Spain, Province of Cádiz, Notarial Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Records
España, Testamentos Notariales de Cádiz

Record Description
This collection of notary public wills is from the years 1550-1920.

The records are testaments (wills) that were written in the presence of a notary public of the province of Cádiz. This collection was kept at the Archivo Histórico Provincial de Cádiz, Spain. Documents are written in Spanish.

This is a collection of wills created before a notary public, who kept the original document until the death of the person that created the will; another copy was kept at the General Registry of Wills (Registro General de Actos de Última Voluntad). Through the life of the testator, the General Registry kept the will as a secret document, unauthorized to be viewed by anyone until the death of the testator. At the death of the person, the family would inquire at the General Registry of Wills to find out which will was the latest created by the testator and where it was created, especially if the family did not know which notary public was holding the original copy.

A wealthy person usually created a will in order to leave properties and goods as an inheritance to his or her children and others. In order to do this, the person would hire a notary public. The notary had the knowledge to write this kind of document, which needed to fulfill legal formalities.

The vital information contained in these wills may be reliable since the testator had to provide his or her legal identification and proof of property and goods ownership, as well as the names and personal identification of the inheritors.

For a list of records by localities and dates currently published in this collection, select the Browse.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
These wills may contain the following information:


 * Name of testator(s)
 * Place of birth
 * Current residence
 * Spouse's name
 * Parents’ names
 * Marriage date and place of testators
 * Names of children/heirs and their vital information
 * Testamentary executor’s name
 * Witnesses’ names
 * Burial request

How to Use the Record
To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒ Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒ Select the Provincia ⇒ Select the Ciudad ⇒ Select the Escribano y años de servicio ⇒ Select the Volumen y años which takes you to the images.

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.

The open wills in this collection are alphabetically organized. In order to find your ancestor, it is necessary to know the name of the deceased person that left the will. It will also help to know the approximate year of his or her death.

Related Websites

 * Tu Abogado Defensor : La Partición de la Herencia.
 * Informes Portal Mayores : El testamento. Clases de testamentos y disposiciones testamentarias.

Related Wiki Articles

 * Spain
 * Spain Notarial Records

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.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
“Spain.Cadiz,Testaments,1550-1920,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org; accessed 14 March 2012), Cadiz,&gt; San Fernando&gt; Protocolo&gt;Antonio Delgado, 1791,image 100 of 138. España. Notario Público de Cádiz. Testamentos, 1550-1920. Archivo Histórico Provincial de Cádiz. Spain. Notary Public of Cadiz. Wills, 1550-1920. Provincial Historical Archive of Cadiz.