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

What is in This Collection?
This collection of Catholic Church records of baptisms, marriages, and deaths from the Diocese of Avila, Spain, covers the years from 1502-1975. The collection includes an index of records of several parishes in the diocese.

Some of the parish records from Avila have been preserved well, but others have some damage. Usually separate registers were maintained for baptisms, marriages, and deaths. However, in localities with a small population the records of baptisms, marriages, and burials were recorded in the same register and are separated from other registers by years. Confirmations were usually recorded with the baptismal registers, but can also be found with deaths and marriages. Generally, entries were created in chronological order.

Parish 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 centralized in the diocesan archive, as it is done currently. Catholic parish records cover 95 to 100% of a city’s population. This collection only includes 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:

Baptism
 * Date and place of baptism, including name of church
 * Name and gender
 * Legitimacy to parents (whether biological or adopted)
 * Date and place of birth
 * Father's name and birthplace
 * Mother's maiden name and birthplace
 * Names of paternal grandparents and their birthplace
 * Names of maternal grandparents and their birthplace
 * Names of witnesses

Marriage
 * Date and place of marriage, including parish and priest's name
 * Groom's name and age
 * Groom's occupation
 * Names of groom's parents
 * Bride's name and age
 * Bride's birthplace
 * Names of bride's parents
 * Names of witnesses

Burial
 * Date, time, and place of death
 * Name, gender, and age of deceased (keep in mind that the records of women may be filed under their married name)
 * Place of birth
 * Marital status and residence
 * Cause of death
 * Spouse's name if married
 * Sometimes, will mention deceased parents
 * Testament information (testaments include the names of the children)
 * Names of witnesses
 * Date and place of burial
 * }

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Your ancestor's given name and surname
 * Identifying information such as residence
 * Estimated marriage or birth year
 * Family relationships

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

What If I Can't Find Who I'm Looking For?

 * Consult the Spain Record Finder to find other records
 * 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 ancestors have immigrated to another country. Search the records of nearby areas or Spain Emigration and Immigration
 * Spain Civil Registration - Vital Records are also a good substitute when baptism, marriage, and burial records can’t be found or are unavailable
 * 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 in your research for 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 Ávila, Registros da Igreja Católica (Registros Históricos do FamilySearch)