Spain, Diocese of Cartagena, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection will include Catholic Church records from 1552-1948 created by parishes in the Diocese of Cartagena, Spain. These records include: baptisms, confirmations, pre-marriage investigations, marriages, burials and other miscellaneous church records. Images of indexes to these record groups are also included.

Depending on the year, some records may be completely handwritten or filled out on pre-printed forms.

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:

Baptism Records
 * Name and gender
 * Date and place of baptism
 * Date and place of birth
 * Legitimacy (biological or adopted son/daughter of …)
 * Father’s name and age
 * Mother’s name and age
 * First names of paternal grandparents
 * First names of maternal grandparents
 * Names of godparents
 * Names of witnesses

Marriage Records
 * Names and ages of bride and groom
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Birthplaces of bride and groom
 * Marital status of bride and groom prior to marriage
 * Legitimacy to parents
 * Occupations of bride and groom
 * Names of parents

Death Records
 * Name, age, and gender of deceased
 * Date and place of death
 * Names of parents
 * Marital status/name of spouse
 * Date and place of burial

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before using this collection it is helpful to know:
 * Your ancestor's given name and surname
 * Identifying information such as residence
 * Estimated marriage or birth year

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; 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

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

 * Search the records and indexes of neighboring cities, provinces, and regions
 * Or your ancestor immigrated to another country. Search the records of nearby areas or Spain Emigration and Immigration
 * Spain Civil Registration are also a good substitute when baptism, marriage, and burial records can’t be found or are unavailable
 * 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.
 * 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.