Venezuela, Diocese of San Cristóbal, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes records dating from 1601 to 1954 from Catholic parishes under the Diocese of San Cristóbal located in the State of Táchira. The collection consists of baptism, marriage, and death records. Although the San Cristóbal diocese was only established in 1922, many parishes it serves date from the 19th century, and some of the parishes it serves date back to the 17th century. The city of San Cristóbal was founded in 1561 and has consistently been an important city in its region. Some of these records have been indexed and are searchable as part of this collection.

Records were made by Catholic priests or their associates, recorded in Spanish, and mostly written on either lined paper or blank paper that contained pre-printed numbers. Baptisms are between 1601 and 1949, Marriages are between 1644 and 1954, and Deaths are between 1601 and 1952. For additional details about the history of these records and help using them, see the wiki article Venezuela Church Records.

Reading These Records
These records are written in Spanish. For help reading these records see the following guides:
 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * BYU Spanish Script Tutorial
 * FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 1
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 2

If you speak Spanish, the following free online lesson may be helpful to learn how to use the information in these records:
 * Registros Civiles y Parroquiales – Spanish

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Baptism Records
 * Name, age, and gender
 * Birth date and place
 * Date and place of baptism
 * Names of parents
 * Names of godparents

Confirmation Records
 * Name, age, and gender
 * Date and place of confirmation
 * Names of parents
 * Names of godparents

Marriage Records
 * Names of groom and bride
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Birthplaces of groom and bride
 * Names of groom’s parents
 * Names of bride’s parents
 * Who performed the marriage
 * Names of witnesses

Death Records
 * Deceased’s name, gender, and age
 * Date and place of death
 * Marital status/name of spouse
 * Names of parents

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before using 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
To view images in this collection:
 * 1) To know what's in each film number, click here Venezuela, Diocese of San Cristóbal, Catholic Church Records Digital Folder Number List
 * 2) Go to the Browse Page
 * 3) Select the Film number 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?

 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct
 * For death records, the information in records is usually reliable, but depends upon the knowledge of the informant
 * For marriage and death records, name changes, shortened names, or nicknames may have been used by your ancestors, so pay attention to other relationships (parents, spouse, siblings, children, etc.) that can confirm whether you have the right person/record. 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
 * Continue to search the indexes and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have lived in the same area or a nearby area

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

 * 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
 * A boundary change could have occurred and the record of your ancestor is now in a neighboring state or region, or your ancestor immigrated to another country. Search the records of nearby areas or immigration/emigration records
 * Venezuela Emigration and Immigration
 * Civil registration records are also a good source of genealogical information
 * Venezuela Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Venezuela.
 * Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

Citations 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.