Peru, Moquegua, Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes records for the years 1850-1996. It contains births, marriages, deaths, indexes, and other records created by civil registration offices in Moquegua, Peru. Some of these records have been indexed and are searchable as part of this collection. Additional images will be published as they become available.

Reading These Records
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 is usually found in these records:

Coverage Table
As of 23 May 2017 this collection included records from the following districts or municipalities:

How Do I Search This Collection?
You can search the index or view the images or both. Before using 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 District or Municipality
 * 3) 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, What Now?

 * 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 birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and land records
 * Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family
 * The name of the officiator is a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county. However, ministers may have reported marriages performed in other counties
 * 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
 * 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
 * Use the marriage number to identify previous marriages
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct

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

 * 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
 * Check for a different index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities
 * If you are unable to find your ancestor(s) in these civil registers, then try searching in the areas surrounding Moquegua. These regions neighbor Moquegua:
 * Puno on the Northeast
 * Pacific Ocean on the West
 * Arquipa on the Northwest, and
 * Tacna on the South
 * Your ancestor may have immigrated to another country. Search the records of nearby areas or immigration/emigration records
 * Peru Emigration and Immigration
 * Church records are also a good substitute when birth, marriage, and death records can’t be found or are unavailable. *Before the government instituted civil registration in Peru, the Catholic Church was the only institution tracking the births, marriages, and deaths of the population

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Peru.
 * 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.


 * Collection Citation: "Peru, Moquegua, Civil Registration, 1850-1996." Database with images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2019. Citing El Archivo Regional de Tacna [The Regional Archive of Tacna].