Spain, Diocese of Lugo, Catholic Parish Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection consist of records of baptisms, marriages, and burials of the parishes of the Diocese of Lugo, Spain covering the years from 1550 to 1966. Some records have been indexed and are searchable as part of this collection. Most of the parish records from the Diocese of Lugo have been preserved well, but some earlier entries may have some damage.

Parish priests performed the baptisms, marriages, deaths, burials, and other holy sacraments in their assigned parish or parishes. All of the original parish records were kept in the parish archive, however, the older records were centralized into the diocesan archive. Usually separate registers were maintained for baptisms, marriages, and deaths, however, in localities with a small population the records of baptisms, marriages, and burials were recorded in the same register. Confirmations were usually recorded with the baptismal registers, but can also be found with deaths and/or marriages. Generally, entries were created in chronological order.

Catholic Church parish records cover about 95 to 100% of the population. However, this collection only includes the parish records that have been centralized through the years into the diocesan archive.

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 information in each record may vary by year and may include the following:

Baptism 
 * Date and place of baptism
 * Name and gender
 * Date of birth or age at time of baptism
 * Legitimacy to parents (whether biological or adopted)
 * Parents names, their residence, and place of origin
 * Names of paternal grandparents and their place of residence
 * Names of maternal grandparents and their place of residence
 * Name of godparents
 * Name of witnesses

Marriage 
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Names and ages of the bride and groom
 * Marital status, residence, and origin of bride and groom
 * Names of groom's parents, their residence, and place of origin
 * Names of bride's parents, their residence, and place of origin
 * Names of witnesses

Burial 
 * Date and place of death
 * Name and age of deceased (keep in mind that the records
 * of women may be filed under their married name)


 * Marital status/name of spouse
 * Residence and/or place of origin
 * Cause of death
 * Date and place of burial
 * Sometimes, deceased may have left a testament
 * Sometimes, entries give the names of children

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.

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
 * 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

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

 * Search the records and indexes of neighboring cities, provinces, and regions
 * 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
 * Or your ancestor may have immigrated to another country. Search the records of nearby areas or Spain Emigration and Immigration
 * The Spain, Province of Lugo, Municipal Records may also contain useful information
 * New information is constantly being indexed, microfilmed or updated. Periodically check back to see if your ancestor’s records have been added.  You can see if the area you’ve been looking in has been recently updated by going to Historical Records Collections.  Watch for an asterisk for recently added or updated records

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, Diocese de Lugo, Registros da Igreja Católica (Registros Históricos do FamilySearch)