Mexico Catholic Church Other Ecclesiastical Records

Other Ecclesiastical Records
Many other records were kept by the Catholic Church that are valuable for genealogical research. These include:


 * Censuses and Enrollments (Censos, Matrículas, Padrones). Ecclesiastical censuses and enrollments were taken periodically, sometimes listing complete families living within the parish, with their ages, place of residence, or place of origin. The information listed varies from census to census. There are parish, diocese, and archdiocese censuses, each including the families under their jurisdictions.


 * Wills, Testaments, and Intestate (Testamentos e Intestados). These can contain a wealth of information. They may list offices, positions, and titles held by the deceased; their possessions; and names of spouses and children, with their ages and place of residence. These documents go back to the times of the earliest land records (encomiendas).


 * Parish account books (libros de fábrica). Inventories of church property.


 * Chaplaincies (Capellanías). Records of monetary and property grants to the church.


 * Lawsuits (Pleitos). Records of property and privilege claims involving the church.


 * Fraternal order books (Libros de Cofradías). Record books of lay societies that assisted in parish activities.