Mexico, Chiapas, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains Catholic Church records of baptisms, confirmations, marriages, marriage information, and deaths for the state of Chiapas in Mexico, with some records from parishes in Huehuetenango in Guatemala. The collection includes years 1557 to 1978. For additional details about the history of these records and help using them, see the wiki article Mexico Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records).

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

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Baptismal records generally contain the following information:


 * Date and place of baptism
 * Name of child
 * Child's birth date and place
 * Gender
 * Legitimacy
 * Names of parents
 * Before 1820, social class of the parents
 * Sometimes the child's race

Marriage records generally contain the following information:


 * Name of the diocese
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Groom's name and age
 * Groom's marital status and residence
 * Names of groom's parents and their residence
 * Bride's name and age
 * Bride's marital status and residence
 * Names of bride's parents and their residence
 * Names of the witnesses and their residence
 * Sometimes the legitimacy and race of the bride and groom

Burial or death records generally contain the following information:


 * Name and age of deceased
 * Date of death or burial
 * Place of death or burial
 * Sometimes name of spouse, if married
 * Sometimes names of parents
 * Origin or residence of deceased
 * Sometimes race of the deceased

Sample Images
Baptismal records generally contain the following information:


 * Date and place of baptism
 * Name of child
 * Child's birth date and place
 * Gender
 * Legitimacy
 * Names of parents
 * Before 1820, social class of the parents
 * Sometimes the child's race

Marriage records generally contain the following information:


 * Name of the diocese
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Groom's name and age
 * Groom's marital status and residence
 * Names of groom's parents and their residence
 * Bride's name and age
 * Bride's marital status and residence
 * Names of bride's parents and their residence
 * Names of the witnesses and their residence
 * Sometimes the legitimacy and race of the bride and groom

Burial or death records generally contain the following information:


 * Name and age of deceased
 * Date of death or burial
 * Place of death or burial
 * Sometimes name of spouse, if married
 * Sometimes names of parents
 * Origin or residence of deceased
 * Sometimes race of the deceased

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 : 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.
 * 1) Select City or Town
 * 2) Select Parish
 * 3) Select Record Type and Years to view the images.

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?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the information to find more. For instance, use the age listed in the record to estimate a year of birth, if that is yet undetermined
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in 1930, Mexico National Census
 * Compile information for every person who has the same surname as your ancestor; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent
 * Make sure to fully transcribe and cite the record entry for future reference; see the section Citing this Collection for assistance. Save or print a copy of the image

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

 * Consult the Mexico Record Finder to find other records
 * Unable to find your ancestor? Try looking through records in the surrounding localities. Oaxaca is on the western boarder, Veracruz shares a small part of the western border, Tabasco is on the north and northeastern, and Guatemala is on the eastern.
 * 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
 * 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

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.

"México, Chiapas, registros parroquiales y diocesanos, 1557-1978." Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org :14 June 2016. Citing Archivo Histórico Diocesano de San Cristobóbal de la Casas.
 * Collection Citation:

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