Spain, Province of Cádiz, Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in the Collection?
This collection includes civil registration records for the cities of Puerto Real and Jimena de la Frontera from 1870 to 1960. The records include civil registration births, death certifications signed by doctors, and marriage files. The original records were housed in the Historical Provincial Archive of Cádiz, in Spain.

These records are written in Spanish; see the section "For Help Reading these Records" for access to translation helps.

Additional images will be published as they become available.

Collection Content
The information in each record varies by year.

Birth records generally include the following information:


 * Informant's name, age, origin, and occupation
 * Informant's civil status, residence, and relationship to child
 * Name and gender of child
 * Child's date and place of birth
 * Parents' names and age
 * Parents' civil status, occupation, origin, and residence
 * Names of paternal grandparents
 * Names of maternal grandparents
 * Names of godparents
 * Names of witnesses

Marriage records may include the following:


 * Date and place of marriage
 * Name and age of groom
 * Groom's civil status and residence
 * Names of groom's parents
 * Name and age of bride
 * Bride’s civil status and residence
 * Names of bride's parents

Death records usually include:


 * Date, time, and place of death
 * Name and age of deceased
 * Origin and residence of deceased
 * Cause of death
 * Informant's name, age, civil status, and residence
 * Relationship to deceased
 * Burial information

How Do I Search the Collection?
Some record sets have indexes; these indexes were created at the end of the year. Copy errors 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 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.

Searching the Collection
View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒Select the "Province" category ⇒Select the “City or Municipality” category ⇒Select the "Parish" category ⇒Select the "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.

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 and age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

For Help Reading These Records
These records are in Spanish. For help reading the records, see the following wiki articles:


 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * Reading Spanish handwritten records
 * Script tutorial for Spanish

What Do I Do Next?

 * 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 of each partner to find a couple's birth records and parents' names.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church records Spain Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical 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.

I Found Who I was Looking for, Now What?
When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

For death records, the information in records is usually reliable, but depends upon the knowledge of the informant.

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.

I Can't Find Who I'm Looking for, Now What?
A boundary change could have occurred that changed where records were kept. If you are unable to find your ancestor(s) in these civil registers, then try searching in the areas surrounding Cádiz.

Church records are also a good substitute when birth, marriage, and death records can’t be found or are unavailable.


 * Spain Baptisms
 * Spain Catholic Church Records
 * Spain Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Or your ancestor immigrated to another country. Search the records of nearby areas or immigration/emigration records:

Spain Emigration and Immigration

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.


 * Collection Citation:

"Spain, Cádiz, Civil Registration Records, 1870-1960" Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2017. Citing Historical Provincial Archives, Cádiz, Spain.

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