Venezuela, Archdiocese of Caracas, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains Catholic Church records created in the Archdiocese of Caracas, Venezuela. These records include baptisms, confirmations, marriages, pre-marriage investigations, marriage dispensations, deaths, indexes, and miscellaneous administrative documents. Some of these records have been indexed and are searchable as part of this collection.

Reading These Records
These records are written in Spanish. For help reading them see: FamilySearch Learning Center videos: If you speak Spanish, the following free online lesson may be helpful to learn how to use the information in these records:
 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * BYU Spanish Script Tutorial
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 1
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 2
 * Registros Civiles y Parroquiales – Spanish

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The information in these records may include the following:

Baptism
 * Date and place of the baptism
 * Name and gender
 * Date of birth
 * Legitimacy
 * Parents’ names, residence, and/or place of birth
 * Name of godparents

Marriage
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Names and ages of bride and groom
 * Marital status
 * Place of birth and residence of the bride and groom
 * Parents’ names and residence
 * Name of witnesses

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

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * Approximate date of the event

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
 * If available, check the image for additional information
 * Analyze the entry to see if it provides additional clues to find other records of the person or their family

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

 * Try searching by surname only
 * The person may be recorded with an abbreviated or variant form of their name
 * Remember that spelling was generally not standardized until the early part of the 20th century

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

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.