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

What is in the Collection?
This collection of notary public wills is for the years 1531-1920 from the province of Cádiz.

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

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, unauthorized 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.

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.

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.

Collection Content
Wills may contain the following information:


 * Name of testator
 * Place of birth
 * Current residence
 * Spouse's name
 * Parents’ names
 * Marriage date and place of testators
 * Names of children/heirs and their vital information
 * Executor’s name
 * Witnesses’ names
 * Burial request

How Do I Search the Collection?
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. It will also help to know the approximate year of his or her death.

See the sections below for tips and uses for searching and finding the record of your ancestor in this collection and using the information in the record.

If you are unable to find a record for your ancestor in this collection, see the corresponding section below.

Search the Collection
Search by Name by visiting the Collection Page To search the collection, you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒Select the "Province" ⇒Select the "City" ⇒Select the "Notary and Years of Service" ⇒Select the "Volume and Years", which will take you to the images.

Search the collection by index or image, comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several entries or images and compare the information about the individuals listed to your ancestors to make this determination.

When searching: As you are searching, it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor's given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence, age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

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


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

What Do I Do Next?
Use these records to learn information that would lead to finding baptismal/birth, marriage, and/or death/burial records. Wills/testamentos are good for learning the death date and place, what family/friends he/she had at the time of death, his/her wealth status at the time of death; for example, if your ancestor gave parcels of owned land to descendants/relatives, then you know to look for land records.


 * Use the age to calculate a birth date.
 * Use the names of family members and look for their records.
 * Use the place of residence as a starting point and search nearby towns for further records and ancestors.

I Found Who I was Looking for, Now What?
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 that changed where records were kept. If you are unable to find your ancestor(s) in these civil registers, then try searching in the areas surrounding Barcelona.

Church records are also a good source for birth, marriage, and death information.


 * Spain Baptisms
 * Spain Catholic Church Records
 * Spain Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Or your ancestor immigrated to another country. Search the records of nearby areas or immigration/emigration records:

Spain Emigration and Immigration

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:

"Spain, Cádiz, Testaments, 1531-1920." Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2017. Citing Provincial Historical Archives, Cádiz, Spain.

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