Mexico, Querétaro, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Records
Registros Paroquiales de la Iglesia Católica del Estado de Querétaro, México

Record Description
This Collection will include records from 1590 to 1970. The text of the records is in Spanish.

Record Content
Baptism or confirmation records may contain the following:


 * Date and place of baptism or confirmation
 * Child's name and gender
 * Legitimacy
 * Child's date and place of birth
 * Parents' names
 * Names of godparents and their parents
 * Before 1820, social class of parents

Marriage records may contain the following:


 * Date and place of marriage
 * Groom's name and age
 * Groom's date and place of birth, baptism and confirmation
 * Groom's legitimacy, civil status, occupation, and residence
 * Names of groom's parents, their origin and residence
 * Bride's name and age
 * Bride's date and place of birth, baptism and confirmation
 * Bride's legitimacy, origin and residence
 * Names of bride's parents, their origin and residence
 * Names of the witnesses
 * Witnesses' birth date and place, legitimacy, occupation, religion, parents' names, residence, and time they have known the bride and groom

Death records may contain the following:


 * Name and age of deceased
 * Date and place of death
 * Cause of death
 * Name of person making declaration
 * Declarant's relationship to deceased
 * Sometimes, the names of parents
 * Sometimes, the name of spouse, if deceased was married
 * Sometimes, burial information

Search the Collection
To search the collection by index: Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

To browse the collection by image: ⇒ Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒ Select the "City or Town" ⇒ Select the "Parish" ⇒ Select the "Record Type and Years" which takes you to 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.

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 and 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.

Using the Information
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.

For example:


 * 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 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.
 * The name of the officiator is a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county. However, ministers may have reported marriages performed in other counties.
 * 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.

Keep in mind:


 * The information in church records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant.
 * 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.

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


 * 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

Surrounding Localities
Unable to find your ancestor? Try looking through records in the surrounding localities. Guanajuato is to the west, San Luis Potosí to the north, Hidalgo to the east, Estado de México to the southeast, and Michoacán to the southwest.

Related Websites

 * Querétaro Maps
 * Querétaro History

Related Wiki Articles

 * Mexico
 * Querétaro
 * Mexico Church Records
 * Mexico Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. 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. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually. Collection Citation:  Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation: