Peru, Lima, Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

Foreign Language Title
El Registro Civil de Lima, Perú

Collection Time Period
Civil registration in Peru started on June 21, 1852. However, the Family History Library’s collection covers only the years 1874–1933.

Why was this collection created?
Civil registration in Peru identifies all its residents and issues certificates regarding their identity. The registration of births, marriages, and deaths documents the civil status of the residents.

Collection History
Before the government instituted civil registration in Peru, the Catholic Church was the only institution tracking the births, marriages, and deaths of the population. In 1852, during the republican era, the government instituted civil registration. This was first done by political authorities, such as prefecture, subprefecture, and state. In 1856 this responsibility was given to municipalities. Currently, civil registration is in the hands of RENIEC, which delegates the registration process to municipal registrars.

How to Use the Collection
For genealogical research, the birth, marriage, and death records contain important information for at least two and sometimes three generations of ancestors in one document.

Collection Content
Important genealogical information found in birth records include: • Date and place of the registration • Name and sex of the newborn • Legitimacy • Parents’ names (sometimes their ages) and residence (or birthplace,) • Grandparents’names

Important genealogical information found in marriage records include: • Date and place of the registration • Bride’s full name (including maiden name) • Groom’s full name • Bride and groom ages (or birth dates) • Bride and groom place of residence and/or birth place • Their civil status (single, divorced, or widowed) • Their parents’ names and birthplaces and/or current residence • Names of the witnesses (these are usually relatives or close friends of the couple)

Important genealogical information found in birth records include: • Time, date, and place of the registration • Name of the principal (deceased) • Place, date, time, and cause of death • Principals’s occupation • Principal’s age (or birthplace and date) • Parents’ names • Name of witnesses and their residence • Name of person registering the death and his/her relationship to the deceased.

Collection Description
The earlier records are all handwritten in a narrative format. The later records are also handwritten but on a printed format. Some of their text may also vary slightly.

Population Coverage
In 1876 Peru’s census counted a population of 2.6 million residents, with just over 100,000 of those living in Lima. By 1900 Peru’s population numbered 3.8 million, with 223,807 in Lima. The Family History Library’s collection includes civil registers from the following municipalities: Lima o Cercado de lima, Ancón, Barranco, Chorrillos, Lurigancho, Magdalena del Mar, Magdalena Vieja, Miraflores, San Miguel (previously known as San Miguel del Mar), and Santiago de Surco (previously known as San José de Surco).

Collection Reliability
The information in civil records may be the most accurate available for finding an ancestor who lived in Peru. Parish records would be next best since they were created much earlier than the civil records.