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

Title in the Language of the Record
España, Provincia de Tarragona, Registros Municipales

Record Description
This collection includes civil registration (birth, marriage, and death), census, wills, and military (quintas) records for the cities and parishes of Benissanet, Rasquera, Torre de l'Espanyol and Tortosa in the Tarragona Province of Spain from 1430 to 1916.

The records are 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).

Record Content
The information in each record may vary by year.

Birth records generally include the following information:
 * Child's name and gender
 * Place and date of birth
 * Parish where baptized
 * Parents’ names
 * Father's occupation
 * Parents' country of birth (if not more specific)
 * Paternal grandparents' names and places of birth
 * Maternal grandparents' names and places of birth

Marriage records may include the following:
 * Names and ages of bride and groom
 * Birthplaces of bride and groom
 * Groom's occupation
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Marital status of bride and groom before marriage
 * Parents' names
 * Parents' birthplaces
 * Father's occupation

Death records usually include:
 * Deceased's name, and age (keep in mind that death records for women may be filed under their married name)
 * Date and place of death
 * Birthplace of deceased
 * Occupation
 * Marital status/spouse's name
 * Residence
 * Parents' names
 * Father's occupation
 * Burial place
 * Cause of death
 * Whether deceased left a will

Wills may include the following information:
 * Name of deceased
 * Executor of will
 * Last date will was modified
 * Date will was read
 * Names of descendants and/or friends receiving inheritance
 * Name of spouse, if married

Census records usually contain the following information:
 * Name of head of the household
 * Names of every person living in the house
 * Relationship to the head of the household of every person in the household
 * Age
 * Occupation
 * Residence
 * Nationality or place of origin
 * Parents
 * Parish of baptism
 * Municipality
 * Event year

Military draft and enlistment records may contain the following information:
 * Name of draftees
 * Age of draftees
 * Closest living relative
 * Marital status/spouse's name
 * Occupation

How to Use the Record
Some record sets have indexes; these indexes were created at the end of the year. Copy errors could have been made in the index, so you want to find the actual record to verify the information is correct. Using the index is a helpful way to find the actual record.

See the sections below for tips and uses for searching and finding the record of your ancestor in this collection and using the information in the record.

If you are unable to find a record for your ancestor in this collection, see the corresponding section below.

Search the Collection
To search by image: 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" ⇒Select the "City or Municipality" ⇒Select the "Parish" ⇒Select the "Record Type and Years" 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, 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

Using the Information

 * 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.

Tips to Keep in Mind
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 (the person who reported the death).

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.

Unable to Find your Ancestor?
A boundary change could have occurred and the record of your ancestor is now in a neighboring province.

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

Or your ancestor immigrated to another country. Search the records of nearby areas or immigration/emigration records.

Spain Emigration and Immigration

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached Wiki 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.

Related Websites

 * Archivo Histórico Provincial de Tarragona
 * Guía del Archivo Histórico Provincial de Tarragona

Related Wiki Articles

 * Spain Census
 * Spain Military Records
 * Sevilla Civil Registration - Vital Records
 * Tarragona
 * Spain

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.

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.