Spain, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Spain

What is in This Collection?
This collection of Catholic parish records covers 1307 through 1985. The collection includes baptism, marriage, and burial records from the dioceses of Avila, Ciudad Real, Ciudad Rodrigo, Gerona, Lugo, Murcia, and Segovia.

The Catholic Church parish registers were created to record the church sacraments of baptism, marriage, death and burial, and other ordinances pertaining to members within the church jurisdiction. Thus, they are a reliable source for doing genealogical research in Spain.

Most of the records were handwritten in narrative style. In later years, the records may be handwritten in formatted registers. Entries were created in chronological order with the exception of a few entries. Early registers may have some ecclesiastical wording written in Latin, but the main language of the records is Spanish.

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, and a duplicate copy was and is centralized in the corresponding diocesan archive. Most of the parish records in Spain have been preserved relatively well, but some older entries may 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. Confirmations were usually recorded with the baptismal registers but can also be found with deaths and marriages.

Reading These Records
For help reading these Spanish and Latin records, see the following guides:

These records are written in Spanish. For help reading these records see the following guides:
 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * BYU Spanish Script Tutorial
 * FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 1
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 2

If you speak Spanish, the following free online lesson may be helpful to learn how to use the information in these records:
 * 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
 * Name and gender
 * Date, time, and place of birth
 * Legitimacy
 * Parents’ names
 * Names of paternal grandparents and their residence
 * Names of maternal grandparents and their residence
 * Names of godparents
 * Names of witnesses

Marriage
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Groom's name and age
 * Groom's civil status, and residence
 * Groom's birthplace
 * Names of groom's parents and their birthplaces
 * Bride's name and age
 * Bride's civil status and residence
 * Bride's birthplace
 * Names of bride's parents and their birthplaces
 * Names of witnesses

Burial
 * Date, time, and place of death (keep in mind that records
 * for women may be filed under their married name)


 * Name and age of deceased
 * Residence and civil status of deceased
 * Place of birth
 * Spouse's name, marital status, and his/her place of birth
 * Names of witnesses
 * Burial date and place

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

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select Province
 * 2) Select City or Town
 * 3) Select Parish
 * 4) Select Record Type and Years to view the images.

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, Now What?

 * 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; see the section Citing This Collection for assistance. Save or print a copy of the image
 * 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

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

 * Search the records and indexes of neighboring cities, provinces, and regions
 * 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
 * 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

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