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

Title in the Language of the Record
Registros Municipales de la Provincia de León, España.

Record Description
This collection includes civil registration, census, military drafts and other records microfilmed and digitized at municipal archives in the León Province, Spain. This collection is being published as images become available.

Civil registration in Spain was established by law in 1870. Records are mostly handwritten on a printed form, following a chronological order. The civil registration records dating before 1870 were created with the information from church parish registers.

Municipal census records differ from the national census in that it is an administrative tool used by the municipality. The census registers were handwritten in Spanish on formatted registers.

Municipal military draft records were carried out almost every year to fill in the conscript quota. The process for the draft was long; it included first the preparation of a list of all men in age for the draft, then approval, sorting of men, notifications, exemptions, medical exam, etc.

Citation for This Collection
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Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
Key genealogical facts found in civil registration records are:


 * Name
 * Place and date of event
 * Parents’ names

Key genealogical facts found in census records are:


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

Key genealogical facts found in military draft records are:


 * Name of draftees
 * Age of draftees
 * Parents’ name
 * Address

How to Use the Record
The civil registration of birth, marriage, and death are great records to research for genealogical data. These records contain important information to continue research for one or more generations. In order to find an entry in these records it is necessary to know the name, place, and year of a vital event in the life of the ancestor being searched.

The municipal censuses are helpful to find enough genealogical data to research an ancestor and extended relatives in other types of records. These records are great if civil or church records are not available, just remember the data is not 100% accurate. To search this census, it is necessary to know the name of the head of household and the name of the municipality where the ancestor lived.

The military drafts documents are not listed in any specific order, but these are in the year of the draft order. Therefore, if you know the approximate year when your ancestor was at the age of 18 to 20, you may find some information.

Related Websites

 * World Vital Records

Related Wiki Articles

 * Spain

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
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Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
''The following are examples of records found in different collections. Please help us by replacing these examples with a citation for a record you have found in this collection.''


 * “Argentina, Buenos Aires, Catholic Church Records, 1635-1981,” digital images, FamilySearch (: accessed 28 February, 2012), Artemio Avendano and Clemtina Peralta, 1884; La Plata &gt; San Ponciano &gt; Matrimonios 1884-1886 &gt; image 71; citing Parroquia de San Ponciano en la Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.