Puerto Rico Getting Started

= Puerto Rico Getting Started =

Where to Start

 * Write down what you know
 * Pedigree Chart
 * Family group sheet


 * Gather records you may already have
 * Gather Family Information


 * Organize what you know
 * Organize and file materials

Probably the most important piece of information you will need to begin research in Puerto Rico is the name of a specific town in Puerto Rico where your ancestor lived.
 * Contact family for any useful information, stories, and records they may have.
 * Know the town of origin:
 * Puerto Rico Locating Place of Origin


 * Ask for help
 * Help from Family History Centers

= Puerto Rico Finding Records =

Types of Records
Places are usually written from smallest to largest:
 * Jurisdctions
 * Barrios, Municipality, Country

When a church parish is known it is written in this manner:
 * Parish, Barrios, Municipality, Country


 * Civil registration: The system by which a government records the vital events (births, marriages, and deaths) of its citizens and residents.
 * Catholic church records: Baptisms or christenings, marriages, and burials created by Catholic churches.

Online Records
Puerto Rico Online Genealogy Records Puerto Rico Guided Research contains links to civil registration collections. Puerto Rico Guided Research contains links to Catholic Church collections. Puerto Rico Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records is a wiki article describing the Catholic Church Records collection.
 * The most up to date Puerto Rico online records:
 * Civil registration records online:The Civil Registration records are located on the municipality level,
 * Church Records: FamilySearch has Catholic Church records from the Archdiocese of San Juan Historical Archive.

= Puerto Rico Quick Start Guide =

Research Strategies
If you don’t know the names of the parents, but you know the name of a spouse and/or the names of some of the children:
 * Who to search for?
 * 1) begin with a marriage search
 * 2) search for the birth/baptism record for one of the children

Names and Locations Known
Puerto Rico Guided Research contains links to the best record resources
 * Puerto Rico: Ancestor's birth, marriage, or death location and names of parents, children, or spouse are known:

Names and Locations Unknown
Guided Research What else you can try gives additional guidance and resources to find information for your ancestor.
 * Puerto Rico: Ancestor's birth, marriage, or death location and names of parents, children, or spouse are NOT known:

Finding a locality

 * Google
 * Wikipedia (Spanish version works the best)
 * Try a keyword search in the FamilySearch Catalog for Puerto Rico Gazetteers

Online resources
For other online resources please review the Wiki article Hispanic Genealogy Resources Online