Dominican Republic, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
República Dominicana. Registros parroquiales de la Iglesia Católica.

Collection Time Period
This collection of baptisms, marriages, and burials covers the years of 1590 through 1955.

Record Description
This collection contains baptism, confirmation, marriage, and death records, as well as some indexes originally created in local Catholic Church parishes of the Dominican Republic. They were handwritten in Spanish by the priest in charge of the jurisdiction where the event took place. Most of the records are written in narrative style. Depending on the priest, some records have more information than others.

Record Content
The key genealogical facts found on most baptism records include the following:


 * Place of event
 * Date of event
 * Name of the child
 * Parents’ names
 * Grandparents’ names
 * Godparents’ names

The key genealogical facts found on most marriage records include the following:


 * Place and date of the event
 * Names of the bride and groom
 * Personal information of the bride and groom
 * Parents’ names of the bride and groom
 * Place of residence

The key genealogical facts found on most death or burial records include the following:


 * Date and place of death
 * Name of the deceased person
 * Sometimes the names of the parents or spouse of the deceased person
 * Cause of death
 * Burial place

How to Use the Records
Begin your search by finding your ancestors in the index. Name indexes to baptisms, marriages, and deaths or burials make it possible to access a specific record quickly. Remember that these indexes may contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings and misinterpretations. If the information was scanned, there may be optical character recognition errors.

When searching the index, it is helpful to know the following:


 * The place where the event occurred
 * The name and surname of the person
 * The approximate date of the event
 * The names of the parents or spouse

Use the locator information found in the index (such as page, entry, or certificate number) to locate your ancestors in the records. Compare the information in the record to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct person. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination. When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which entry is the one you need.

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’ birthplaces 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.
 * Use the marriage number to identify previous marriages.

Looking in the same collection, you may be able to identify other members of the family:


 * 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.

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 1800s.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another.

If you are unable to find the ancestors you are looking for, try the following:


 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Check for a different index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities.

Record History
The records in this collection were created in different Catholic Church jurisdictions throughout the Dominican Republic. Authorized priests received an order from the Queen of Spain to record the events of baptism, marriage, and burial of his parish jurisdiction. These records were to be recorded in registers that were kept at the parish level archive, and a copy was sent to the diocesan archive for preservation. Earlier records were handwritten in narrative style, and later records were handwritten in formatted registers. All records are written in Spanish; some may include some Latin words.

Why the Record Was Created
Catholic Church priests were requested to record events, such as baptisms and confirmations, marriages, and deaths or burials, in the life of members under their jurisdiction. Priests also kept registers for other ecclesiastical records related to the administration of their parishes. A copy of each record was to be sent to the diocese of the area.

Record Reliability
The Catholic Church records of the Dominican Republic are the best reliable source for genealogical research. For research after the civil registration implementation in 1944, it is suggested to research both civil and church records and to compare the information.

Related Websites

 * Dominican Republic Genealogy GenWeb Project
 * Genealogy Resources for Dominican Republic

Related Wiki Articles

 * Dominican Republic
 * Dominican Republic Civil Registration (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Dominican Republic Vital Records Index (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. 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.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the Wiki Article: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Examples of Source Citations for a Record in This Collection

 * “Delaware Marriage Records,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 4 March 2011), entry for William Anderson and Elizabeth Baynard Henry, married 23 November 1913; citing marriage certificate no. 859; FHL microfilm 2,025,063; Delaware Bureau of Archives and Records Management, Dover.
 * “El Salvador Civil Registration,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 21 March 2011), entry for Jose Maria Antonio del Carmen, born 9 April 1880; citing La Libertad, San Juan Opico, Nacimientos 1879-1893, image 50; Ministerio Archivo Civil de la Alcaldia Municipal de San Salvador.

Sources of Information for This Collection
Dominican Republic. Various Catholic Church parishes. Registros parroquiales, 1590-1955. Archbishopric of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Original copies are also housed in various dioceses and parish archives throughout the Dominican Republic:


 * Dominican Republic. Registros parroquiales, 1590-1955. Bishopric of Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic.
 * Dominican Republic. Registros parroquiales, 1590-1955. Diocese of San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic.
 * Dominican Republic. Registros parroquiales, 1590-1955. Diocese of San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic.
 * Dominican Republic. Registros parroquiales, 1590-1955. Bishopric of La Vega, Dominican Republic.
 * Dominican Republic. Registros parroquiales, 1590-1955. Bishopric of San Francisco de Macoris, Dominican Republic.
 * Dominican Republic. Registros parroquiales, 1590-1955. Bishopric of San Juan de la Maguana, Dominican Republic.
 * Dominican Republic. Registros parroquiales, 1590-1955. Bishopric of Mao-Montecristi, Dominican Republic.
 * Dominican Republic. Registros parroquiales, 1590-1955. Diocese of Higuey, Dominican Republic.

Detailed instructions for adding citations are also listed in the wiki article: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.