricopa, Township 1, East Gila, Salt River Base and Meridian; sheet 9B, line 71.
 * Mexico, Distrito Federal, Catholic Church Records, 1886-1933, digital images, from FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: April 22, 2010), Baptism of Adolfo Fernandez Jimenez, 1 Feb. 1910, San Pedro Apóstol, Cuahimalpa, Distrito Federal, Mexico, film number 0227023.

Sources for This Collection
España. Notario Público de Cádiz. Testamentos, 1550-1920. Archivo Histórico Provincial de Cádiz. Spain. Notary Public of Cadiz. Wills, 1550-1920. Provincial Historical Archive of Cadiz.

The suggested format for citing FamilySearch Historical Collections is found in the following article: How to Create Source Citations for FamilySearch Historical Records Collections.