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| == Record Description == | | == Record Description == |
| | [[Image:Ensenada Grande.jpg|thumb|right]] |
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| Mexican Catholic parish registers were created by authorized Catholic priests to record the church sacraments of baptism (bautismo), confirmation (confirmación), marriage (casamiento o matrimonio), and burial (defunción o entierro) at the parish level.
| | This collection covers church records from parishes in Baja California and Baja California Sur for the years 1750 to 1983. Separate books were kept for baptisms, confirmations, marriage information documents, marriages, and deaths. However, in smaller areas, all records may be recorded on one register. In larger parishes a separate book was usually maintained for confirmations, while in smaller parishes the confirmations may have been included with the baptisms. Similarly, marriage information documents may have been included with marriages. In larger parishes, most of the marriage banns (informaciones matrimoniales) may be registered separately. In smaller parishes, these records were included in the marriage entry. In smaller parishes, the confirmations may have been included with the baptisms or even with marriages. In larger parishes, a separate book of confirmations was usually maintained. |
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| Catholic Church parish registers are the primary source for birth, death, and marriage records in Mexico prior to 1859. After 1859, parish records can be used as another source complimenting information found in civil registers.
| | These records are in relatively fair condition, with the exception of some[[Image:Baja California.jpg|thumb|right]] older records that may be damaged and, therefore, hard to read or missing some information. Most of the older records are handwritten in narrative style and follow a common text with some variations depending on the style used by the priest. Newer records are handwritten in formatted registers; some are even written in ledger style registers. |
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| This collection covers church records from parishes in Baja California and Baja California Sur for the years 1750 to 1983. <br>Separate books were kept for baptisms, confirmations, marriage information [[Image:Ensenada Grande.jpg|thumb|right|Ensenada Grande.jpg]]documents, marriages, and burials. However, in smaller areas, all records may be recorded on one register. In larger parishes a separate book was usually maintained for confirmations, while in smaller parishes the confirmations may have been included with the baptisms. Similarly, marriage information documents may have been included with marriages. In larger parishes, most of the marriage banns (informaciones matrimoniales) may be registered separately. In smaller parishes, these records were included in the marriage entry. In smaller parishes, the confirmations may have been included with the baptisms or even with marriages. In larger parishes, a separate book of confirmations was usually maintained.
| | For additional details about the history of these records and help using them, see the wiki article [[Mexico Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]. |
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| The records are in relatively fair condition, with the exception of some[[Image:Baja California.jpg|thumb|right|Baja California.jpg]] older records that may be damaged and, therefore, hard to read or missing some information. Most of the older records are handwritten in narrative style and follow a common text with some variations depending on the style used by the priest. Newer records are handwritten in formatted registers; some are even written in ledger style registers.
| | [Image:Baja California2.jpg|thumb|right|128x125px]] |
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| The entries were normally made in chronological order. Confirmations were not consistently recorded.
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| After the conquest of Mexico by the Spaniards, Catholic priests began going from one place to another baptizing most of the population. By order of the Queen of Spain, priests began keeping a record of all the sacramental ordinances performed. The registers hold records of baptisms, marriages, deaths, and burials and other ecclesiastical documents. Most often, the different types of ordinances are recorded separate volumes. Each record is written in narrative style, and in more recent years, they are handwritten in formatted records. The registers were created and kept by the priest. Later, as the church grew in numbers, the registers were kept at the parish and a copy was sent to the diocesan archive for preservation.
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| Catholic priests established parishes starting in 1521. In 1527, the Roman Catholic Church established dioceses in Tlaxcala and Mexico City. It was only in the late 19th century that other religious groups began establishing congregations in Mexico.
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| Parishes were local congregations that may have included smaller villages within their boundaries. A large city may contain several parishes. The parishes had jurisdiction over both vice parishes (vice parroquias) and chapelries (feligresias). Multiple parishes (parroquias) were under the jurisdiction of a diocese. The highest level of local government in the Catholic Church is the archdiocese (arquidiócesis), which is made up of several dioceses.
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| In 1995, the Catholic Church in Mexico had 14 archdioceses; 58 dioceses; 5,345 parishes; and 1,611 chapelries (sub-parishes). Together they hold a great number of records.
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| Parish registers were kept by the priest at the parish level. Parishes were[[Image:Baja California2.jpg|thumb|right|128x125px|Baja California2.jpg]] local congregations that may have included smaller villages within their boundaries. A large city may have contained several parishes. The parishes had jurisdiction over both vice parishes (vice parroquias) and chapelries (capillar foraneas). Multiple parishes (parroquias) were under the jurisdiction of a diocese. The highest level of government in the Catholic Church was the archdiocese (arquidiócesis), which was made up of several dioceses. In 1995 the Catholic Church in Mexico had 14 archdioceses; 58 dioceses; 5,345 parishes; and 1,611 chapelries (subparishes). This collection covers the Catholic Church population living in parishes in the states of Baja California and Baja California Sur. The majority of the population of these two states was Roman Catholic, and entries for them are found in parish registers. Only in the late 19th century did other religious groups begin to be established in the area.
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| === Citation for This Collection === | | === Citation for This Collection === |
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| == Record Content == | | == Record Content == |
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| '''Through the years the information found in Mexican Catholic parish registers may vary; however, the most common genealogical information found are:'''
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| [[Image:Mexico Baja California Catholic Church Records Baptism.jpg|thumb|right|Mexico Baja California Catholic Church Records Baptism.jpg]]
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| *Date of baptism, confirmation, marriage, and burial
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| *Event place is the parish unless noted otherwise
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| *Name of the person being baptized, confirmed, married, or buried and sometimes the names of the parents, spouse, and other relatives
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| *Age of the person being baptized, confirmed, married, or buried
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| *Sex of the participants except for witnesses (sex can be inferred from the given name
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| *Place of residence of the family, marriage partners, or the deceased
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| *Legitimacy of the child in baptismal entries
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| *Social class of the parents in baptismal entries prior to 1820
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| *Marital status of the individuals
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| '''The key genealogical facts found in most baptism records are:''' | | '''The key genealogical facts found in most baptism records are:''' |
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| [[Image:Mexico Baja California Catholic Church Records Marriage.jpg|thumb|right|Mexico Baja California Catholic Church Records Marriage.jpg]] | | [[Image:Mexico Baja California Catholic Church Records Marriage.jpg|thumb|right]] |
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| *Date of baptism | | *Date of baptism |
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| '''The key genealogical facts found in most marriage records are:''' | | '''The key genealogical facts found in most marriage records are:''' |
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| [[Image:Mexico Baja California Catholic Church Records Death.jpg|thumb|right|Mexico Baja California Catholic Church Records Death.jpg]] | | [[Image:Mexico Baja California Catholic Church Records Death.jpg|thumb|right]] |
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| *Date of marriage | | *Date of marriage |
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| == How to Use the Record == | | == How to Use the Record == |
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| To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links:<br> | | To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links:<br> ⇒ Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page<br> ⇒ Select the "_____________" category<br> ⇒ Select the "_____________" category<br> ⇒ Select the "_____________" category which takes you to the images<br> |
| ⇒ Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page<br> | |
| ⇒ Select the "_____________" category<br> | |
| ⇒ Select the "_____________" category<br> | |
| ⇒ Select the "_____________" category which takes you to the images<br> | |
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| Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.
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| Parish registers are the best, and often the only, Mexican records that identify individuals, parents, and spouses before 1859. After this date, civil authorities began registering vital statistics (nacimientos, matrimonies, y defunciones) that by law include people of all religions; these records become equally important as the parish registers. The information in civil sources confirms and supplements the information in church records. For instance, the parish registers may list the godparents while the civil records may list the grandparents. Be sure to search both the parish and civil records after 1860, since some families did not consistently register their children with either of them.
| | Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination. |
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| == Related Websites == | | == Related Websites == |
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| *[http://www.rcivil.df.gob.mx/ Dirección General del Registro Civil del Distrito Federal] | | *[http://www.rcivil.df.gob.mx/ Dirección General del Registro Civil del Distrito Federal] |
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| == Related Wiki Articles == | | == Related Wiki Articles == |
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| *[[Mexico]] | | *[[Mexico]] |