Mexico, Colima, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection of the Catholic Church records from parishes in the state of Colima, Mexico covers the years of 1707-1969. In 1797, the parishes of the then province of Colima, were part of the Bishopric of Guadalajara. In December of 1881, the Diocese of Colima was established, with 13 parishes, namely Almoloyán, Colima, Cuautitlán, Ejutla, Jilotlán, Pihuamo, Purificación, Tecalitlán, Tecomán, Tomatlán, Tonila, Tuxcacuesco, and Zapotitlán, covering a total of about 141,742 inhabitants.

Reading These Records
These records are in Spanish. For help reading these records see the following guides:
 * Mexico Language and Languages
 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * BYU Spanish Script Tutorial
 * FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 1
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 2
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 3

Sample Images
Baptism records may contain the following information:


 * Date of baptism
 * Name of baptized
 * Names of parents
 * Parish of parents

Marriage records may contain the following information:


 * Names of persons married
 * Parishes of persons married
 * Ages of persons married
 * Parents of persons married

Death records may contain the following information:


 * Name of deceased
 * Spouse of deceased
 * Residence of deceased
 * Date deceased
 * Cause of death

What Can These Records Tell Me?

 * Birth
 * Baptim
 * Marriage
 * Death

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

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the : Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.
 * 1) Select City or Town
 * 2) Select Parish
 * 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?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * 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 to find the family in 1930, Mexico National Census
 * Compile information for every person who has the same surname as your ancestor; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent

I Can’t Find The Person I’m Looking For, What Now?
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.
 * Consult the Mexico Record Finder to find other records when church records of births, marriages, and deaths cannot be found or are unavailable
 * 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
 * A boundary change could have occurred, and the record of you ancestor is now in a neighboring province. Search the records and indexes of neighboring cities, provinces, and regions

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

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.

"Mexico, Colima Catholic Church Records, 1707-1969." Database and images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 17 February 2017. Parroquias Católicas, Colima (Catholic Church parishes, Colima).
 * Collection Citation:

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