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. |
| FamilySearch Resources | |
| Related Websites | |
| Archive | |
| Catholic Church Parishes, Baja California and Baja California Sur | |
What is in This Collection?[edit | edit source]
This collection covers church records from parishes in Baja California and Baja California Sur for the years 1750 to 1984.
Often in Catholic Church records, 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 larger parishes, most of the marriage banns (informaciones matrimoniales) may be registered separately. In smaller parishes, these records were included in the marriage entry or 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, except for 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. For help reading these records see the following guides:
- Spanish Genealogical Word List
- BYU Spanish Script Tutorial
- FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
If you speak Spanish, the following free online lesson may be helpful to learn how to use the information in these records:
- Registros Civiles y Parroquiales – Spanish
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 These Records 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 Content[edit | edit source]
For additional details about these records and help using them see Mexico Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records).
Sample Images[edit | edit source]
1891 Baptism Record
- Mexico Baja California Catholic Church Records Marriage.jpg
1918 Marriage Record
- Mexico Baja California Catholic Church Records Death.jpg
1878 Death Record
| Tip: 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. |
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 This 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 on the Collection Details Page.- Enter the information in the fields in the Search Collection section or click More Options to see additional fields
- Click Search to show possible matches
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.
| Tip: More images are available in the FamilySearch Catalog at Mexico, Baja California and Baja California Sur, Catholic Church records, 1750-1984. Some catalog records link to multiple references. In this case, click on a reference to find a camera icon to see images. |
How Do I Analyze the Results?[edit | edit source]
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.
What Do I Do Next?[edit | edit source]
I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?[edit | edit source]
- Add any new information to your records
- Use the information to find more. For instance, use the age listed in the record to estimate a year of birth, if that is yet undetermined
- Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in 1930, Mexico National Census. The census can help you find if your ancestors were married civilly or by the Catholic Church or both. Then you can proceed looking in those records for more information
- 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
- Make sure to fully transcribe and cite the record entry for future reference; see the section Citing This Collection for assistance. Save or print a copy of the image
I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?[edit | edit source]
- Mexico, Baja California and Baja California Sur, Civil Registration (FamilySearch Historical Records) are also a good substitute when church records of births, marriages, and deaths cannot be found or are unavailable
- A useful Coverage Table for Mexico Baptisms is available in the wiki article Mexico Baptisms, Coverage Table (FamilySearch Historical Records)
- 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. Click here for a list of Spanish name abbreviations
- New information is constantly being indexed, microfilmed or updated. Periodically check back to see if your ancestor’s records have been added. You can see if the area you’ve been looking in has been recently updated by going to Historical Records Collections. Watch for an asterisk for recently added or updated records
Record Finder[edit | edit source]
Consult the Mexico Record Finder Table to find other 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]
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.
- Collection Citation
- "México, Baja California and Baja California Sur, registros parroquiales, 1750-1984." Database with images. FamilySearch.http://FamilySearch.org : 17 February 2017. Parroquias Católicas, Baja California y Baja California Sur (Catholic Church parishes, Baja California and Baja California Sur).
| Record Citation: When looking at a record, the citation can be viewed by clicking the drop-down arrow next to Document Information. |
| Image Citation: When looking at an image, the citation is found on the Information tab at the bottom left of the screen. |
