Spain, Province of Badajoz, Municipal Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in the Collection?
This collection includes census records for the cities of Fregenal de la Sierra and Higuera la Real in the province of Badajoz. These records pertain to the 1519, 1528, and 1641 census years.

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

This collection is being published as images become available.

For additional details about the history of these records and help using them, see the wiki article Spain, Municipal Records (FamilySearch Historical Records).

Collection Content
The information in each record varies by year.

Census records usually contain the following information:


 * Names
 * Ages
 * Residence
 * Nationality or place of origin

How Do I Search the Collection?
Censuses are useful in tracking your ancestor's migration within Spain. Also, use census records to find out the names and information for other family members (siblings of your ancestor, cousins, grandchildren, etc.)

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?
When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Use census records to find out the names and information for other family members (siblings of your ancestor, cousins, grandchildren, etc.).
 * 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.

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 Badajoz.

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 with the help of 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, Province of Badajoz, Municipal Records, 1519-1641." Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2017. Citing Historical Municipal Archives, Badajoz, Spain.

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