Guatemala, Jalapa, Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

Guatemala

What is in This Collection?
This collection will include birth, marriage, death, indexes and other records from 1877-1994. These were created by the civil registration offices in the department of Jalapa, Guatemala.

As you search this collection, you will notice that some information in the records has been blacked out. Specific privacy laws in Guatemala prohibit some information classified as sensitive from being shared with the public. The information that is blacked out may be different from record type to record type, and does not negatively affect your family history research.

Additional images will be published as they become available. Images courtesy of Registro Nacional de las Personas (RENAP).

These records are written in Spanish. Here is a link to a Spanish Genealogical Word List which may be helpful. Also, see the section "For Help Reading These Records" below for translation helps.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Birth records may contain the following information:


 * Birth date and place
 * Name at birth
 * Gender
 * Parents’ names
 * Parents’ residence
 * Witnesses’ names
 * Informant’s names, age, occupation, marital status, birth place, and residence
 * Document date

Marriage records may contain the following:


 * Marriage date and place
 * Groom’s name, age, occupation, birth place, resident city, and address
 * Groom’s legitimacy and parents’ names
 * Groom’s maternal and paternal grandparents’ names
 * Bride’s name, age, occupation, birth place, resident city, and address
 * Bride’s legitimacy and parents’ names
 * Bride’s maternal and paternal grandparents’ names
 * Groom’s marital status
 * Bride’s marital status
 * Document date

Death records may contain:


 * Death date and place
 * Deceased’s name, gender, and age
 * Deceased’s marital status, occupation, and parents’ names
 * Cause of death
 * Informant’s name, age, marital status, occupation, birth place, resident city and address
 * Document date

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know: Such information as your ancestor's given name and surname, some identifying information such as resident city, age, estimated event year, and one or both of the parents names.

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select Municipality
 * 2) Select Record Type and Yearsto view 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.

For Help Reading These Records
These records are in Spanish. For help with reading the records, see the following resources:


 * 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


 * If the images have an index to the record set, use the index to find your ancestor, then use the reference information in the index to find the actual record
 * To effectively use civil records, follow these steps:


 * 1) Search for the relative or ancestor you have selected. When you find the person’s birth record, search for the births of his or her brothers and sisters.
 * 2) Search for the marriage of his or her parents. The marriage record will often give you information that leads to the parents’ birth record.
 * 3) Estimate the parents’ age and search for their birth records.
 * 4) The phrase “dío a luz” means the same as “was born” or “gave birth to”.
 * 5) Repeat the process for both the father and mother.
 * 6) If earlier generations are not in the record, search neighboring municipios.
 * 7) Search the death records for all family members.

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?
To learn more about using the information available in these records, view these lessons for free:
 * Documentos esenciales para buscar a sus antepasados - Spanish
 * Registros Civiles y Parroquiales – Spanish

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

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Check the image the index was taken from to see if there is additional information
 * Make sure to fully transcribe and cite the record entry for future reference; see the section Citing this Collection for assistance. Save or print a copy of the image
 * 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 of each spouse to find a couple's birth records and parents' names
 * 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 residence and names of the parents to locate Parishes in Guatemala and land records

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Consult Guatemala Record Finder to find other records
 * A boundary change could have occurred, and the record of you ancestor is now in a neighboring area. Search the records and indexes of neighboring cities, provinces, and regions
 * Guatemala, Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records) are also a good substitute when civil 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

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.

"Guatemala, Jalapa, Civil Registration, 1877-1994."Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2017. Registro Nacional de las Personas, Ciudad de Guatemala (National Registry of Persons, Guatemala City).
 * Collection Citation:

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