Venezuela, Diocese of San Cristóbal, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
Venezuela, Diócesis de San Cristóbal, Registros Parroquiales y Diocesanos

What is in the Collection?
This collection includes records dating from 1601 to 1954 from Catholic parishes under the Diocese of San Cristóbal located in the State of Táchira. The collection consists of baptism, marriage, and death records. Although the San Cristóbal diocese was only established in 1922, many parishes it serves date from the 19th century, and some of the parishes it serves date back to the 17th century. The city of San Cristóbal was founded in 1561 and has consistently been an important city in its region. Some of these records have been indexed and are searchable as part of this collection. For additional details about the history of these records and help using them, see the wiki article Venezuela Church Records.

Collection Content
The information found in each record varies by year. Records were made by Catholic priests or their associates, recorded in Spanish, and mostly written on either lined paper or blank paper that contained pre-printed numbers. [images] Baptism records generally include the following information: Confirmation records/registers generally include: Marriage records may include the following: Death records usually include:
 * Name, age, and gender
 * Birth date and place
 * Date and place of baptism
 * Names of parents
 * Names of witnesses
 * Name, age, and gender
 * Date and place of confirmation
 * Names of parents
 * Names of godparents
 * Names and ages of groom and bride
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Birthplaces of groom and bride
 * Names of groom’s parents
 * Names of bride’s parents
 * Whether each was baptized
 * Place of baptism
 * Who performed the marriage
 * Names of witnesses
 * Deceased’s name, gender, and age (keep in mind that death records for women may be filed under their married name)
 * Date and place of death
 * Date of birth
 * Marital status/name of spouse
 * Names of parents
 * Cause of death

How Do I Search the Collection?
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. 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.

Search the Collection
Search by Name by visiting the Collection Page: Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor. View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page: To browse the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the Municipio (City or Municipality) category ⇒ Select the “Parroquia” (Parish) category ⇒ Select the Tipo de registro y años (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.

For Help Reading these Records
These records are in Spanish. For help reading the records see the following guides:
 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * Reading Spanish handwritten records
 * Script tutorial for Spanish

What Do I Do Next?
To learn more about using the information in civil records, view these lessons for free:
 * Encontré este registro ¿y ahora qué? - Spanish
 * Documentos esenciales para buscar a sus antepasados - Spanish
 * Tesoros ocultos en los registros originales - Spanish
 * ¿Y ahora qué? Cómo hacer la investigación genealógica – Spanish

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?
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. For 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, What Now?
A boundary change could have occurred and the record of your ancestor is now in a neighboring state or region, or your ancestor immigrated to another country. Search the records of nearby areas or immigration/emigration records. Venezuela Emigration and Immigration Civil registration records are also a good source of genealogical information. Venezuela Civil Registration (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Related Websites

 * Hispanic Genealogy Blog is written in English.
 * Blog de Genealogía Hispaña Blog is written in Spanish.
 * Genealogía Española-España GenWeb Website is in Spanish.

Related Wiki Articles

 * Venezuela Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Venezuela Church Records
 * Venezuela Civil Registration (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Venezuela Genealogy
 * Táchira
 * Venezuela

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. 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. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually. Collection Citation: Record Citation Image Citation: