Spain, Diocese of Sigüenza-Guadalajara, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
España, Diocesis de Sigüenza-Guadalajara, Registros Parroquiales

Record Description
This collection includes Catholic Church records from 1496-1989. These records were created by the parishes and the administration of the Diocese of Sigüenza-Guadalajara, Spain. These records mostly include baptisms, confirmations, marriages, burials, but does include some others, such as nobility records.

For nobles, grooms and brides were required to have their direct lines traced back a few generations to make sure the two weren't related.

These records are in Spanish, but some may be in Latin; see the section "For Help Reading These Records" for links to translation help guides.

Record Content
The information in each record may vary by year.

Nobility records may include the following:
 * Name of groom and bride
 * Names of each their direct ancestors
 * Date of document
 * Explanation of any familial reason why the groom and bride can't marry

How to Use the Record
When searching: As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor's given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence, age, parents' names, where and when the event took place, and family relationships.

Some record sets have indexes; these indexes were created at the end of the year. Copy errors, altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors (if the information was scanned) could have been made in the index, so you want to find the actual record to verify the information is correct. Using the index is a quick and helpful way to find the actual record.

See the sections below for tips and uses for searching and finding the record of your ancestor in this collection and using the information in the record.

If you are unable to find a record for your ancestor in this collection, see the corresponding section below.

Search the Collection
To search by image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the 'Province' (Provincia) category ⇒ Select the 'City or Town' (Ciudad o pueblo) category ⇒ Select the 'Parroquia' (Parish) category ⇒ Select the 'Tipo de registro y años' (Record Type and Years) category which takes you to the images.

Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

For Help Reading These Records
These records are in Spanish or Latin. For help reading the records, see the following wiki articles:
 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * Latin Genealogical Word List
 * Reading Spanish handwritten records
 * Script tutorial for Spanish

Using the Information

 * 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 to find each of the couple's birth records and parents' names.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate civil records. This link describes the history and content of Spain Civil Registration - Vital Records.
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.
 * The name of a marriage officiator is a clue to their religion or area of residence in the province. However, ministers may have reported marriages performed in other provinces.
 * 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.
 * Use the marital status (whether a divorce or death dissolved a marriage) to identify previous marriages.
 * Witnesses often were relatives of the parents.

Tips to Keep in Mind
When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

Regarding marriage and death records, name changes, shortened names, or nicknames may have been used by your ancestors, so pay attention to other relationships (parents, spouse, siblings, children, etc.) that can confirm whether you have the right person/record.

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.

Continue to search the indexes and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have lived in the same area or a nearby area.

Unable to Find your Ancestor?
If you can't find your ancestor in this collection, perhaps your ancestor moved, so the records of your ancestor are in a nearby province. Search the records of nearby provinces.

Maybe your ancestor immigrated to another country; search Spain Emigration and Immigration.

Civil registration records (birth, marriage, and death records) are also a good source of family history information. When a church record cannot be found, search Spain Civil Registration - Vital Records.

Related Websites

 * Diócesis de Sigüenza-Guadalajara
 * Spanish Genealogy
 * Hispanic Genealogy Blog is written in English.
 * Blog de Genealogía Hispaña Blog is written in Spanish.
 * Genealogía Española-España GenWeb Website is in Spanish.
 * Guía de los Archivos de la Iglesia en España

Related Wiki Articles

 * Spain Catholic Church Records
 * Spain Catholic Church Directories
 * Spain Websites
 * Spain

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. 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. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection citation:

Image citation: