Spain, Province of Almería, Municipal Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
Registros Municipales de la Provincia de Almería, España.

Record Description
This collection includes civil registration, census, military drafts and other records microfilmed and digitized at municipal archives in the Almería Province, Spain. This collection is being published as images become available.

Civil registration in Spain was established by law in 1870. Records are mostly handwritten on a printed form, following a chronological order. The civil registration records dating before 1870 were created with the information from church parish registers. Births are found in the sections called Nacimientos. Marriages are found in the sections called Matrimonios. Deaths are found in sections called Defunciones.

Municipal census records differ from the national census in that it is an administrative tool used by the municipality. The census registers were handwritten in Spanish on formatted registers.The word for census in Spanish is padron or censo. Look for census records in the sections called Padrones or Censo.

Municipal military draft records were carried out almost every year to fill in the conscript quota. The process for the draft was long; it included first the preparation of a list of all men in age for the draft, then approval, sorting of men, notifications, exemptions, medical exam, etc. Look for draft records in the sections called Quintas.

Some municipalities kept records of hidalgos called hidalguías. Hidalguía refers to nobility status of hidalgo or hijodalgo or someone of untitled nobility. The literal translation means “son of something.” Being hidalgo gave a male citizen certain rights and privileges of which the most important was immunity from the payment of taxes. It also required military service. Prior to 1831 only hidalgos could serve as military officers. There are two common types of records found in hidalguías; censuses of hidalgos and genealogical information reports (informaciones genealógicas) or purity of blood reports (limpiezas de sangre). Joining a military or fraternal order or holding local public office required proof of hidalguía which is why these records were kept on file in the local municipality. Often the genealogical information traces the direct line genealogy for several generations. Being a hidalgo was not always synonymous with wealth. In some areas they were ordinary laborers. For this reason even if you don’t believe your family was wealthy it would still be important to check these records.

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Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
Key genealogical facts found in civil registration records are:
 * Name
 * Place and date of event
 * Parents’ names

Key genealogical facts found in census records are:
 * Names
 * Ages
 * Residence
 * Nationality or place of origin

Key genealogical facts found in military draft records are:
 * Name of draftees
 * Age of draftees
 * Parents’ name
 * Address

How to Use the Record
The civil registration of birth, marriage, and death are great records to research for genealogical data. These records contain important information to continue research for one or more generations. In order to find an entry in these records it is necessary to know the name, place, and year of a vital event in the life of the ancestor being searched.

The municipal censuses are helpful to find enough genealogical data to research an ancestor and extended relatives in other types of records. These records are great if civil or church records are not available, just remember the data is not 100% accurate. To search this census, it is necessary to know the name of the head of household and the name of the municipality where the ancestor lived.

The military drafts documents are not listed in any specific order, but these are in the year of the draft order. Therefore, if you know the approximate year when your ancestor was at the age of 18 to 20, you may find some information.

Related Websites

 * Almeria Rootsweb

Related Wiki Articles

 * Spain

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. 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.

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Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
“Argentina, Buenos Aires, Catholic Church Records, 1635-1981,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 28 February, 2012), La Plata > San Ponciano > Matrimonios 1884-1886 >  image 71 of 389 images, Artemio Avendano and Clementina Peralta, 1884; citing Parroquia de San Ponciano en la Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Matrimonios. San Ponciano, La Plata, Buenos Aires.