Spain, Cantabria, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
Registros Parroquiales de la Diócesis Católica de Santander, Cantabria, España.

Record Description
This is an index of baptisms, marriages, and death records for some parishes in the Diocese of Santander. Some of the parishes included in this first collection are the localities of Santillana del Mar, Torrelavega and Reocín. The territory of this diocese comprises the whole province of Cantabria. Additional indexed records will be published as they become available.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the data and images published on FamilySearch.org Historical Records. It may include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
Some key genealogical facts found in baptism records are:


 * Place and date
 * Name
 * Parents' names

Some key genealogical facts found in marriage records are:


 * Place and date
 * Names of groom and bride
 * Personal information of groom and bride
 * Parents' names

Some key genealogical facts found in marriage records are:


 * Place and date of death
 * Name of deceased
 * Cause of death
 * Burial place

How to Use the Record
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 employment records, military records, or other types of records.
 * Use the parent’s birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.
 * The name of the officiator is a clue to a couple’s religion or area of residence in the county. However, ministers may have reported marriages performed in other counties.
 * 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.
 * Use the marriage number to identify previous marriages.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

Related Websites

 * Archivo Histórico Diocesano de Santander
 * Diócesis de Santander

Related Wiki Articles

 * Spain Catholic Church Records
 * Spain Catholic Church Directories

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 Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
“Argentina, Buenos Aires, Catholic Church Records, 1635-1981,” digital images, FamilySearch (: accessed 28 February, 2012), Artemio Avendano and Clemtina Peralta, 1884; La Plata &gt; San Ponciano &gt; Matrimonios 1884-1886 &gt; image 71; citing Parroquia de San Ponciano en la Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.