Spain, Diocese of Albacete, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection of Catholic Church records of baptisms, marriages, and burials for the province of Albacete, Spain, covers the years 1504–1979. It includes an index of records of several parishes in the diocese. Additional indexed data will be added as they become available. Usually separate registers were maintained for baptisms, marriages, and deaths. However, in localities with a small population, the entries for these events may have been recorded in the same register. Confirmations were usually recorded with the baptisms. The earlier records may have some words or entries written in Latin. In general, the records were created in chronological order and includes some separate indexes.

Priests performed the baptisms, marriages, deaths, burials, and other holy sacraments in their assigned parish or parishes. All the original parish records were kept in the parish archive; however, the older records were sent to the diocesan archive, as it is done today. Some earlier records may have been recreated, because the originals may have been destroyed during the Spanish wars. Catholic parish records cover 95 to 100 percent of a city’s population. This collection includes only the parish records that were centralized into the diocesan archive.

Reading These Records
These records are written in Spanish. For help reading them see: FamilySearch Learning Center videos: If you speak Spanish, the following free online lesson may be helpful to learn how to use the information in these records:
 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * BYU Spanish Script Tutorial
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 1
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 2
 * Registros Civiles y Parroquiales – Spanish

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

Baptismal
 * Date and place of baptism, including name of parish and priest
 * Name and gender of person being baptized
 * Date, time, and place of birth or age at time of baptism
 * Legitimacy to parents (whether biological or adopted)
 * Names of parents including maiden name of mother
 * Names of paternal grandparents
 * Names of maternal grandparents
 * Names of godparents
 * Names of witnesses

Marriage
 * Date and place of marriage, including name of parish and priest
 * Names and ages of groom and bride
 * Legitimacy to parents
 * Marital status and occupation of groom
 * Names of groom's parents
 * Bride's birthplace
 * Names of bride's parents
 * Names of witnesses

Burial
 * Date and place of burial, including name of parish
 * Name, gender, and age of deceased (keep in mind that the records of women may be filed under their married name)
 * Place of birth
 * Date and place of death
 * Cause of death
 * Spouse's name, if married
 * Parents' names if a minor
 * Witnesses' names
 * Date and place of burial
 * Sometimes, if deceased left a testament, the record will list the children’s names, marital status of deceased (single, divorced, widowed), the name and birthplace of the spouse, and sometimes the parents’ names and where they are from.

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. Keep track of your research in a research log.

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

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Check the image the index was taken from to see if there is additional information
 * Make sure to fully transcribe and cite the record entry for future reference
 * Use the information to find more. For instance, use the age listed in the record to estimate a year of birth, if that is yet undetermined
 * 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
 * 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 residence and names of the parents to locate civil records Spain Civil Registration - Vital Records
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Search the records and indexes of neighboring cities, provinces, and regions
 * 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
 * Or your ancestor may have immigrated to another country. Search the records of nearby areas or Spain Emigration and Immigration
 * New information is constantly being indexed, microfilmed or updated. Periodically check back to see if your ancestor’s records have been added.  You can see if the area you’ve been looking in has been recently updated by going to Historical Records Collections.  Watch for an asterisk for recently added or updated records

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in Spain.
 * Spain Record Finder
 * Spain Research Tips and Strategies

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.

Espanha, Diocese de Albacete, Registros da Igreja Católica (Registros Históricos do FamilySearch)