No edit summary |
|||
| Line 32: | Line 32: | ||
=== Catholic Church Records === | === Catholic Church Records === | ||
*The vast majority of Mexicans were Catholic and registered in the records of the local parish or diocese, known as registros parroquiales (parish registers) | *The Catholic Church, which was established in Mexico in 1527, was the primary record keeper for Mexico until civil registration started. | ||
*In 1563, the Council of Trent formalized record keeping practices that were already being followed in much of the Catholic world. Separate record books were to be maintained for baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and deaths. | |||
*The vast majority of Mexicans were Catholic and registered in the records of the local parish or diocese, known as registros parroquiales (parish registers). | |||
*The records were kept at the parish and a copy was sent to the diocesan archive for preservation. | *The records were kept at the parish and a copy was sent to the diocesan archive for preservation. | ||
* | *See [[Mexico Catholic Church Records Historical Background]] for more resources. | ||
*See [[Mexico Catholic Church Other Ecclesiastical Records]] for more resources. | |||
==== Diocese Establishment ==== | ==== Diocese Establishment ==== | ||
It is important to note that individual dioceses started documenting life events only after they were established. Each diocese began at different times, here is a list of the years some dioceses were started: | It is important to note that individual dioceses started documenting life events only after they were established. Each diocese began at different times, here is a list of the years some dioceses were started: | ||
| Line 88: | Line 89: | ||
*''For information about records for non-Christian religions in Mexico, go to the [[Mexico Religious Records|Religious Records]] page.'' | *''For information about records for non-Christian religions in Mexico, go to the [[Mexico Religious Records|Religious Records]] page.'' | ||
== Information Recorded in the Records == | |||
*[[Mexico Catholic Church Baptism Records]] | |||
*[[Mexico Catholic Church Confirmation Records]] | |||
*[[Mexico Catholic Church Marriage Information Records]] | |||
*[[Mexico Catholic Church Marriage Records]] | |||
*[[Mexico Catholic Church Death Records]] | |||
=== Baptisms === | === Baptisms === | ||
Children were generally baptized within a few days of birth. Baptismal records usually give the following information: | Children were generally baptized within a few days of birth. Baptismal records usually give the following information: | ||
| Line 163: | Line 165: | ||
==Strategy== | ==Strategy== | ||
Church records contain births, baptisms, confirmations, marriages, marriage information documents, deaths and burials, marriage dispensations, account books, censuses, and communion lists. Often, two or sometimes even three generations are indicated in the registers. | |||
Some church records have been lost or have deteriorated due to natural effects such as humidity, insects and more dramatic events such as fires, floods, and earthquakes. Civil and political strife have also caused the destruction of parish books. Some records were destroyed or damaged because of poor storage. However, many records that are considered lost or destroyed have simply been misplaced or misidentified. | Some church records have been lost or have deteriorated due to natural effects such as humidity, insects and more dramatic events such as fires, floods, and earthquakes. Civil and political strife have also caused the destruction of parish books. Some records were destroyed or damaged because of poor storage. However, many records that are considered lost or destroyed have simply been misplaced or misidentified. | ||
<br> | |||
After 1859, one should search in both church and civil records, since there may be information in one that does not appear in the other. For instance, the church records may only list the godparents, while the civil records may list the grandparents. | |||
<br> | |||
Often two and sometimes three generations are indicated in the registers, with personal information on the family given. | |||
== Reading the Records == | === Reading the Records === | ||
*You do not have to be fluent in Spanish to read your documents. Genealogical records usually contain a limited vocabulary. Use this [[Spanish Genealogical Word List|Spanish Genealogical Word List]] to translate the important points in the document. Handwriting skills are taught in [https://script.byu.edu/spanish-handwriting/introduction BYU Spanish Script Tutorial]. | *You do not have to be fluent in Spanish to read your documents. Genealogical records usually contain a limited vocabulary. Use this [[Spanish Genealogical Word List|Spanish Genealogical Word List]] to translate the important points in the document. Handwriting skills are taught in [https://script.byu.edu/spanish-handwriting/introduction BYU Spanish Script Tutorial]. | ||
edits