Uruguay Church Records

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Uruguay

Church Records

Online Resources and Websites

• 1726-2000 Uruguay, Catholic Church Records, 1726-2000 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1750-1900 Uruguay, Baptisms, 1750-1900 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index, incomplete.
• Uruguay, Select Baptisms, 1750-1900, Ancestry.com, ($), index, incomplete.
• Uruguay, Baptisms, 1750-1900, MyHeritage, ($), index, incomplete.
• 1879-1930 Uruguay, Civil Registration, 1879-1930 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index.
• Uruguay, Select Civil Registration Records, 1870-1930, Ancestry.com, ($), index.
• Uruguay, Civil Registration, MyHeritage, ($), index, incomplete.
• 1900-1937 Uruguay, Civil Registration, 1900-1937 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index.
• 1840-1900 Uruguay, Marriages, 1840-1900 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index, incomplete.
• Uruguay, Select Marriages, 1840-1900, Ancestry.com, ($), index, incomplete.
• Uruguay, Marriages, 1840-1900, MyHeritage, ($), index, incomplete.

• British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptisms, index & images ($)
• British Armed Forces and Overseas Banns and Marriages,, index & images ($)
• British Armed Forces and Overseas Deaths and Burials at Findmypast - index & images ($)
  

Historical Background

Uruguay has no official religion; church and state are officially separated, and religious freedom is guaranteed. A 2008 survey by the INE of Uruguay showed Catholicism as the main religion, with 45.7% of the population and 9.0% are non-Catholic Christians. Among the sizeable Armenian community in Montevideo, the dominant religion is Christianity, specifically Armenian Apostolic. The first Anglican church in the country was erected in 1844 by British traders, and is considered a historical landmark. Other religious groups in Uruguay include the Jehovah's Witnesses.

Information Recorded in the Records

Different denominations, different time periods, and practices of different record keepers will effect how much information can be found in the records. This outline will show the types of details which might be found (best case scenario):

Baptisms

In Catholic and Anglican records, children were usually baptized a few days after birth, and therefore, the baptism record proves date of birth. Other religions, such as Baptists, baptized at other points in the member's life. Baptism registers might give:

baptism date the infant's name parents' names father's occupation

status of legitimacy occasionally, names of grandparents names of witnesses or godparents, who may be relatives

birth date and place the family's place of residence death information, as an added note or signified by a cross

Marriages

Marriage registers can give:

the marriage date the names of the bride and groom indicate whether the bride and groom were single or widowed their ages

birth dates and places for the bride and groom their residences their occupations

birthplaces of the bride and groom parents' names (after 1800) the names of previous spouses and their death dates names of witnesses, who might be relatives.

Burials

Burial registers may give:

the name of the deceased the date and place of death or burial the deceased's age place of residence

cause of death the names of survivors, especially a widow or widower deceased's birth date and place parents' names, or at least the father's name

How to Find Records

Digital Copies of Church Records in the FamilySearch Catalog

Watch for digitized copies of church records to be added to the collection of the FamilySearch Library. Some records might have viewing restrictions, and can only be viewed at a FamilySearch Center near you, and/or by members of supporting organizations. To find records:

a. Click on the records of Uruguay.

b. Click on Places within Uruguay and a list of towns will appear.

c. Click on your town if it appears, or the location which you believe was the parish which served your town or village.

d. Click on the "Church records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.

e. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the listing for the record. . The magnifying glass indicates that the record is indexed. Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to the index. Clicking on the camera will take you to an online digital copy of the records.

Writing for Records

You will probably need to write to or email the national archives, the diocese, or local parish priests to find records. See the Spanish Letter Writing Guide for help with composing letters.

Anglican (Episcopal) Church Records

Writing for Records

• Clickable Parish Directory
• Google Maps search results for Anglican churches in Uruguay

Historical Background

At the end of the first half of the 19th century, English merchants and businessmen launched into South America to invest in rail and other public services, as well as in industry, livestock and agriculture. With this they brought their faith and their traditions and for the year 1843 they managed to have the Rev. William Birch appointed as Chaplain of Montevideo. He celebrated the first religious service on June 4 of the same year in a room located behind the Church of San Francisco and three doors beyond the Claypole hotel. From that moment on they met weekly.

The English Chaplaincies in South America had their immediate reference in the Falklands, but later they developed and became Dioceses. One of them was that of Argentina, where the Church of Montevideo was included together with that of Fray Bentos and Salto. These were the three original congregations established in Uruguay. The first news of the celebration of offices in Spanish dates back to 1977, when a Bishop of Brazil asked Bishop Ricardo Cutts of Buenos Aires for permission to visit and celebrate offices in this language in Montevideo. In 1986, William Godfrey, who was appointed Archdeacon, arrived in Uruguay. With him, work began to form a new diocese in our country: the Anglican Church of Uruguay. This was achieved on December 10, 1988, establishing itself as part of the Province of the Southern Cone of America and having its episcopal seat in the former parish of the Holy Trinity, popularly known as the "English Temple", now converted into a Cathedral.

Armenian Church Records (Catholic, Evangelical, and Apostolic)

Writing for Records

• Google Maps search results for Baptist churches in Uruguay

Historical Background

Armenian Uruguayans number around 15,000-19,000 of the population, making Uruguay to have one of the largest Armenian populations around the world. The Armenian community in Uruguay is one of the oldest communities in South America, with most of them residing in the capital Montevideo. Many of them are third- or even fourth-generation descendants of the first wave of immigrants coming from the Ottoman Empire between the end of the 19th century and 1923. Most Armenians belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church. The main center is the Armenian Church of Montevideo, Uruguay (Spanish: Iglesia Armenia del Uruguay). There is also a significant presence of Armenian Catholics and Armenian Evangelicals.

The main Armenian places of worship in Montevideo are:

• St. Nerses Shnorhali Church (Armenian Apostolic)
• Cathedral of Our Lady of Bzommar (Armenian Catholic)
• Armenian Evangelical Church

Catholic Church Records

Writing to a Local Parish

Earlier records can be held at the diocese, with more recent records still kept in the local parish. To locate the mailing address or e-mail address for a diocese or local parish, consult:

• The Catholic Directory: Uruguay

Historical Background

There are 2.3 million Catholics in the country, 53% of the total population. There are 9 dioceses and the archdiocese of Montevideo.

Evangelization of Uruguay followed Spanish settlement in 1624. Montevideo became a diocese in 1878, after being erected as a Vicarate in 1830. Missionaries followed the reduction pattern of gathering Indians into communities, training them in agriculture, husbandry, and other arts, while forming them in the Faith.

The constitution of 1830 made Catholicism the religion of the state and subsidized missions to Indians. In 1878, Montevideo was elevated to Diocese and, in 1897, to Archdiocese. The constitution of 1917 enacted separation of Church and state.

Two Eastern Catholic churches are also present in Uruguay, the Armenian Catholic Church and the Maronite Church.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Records

Online Records

Online information is available to current members, for deceased members and immediate family members who are still living. Sign in to FamilySearch and then select Family Tree in the drop-down menu.

Historical Background

Total Church Membership: 106,177. Congregations: 139.

Uruguay's first contact with the Church occurred at the 1940 South American basketball championship game held in Montevideo. One of Argentina's star players, Rolf Larson, served as a missionary for the Church in Argentina, and brought publicity to the Church as a team member.

In 1944, the first congregation was organized for North Americans working in Uruguay. By the end of 1948, a mission and 14 congregations were organized.

Jehovah's Witnesses Church Records

Writing for Records

• Google Maps search results for Jehovah's Witnesses churches in Uruguay

Maronite Church Records

Writing for Records

• Google Maps search results for Maronite churches in Uruguay

Historical Background

The Church of Our Lady of Lebanon (Spanish: Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Líbano) is a Maronite (Eastern Catholic) parish church in the neighbourhood of Sayago, Montevideo, Uruguay.

Uruguay has a strong presence of Lebanese immigrants and their offspring. In 1888, some of them asked the Roman Catholic bishop Inocencio María Yéregui for permission to have their own sacraments celebrated by a Maronite priest. Since 1924, the Maronite Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary is also in Montevideo. Their own parish was established on 30 November 1941. The present temple was built in 1984–1986, designed by engineer Eladio Dieste; it is dedicated to Our Lady of Lebanon. ,

Pentecostal Church Records

Writing for Records

• Google Maps search results for Pentecostal churches in Uruguay

Seventh-day Adventist Church Records

Writing for Records

• URUGUAY UNION OF CHURCHES MISSION
• Google Maps search results for Seventh-day Adventist churches in Uruguay
• Adventist Directory: Uruguay This seems to be quite incomplete.

Historical Background

According to some accounts, the first Seventh-day Adventist in Uruguay was Mrs. Juan Rivoir, who, four years before immigrating to the country in 1890, heard Ellen White preach in Piedmont, Italy. In 1891 the first Adventist colporteurs, A. B. Stauffer, E. W. Snyder, and C. A. Nowlen, came to Montevideo briefly before going on to Buenos Aires. In 1893 Stauffer and Snyder returned with a young Englishman named Lionel Brooking. Stauffer began working among the German-speaking population, Snyder with English-speaking immigrants, and Brooking with French-speaking colonists. The first Adventist school was organized in 1908 in the home of Julio Ernst, with Otto Heydeker as teacher. Uruguay Adventist Academy was founded in 1944.