Belize Colonial Records

Belize Wiki Topics

Belize Beginning Research

Getting Started Online Learning Record Finder Research Strategies

Record Types

Church Records Civil Registration Colonial Records Emigration & Immigration Online Genealogy Records Religious Records

Belize Background

History Languages Maps Social Life & Customs

Belize Genealogical Word Lists

Latin Spanish

Cultural Groups

Chinese in Belize

Local Research Resources

Archives & Libraries Societies Local FamilySearch Center

Belize

Colonial Records

Spanish Colonization (1506-1862)

In 1506, Spain explored the land that includes present-day Belize and declared it as part of the Spanish Empire. However, the indigenous population successfully fought off efforts at full-scale Spanish colonization. In the late 1700s, the Spanish granted the British the right to occupy the land in exchange for defending the country against pirates. British settlements began to arise, and in 1798 the Spanish attacked Belize in their last attempt to retain their land. Spain was defeated by the British, and in 1862 the region became an official crown colony and was renamed British Honduras.

Record collection	Years covered	Record type	Language	Who is in the records

British Colonization (1862-1961 )

The first British permanent settlement was founded around 1716 in what became the Belize District. The Spanish granted the British settlers the right to occupy the area in exchange for their help suppressing piracy. From 1862 until 1964, the region was an official crown colony called British Honduras. By 1964, Britain was only responsible for foreign affairs, defense, and security. The country's name was changed to Belize in 1973, and in 1981 it became an independent country.

Record collection	Years covered	Record type	Language	Who is in the records
British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptisms, COUNTRY at Findmypast - index & images ($)	1860-2005	Births and baptisms	English	Children born to those working within the armed forces, merchant navy, and consular forces, as well as, civilian ship passengers.
British Armed Forces and Overseas Banns and Marriages, COUNTRY at Findmypast - index & images ($)	1949-1965	Banns and marriages	English	British armed forces members and civilians who were married abroad and at sea
British Armed Forces and Overseas Deaths and Burials, COUNTRY at Findmypast - index & images ($)	1860-1998	Deaths and burials	English	Members of the British armed forces who died while serving their country overseas, British civilians who died while traveling or working overseas, and individuals (including seaman) who died at sea
Census of the population of the British settlement, Belize, Honduras	1816-1921	Census records	English	People of Belize, including slaves
Civil registration, 1881-1951	1881-1951	Civil registration	English	People who were born, married, or died in Belize
Former British Colonial Dependencies, Slave Registers, 1813-1834 at Ancestry ($) - index and images	1813-1834	Slave registers	English

This website requires a paid subscription for full access. Some subscription websites are available for free at your local FamilySearch Center or Affiliate Library.