Mexico, San Luis Potosí, Miscellaneous Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection of miscellaneous records covers the years 1570 to 1882.

These records kept at the Historical Archive of the State of San Luis Potosi (Archivo Histórico del Estado de San Luis Potosí). They include notary, military, censuses, passports, birth, marriage, death records, and so on. The records are handwritten for the most part with the text in Spanish.

Thiscollection were created by authorized officials and kept for the most part at a local archive. In time, the information was passed to a major archive for preservation. The archive has approximately one hundred and sixty collections. Some of the most relevant are the following:


 * Mayor Municipality of Charcas (1657-1852), inheritance information, legacies, and various kinds of news from the Municipality of Charcas and the Altiplano
 * Mayor Municipality of San Luis Potosí (1554-1841). Public notary protocols, trade news, government, etc
 * Municipality of San Luis Potosí (1593-1992). Council minutes, and trade, finance, and war records
 * State Cadastre (1886-1981). Legal estate and rural and urban architectural plans of the state
 * Joint Land Commission (1916-1992). Extensions, allocations, deprivation and general investigation of parcel usufruct. (Usufruct is the legal right to use the fruits or profits of something belonging to someone else)
 * Civil Registry (1860-1930). Guardianship proceedings, presentations, and records of births, marriages, and deaths
 * Public Registry of Property and Commerce (1755-1976). Protocols and appendices of scribes and notary publics
 * General Secretariat of Government (1825-1961). Meat supply, books of brotherhoods, land disputes, elections, and electoral rolls
 * Supreme Court (1737-1970). Plenary, criminal, civil, and administrative proceedings

Only some of the above sources may have been acquired for publishing in FamilySearch.

Each type of record was created for a different purpose, but most were created to keep track of the vital events happening in the lives of the citizens and to safeguard their legal interests and the legal interests of their heirs and that of a government entity.

Vital records are the most reliable records for family history research. However, other records may serve as secondary sources, especially when vital records are not available. It could also supplement other information that may help to identify an ancestor.

Reading These Records
These records are written in Spanish. For help reading these records see the following guides:
 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * BYU Spanish Script Tutorial
 * FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 1
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 2

If you speak Spanish, the following free online lesson may be helpful to learn how to use the information in these records:
 * Registros Civiles y Parroquiales – Spanish

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Miscellaneous
 * Name of the primary persons
 * Names of heirs, parents, spouse, children, or other relatives
 * Names of the executor, administrator, or guardian
 * Names of witnesses
 * Places and dates the documents were written and recorded (which can be used to approximate event dates since a will was usually written near the time of death)
 * Description and value of property or land
 * Places of residence
 * Dates and places of births, marriages, and deaths

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The given name and surname of the person
 * The type of event
 * The estimated date of the event

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select Record Type and Years to view the images.

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
 * 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
 * Compile information for every person who has the same surname as your ancestor; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent
 * 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 birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in 1930, Mexico National Census. The census can help you find if your ancestors were married civilly or by the Catholic Church or both. Then you can proceed looking in those records for more information

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

 * Mexico, San Luis Potosí, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records may also be 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. Click here for a list of Spanish name abbreviations
 * Also, consider looking at collections for surrounding localities. Zacatecas is to the west, Nuevo León to the north, Tamaulipas to the northeast, Veracruz to the east, Hidalgo to the southeast, and Guanajuato to the south
 * 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 Mexico.
 * Record Finder
 * 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.

How Can I Contribute to the FamilySearch Wiki?
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