Argentina, Capital Federal, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Argentina

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes records dating from 1737 to 1977 and contains baptism, confirmation, marriage, and death records from parishes in the Buenos Aires City as it existed at the end of the 20th century. Earlier registers are handwritten in narrative style, and later records were handwritten on printed forms.

Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces (Spanish: provincias, singular provincia) and one autonomous city (ciudad autónoma), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, which is the federal capital of the nation (Spanish: Capital Federal) as decided by Congress.

Buenos Aires City, or Capital Federal, was founded in 1580 (after an aborted attempt 40 years earlier) and was part of the provinces in the area—first Asunción then Buenos Aires—until 1880, when the city was separated from Buenos Aires Province and federalized (put under direct control of the national government).

As of 20 December 2016 this collection included records from the following parishes:

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

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Birth Records
 * Date of event
 * Place of event
 * Name of Child
 * Child's birth date
 * Father’s name
 * Father’s origin and age
 * Mother’s name
 * Mother’s origin and age
 * Parents' residence
 * Names of godparents

Confirmation Record
 * Confirmation date
 * Name
 * Gender
 * Godparents

Marriage Records
 * Date of event
 * Place of event
 * Name of groom
 * Groom’s age, race, origin and civil status
 * Groom’s place of residence
 * Groom's religion
 * Groom's occupation
 * Names of groom's parents and their origin
 * Can read and write
 * Name of bride
 * Bride’s age, race, origin and civil status
 * Bride’s place of residence
 * Bride’s religion
 * Bride's occupation
 * Names of bride's parents and their origin
 * Can read and write
 * Witness's name, age, origin and residence

Death Records
 * Name of deceased
 * Date of death
 * Age of deceased
 * Residence of deceased
 * Cause of death
 * Witness's name, age and residence

How Do I Search This 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.

For more tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the 
 * 1) Select City or Town
 * 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
 * Reading Spanish handwritten records
 * Script tutorial for Spanish
 * Argentina Language and Languages

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.

What Do I Do Next?

 * When you have found your ancestors original record, it is a good idea to make a copy of it or cite where you found it for future reference.


 * It's always a good idea to keep your citation on a Research Log. This is an important tool to help keep track of what you have and have not found.  Family search wiki has a  Research Log that you can download and use.

To learn more about using the information available in these records, view these lessons for free:
 * Documentos esenciales para buscar a sus antepasados - Spanish
 * Registros Civiles y Parroquiales – Spanish

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, Now What?

 * 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 spouse 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 death date or age along with the place of death to find birth records.
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.
 * Compile information for every person who has the same surname as your ancestor; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives 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.

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, Now What?
Hispanic Genealogy Research community on Facebook is a page sponsored by FamilySearch and here you may also post a question or upload an image of a document for further assistance. The Hispanic Genealogy Research page is designed especially for those who have Hispanic ancestry but may not be fluent in Spanish. Be sure to click like on the page on your first visit so you can receive information and updates from the page in your news feed. Investigación Genealógica en Argentina is another FamilySearch research community page on Facebook where you can post questions and upload images of documents. The majority of the posts on this page are in Spanish but you are welcome to post on the page in English. Be sure to click like on the page on your first visit so you can receive information and updates from the page in your news feed.
 * In 1886 the civil government began keeping vital records (civil registration). If you are looking for ancestors who came before this time, then the Catholic Church parish registers are the best records available to identify these individuals, since church records were around for hundreds of years prior to civil registration. For civil vital records of births, deaths, and marriages after 1886, see Argentina Civil Registration (Registro Civil).
 * 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.
 * You ancestor may be using a nickname or alias.
 * A boundary change could have occurred and the record of your ancestor is now in a neighboring area. Search the records and indexes of neighboring cities, provinces, and regions.
 * Your ancestor may have immigrated to another country. Search the records of nearby countries or immigration/emigration records.
 * Vary the search terms. For example, search by either the given name or surname to return broader list of possible candidates which can then be examined for matches. Or try expanding the date range; this is especially useful in searching baptismal records, as it was not unusual for a child to be baptized weeks or even months after birth.
 * If you get stuck and can’t read a document or you’re not sure where to go next in your research, you can ask for help through these resources.

Known Issues With This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

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:

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