Mexico, Baja California and Baja California Sur, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
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| This article describes a collection of records at FamilySearch.org. | |
| Baja California and Baja California Sur, Mexico | |
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| Flag of the United Mexican States | |
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| Location of Baja California and Baja California Sur, Mexico | |
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| Record Description | |
| Record Type: | Church |
| Collection years: | 1750-1984 |
| Languages: | Spanish |
| Title in the Language: | Registros Parroquiales de la Iglesia Católica en el Estado de Baja California y en el Estado de Baja California Sur, México. |
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| Related Websites | |
| Archive | |
| Catholic Church Parishes, Baja California and Baja California Sur | |
What is in the Collection?[edit | edit source]
This collection covers church records from parishes in Baja California and Baja California Sur for the years 1750 to 1984.
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. 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.
These records are in relatively fair condition, with the exception of some 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.
Reading These Records[edit | edit source]
These records are written in Spanish Genealogical Word List; see the section For Help Reading these Records for translation helps.
To Browse This Collection[edit | edit source]
| You can browse through images in this collection using the waypoints on the Collection Browse Page for Mexico, Baja California and Baja California Sur, Catholic Church Records, 1750-1984. |
What Can This Collection Tell Me?[edit | edit source]
The following information is usually found in these records:
| Baptismal and confirmation records | Marriage records | Burial or 'Death records' |
| Date and place of the baptism | Date and place of the marriage | Date and place of burial and/or death |
| Child’s name and gender | Names of the bride and groom | Name of deceased |
| Names of the parents | Names of the parents | Sometimes the names of the parents or the spouse, if the deceased was married |
| Age of the person being baptized or their birth date | Name of the witnesses | Age at time of death |
| Legitimacy | Ages and marital statuses of the bride and groom | Place of residence or origin of deaceased |
| Before 1820, social class of the parents | Places of origin and residence | Sometimes the race of the deceased |
| Sometimes the person’s race | Legitimacy | |
| Godparents | Sometimes the race of bride and groom |
Collection Contents[edit | edit source]
Sample Images[edit | edit source]
- Mexico Baja California Catholic Church Records Marriage.jpg
Marriage Record
- Mexico Baja California Catholic Church Records Death.jpg
Death Record
Coverage Table[edit | edit source]
As of 5 June 2015 this collection contained the following records.
| Event | State | City | Parish | Start Year | End Year | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baptism | Baja California | La Paz | Nuestra Señora de la Paz | 1762 | 1899 | 14,565 |
| Baptism | Baja California | San Antonio | San Antonio de Padua | 1809 | 1894 | 8,698 |
| Baptism | Baja California | Todos Santos | Nuestra Señora del Pilar | 1835 | 1836 | 46 |
| Marriage | Baja California | La Paz | Nuestra Señora de la Paz | 1882 | 1924 | 6 |
| Marriage | Baja California | San Antonio | San Antonio de Padua | 1809 | 1825 | 2 |
How Do I Search the Collection?[edit | edit source]
You can search the index or view the images or both. 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
- Family relationships
Search the Index[edit | edit source]
Search by name by visiting the Collection Page.
- Fill in the search boxes on the Collection Page with the information you have.
- Click Search to show possible matches.
For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.
View the Images[edit | edit source]
View images in this collection by visiting the
Browse Page.
- Select City or Town
- Select Parish]
- Select Record Type and Years to view the images.
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Often additional information can be found in the margins of original records. For example in a birth record, you might find marriage or death information. |
For Help Reading these Records[edit | edit source]
For help reading these Spanish records, see the following resources:
- Mexico Language and Languages
- Spanish Genealogical Word List
- BYU Spanish Script Tutorial
- FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
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More images are available in the FamilySearch Catalog at [https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/1506640 |
What Do I Do Next?[edit | edit source]
I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?[edit | edit source]
- If possible, look at the actual image of the record to verify the information found in the online description.
- Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in 1930, Mexico National Census.
- Use the residence and names of the parents to locate other church and land records.
- Look for more information in the Baja California Civil Registration
- Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.
- Compile information for every person who has the same surname as your ancestor; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
- Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
I Can’t Find Who I’m Looking For, What Now?[edit | edit source]
- Check for variants of given names, surnames, and place names. Transcription errors could occur in any handwritten record; also, it was not uncommon for an individual be listed under a nickname or an abbreviation of their name.
- Civil registration records are also a good source of genealogical information. You should obtain copies of both church records and civil registration, when possible, since they do not necessarily provide the same information. For example, baptismal registers sometimes provide the names of the fathers of illegitimate children when the civil registration does not.
- There may be more than one person with the same name.
- Even though this is an index there may still be inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.
- A boundary change could have occurred and the record of your ancestor is now in a neighboring area. Search the records and indexes of neighboring cities, provinces, and regions.
- Try looking through records in the surrounding localities. Baja California shares a small part of its northeastern border with Sonora and its northern border with California. Baja California Sur is surrounded by water excepting the northern border it shares with Baja California.
- Civil registration records are also a good source of genealogical information. You should obtain copies of both church records and civil registration, when possible, since they do not necessarily provide the same information. For example, baptismal registers sometimes provide the names of the fathers of illegitimate children when the civil registration does not.
- Your ancestor may have immigrated to another country. Search the records of nearby countries or immigration/emigration records.
Known Issues with This Collection[edit | edit source]
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Problems with this collection? See a list of known issues, workarounds, tips, restrictions, future fixes, news and other helpful information. |
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to support@familysearch.org. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.
Citing this Collection[edit | edit source]
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.
Collection Citation:
| Collection Citation: The citation for this collection can be found on the Collection Details Page in the section Cite This Collection. |
Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):
Image Citation:
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