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

What is in This Collection?
This collection will include records of civil registration, census, wills, and quintas (military) for the cities and parishes of Alíns, Alto Arán, Areo, Aynet de Besán, Baén, Baix Pallars, Balestuy, Bosost, Caregue, Cervera, Ciutadilla, Claravalls, Coscastell, Enviny, Escaló, Espluga de Serra, Estac, Farrera, Fígols de Tremp, Gerri de la Sal, Guimerá, Gurp, Les, Llavorsí, Maldá, Montcortés, Noris, Palau de Noguera, Peramea, Sapeira, Sort, Surp, Talarn, Tárrega, Tor and Tremp in the Lérida Province of Spain from 1319 to 1959.

Reading These Records
These records are written in Spanish. For help reading them see: FamilySearch Learning Center videos: If you speak Spanish, the following free online lesson may be helpful to learn how to use the information in these records:
 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * BYU Spanish Script Tutorial
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 1
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 2
 * Registros Civiles y Parroquiales – Spanish

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Birth
 * Place of registration
 * Name of child
 * Date of birth
 * Time of birth
 * Place of birth
 * Legitimacy
 * Parents’ names and place of origin
 * Grandparents’ names and place of origin
 * Place, date
 * Parish of baptism

Marriage
 * Place and date of registration
 * Name of groom
 * Groom’s place of origin
 * Groom’s age
 * Groom’s marital status
 * Groom’s occupation
 * Name of bride
 * Bride’s place of origin
 * Bride’s age
 * Bride’s marital status
 * Place of their residence
 * Parish name
 * Date of their religious wedding
 * Bride and groom’s parents' names and residence

Death
 * Place and date of death
 * Name of deceased person
 * Deceased place of origin
 * Deceased age at time of death
 * Deceased marital status
 * Deceased occupation
 * Cause of death
 * If deceased left a will
 * Deceased place of residence
 * Place of burial
 * Parents’ names and their place of origin
 * Father’s occupation

Censuses
 * Name of house owner
 * Names of all those in household
 * Date of birth/age
 * Civil status
 * Origin/birthplace
 * Occupation
 * Residence
 * Length of stay at current residence
 * Relationship to house owner

Draft registrations
 * Complete name
 * Birth date or age
 * Place of origin
 * Occupation
 * Parents
 * Civil status
 * Medical and physical condition
 * Literacy
 * Religion

Collection Content
For additional details about these records and help using them see Spain, Municipal Records - FamilySearch Historical Records.

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * Approximate date of the event

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.

What Do I Do Next?

 * 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
 * Witnesses often were relatives of the parents

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * 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 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
 * 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 Lérida
 * 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:
 * Spain Emigration and Immigration

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Spain.
 * Spain Record Finder
 * Spain 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.

Espanha - Província de Lérida, Registros Municipais (FamilySearch Registros Históricos)