Spain, Province of Barcelona, Municipal Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in the Collection?
This collection includes civil registration records, censuses, military records, and other miscellaneous records microfilmed and digitized at municipal archives in the province of Barcelona, Spain from the years 1387 to 1986.

Additional images will be published as they become available.

For additional details about the history of these records and help using them, see the wiki article Spain, Municipal Records (FamilySearch Historical Records).

For a list of records by localities and dates currently published in this collection, select the Browselink from the collection landing page.

Reading These Records
These records are written in Spanish; also see the section For Help Reading These Records for translation helps.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Civil registration includes birth, marriage, and death records.

Birth records generally include the following information:


 * Child's name and gender
 * Place and date of birth
 * Parents’ names
 * Parents' country of birth (if not more specific)

Marriage records may include the following:


 * Names and ages of groom and bride
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Birthplaces of groom and bride
 * Marital status of groom and bride
 * Names and ages of groom’s parents
 * Names and ages of bride’s parents
 * Who performed the marriage
 * Names of witnesses

Death records usually include:


 * Deceased's name, and age (keep in mind that death records for women may be filed under their married name)
 * Date and place of death
 * Date and place of birth
 * Marital status/spouse's name
 * Names of parents
 * Birthplaces of parents
 * Name of informant
 * Burial date and place

Census Records
Censuses usually contain the following information:


 * Names of household members
 * Ages
 * Birth dates of each household member
 * Relationship of each household member to the head of the household
 * Residence
 * Nationality or place of origin

Military Records
This record set may contain draft registrations, deployments, and pensions. Draft registrations generally include:


 * Name and age of draftee
 * Birth date and place
 * Closest relation and residence
 * Date and place of registration

How Do I Search The Collection?
You can search the index or view the images or both. 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

Search The Index
Search by name by visiting the Collection Page.
 * 1) Fill in the search boxes on the Collection Page with the information you have.
 * 2) Click Search to show possible matches.

View The Images
View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page.
 * 1) Select City or Municipality
 * 2) Select Parish
 * 3) Select Record Type and Years to view the images.

For Help Reading These Records
For help reading these Spanish records, see the following wiki articles:


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

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.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Save a copy of the image or transcribe the information. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details such as a title, an occupation, or land ownership. Add this new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors.
 * Before you move on – Get a copy of the citation of exactly where you found your ancestors record for further reference.  The image citation is available by clicking on the information tab at the bottom left of the screen where you’ve found your ancestor.
 * Use the marriage date and place as the basis for compiling a new family group or for verifying existing information.
 * Regarding 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.
 * 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 residence and names of the parents to locate church records Spain Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records).
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.
 * The name of a marriage officiator is a clue to their religion or area of residence in the province. However, ministers may have reported marriages performed in other provinces.
 * 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.
 * Use the marital status (whether a divorce or death dissolved a marriage) to identify previous marriages.
 * Witnesses often were relatives of the parents.

I Can't Find Who I'm Looking for, Now What?

 * New information is constantly being indexed, microfilmed or updated. Periodically check back and see if your ancestor’s records have been added.
 * Church records are also a good source of genealogical information. You should obtain copies of both church records and civil registration, when possible, since they do not necessarily provide the same information. For example, baptismal registers sometimes provide the names of the fathers of illegitimate children when the civil registration does not.  Some useful church records are:
 * Spain Baptisms
 * Spain Catholic Church Records
 * Spain Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * There may be more than one person with the same name.
 * 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.
 * Or your ancestor immigrated to another country. Search the records of nearby areas or Spain Emigration and Immigration.


 * 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

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, Province of Barcelona, Municipal Records, 1387-1986." Database with Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2017. Citing Municipal Archives, Barcelona, Spain.

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