Spain, Albacete, Municipal Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in the Collection?
This collection includes civil registration records, censuses, military records, and other miscellaneous records microfilmed and digitized at municipal archives in the province of Albacete, Spain from the years 1475-1896

These records are written in Spanish; see the section "For Help Reading these Records" for access to translation helps.

Additional images will be published as they become available.

For additional details about the history of these records and help using them, see the wiki article Spain, Municipal Records (FamilySearch Historical Records).

For a list of records by localities and dates currently published in this collection, select the Browselink from the collection landing page.

Reading These Records
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:
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 1
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 2

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

Collection Content
The information in each record may vary by year.

Burial records usually contain the following information:


 * Date and place of burial, including name of parish


 * Name, gender, and age of deceased (keep in mind that the records of women may be filed under their married name)


 * Place of birth


 * Date and place of death


 * Cause of death


 * Spouse's name, if married


 * Parents' names if a minor


 * Witnesses' names


 * Date and place of burial


 * Sometimes, if deceased left a testament, the record will list the children’s names, marital status of deceased (single, divorced, widowed), the name and birthplace of the spouse, and sometimes the parents’ names and where they are from.

How Do I Search the Collection?
Some record sets have indexes; these indexes were created at the end of the year. Copy errors, altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors (if the information was scanned) could have been made in the index, so you want to find the actual record to verify the information is correct.

Using the index is a quick and helpful way to find the actual record.

See the sections below for tips and uses for searching and finding the record of your ancestor in this collection and using the information in the record.

If you are unable to find a record for your ancestor in this collection, see the corresponding section below.

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select Province
 * 2) Select City or Municipal
 * 3) Select Parish" category
 * 4) Select Record Type and Years to view the images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
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.

When searching: As you are searching, it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor's given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence, age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

What Do I Do Next?

 * Use the marriage date and place as the basis for compiling a new family group or for verifying existing information.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find each of the couple's birth records and parents' names.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate civil records Spain Civil Registration - Vital Records.
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.
 * The name of a marriage officiator is a clue to their religion or area of residence in the province. However, ministers may have reported marriages performed in other provinces.
 * Compile the marriage entries for every person who has the same surname as the bride or groom; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Use the marital status (whether a divorce or death dissolved a marriage) to identify previous marriages.
 * Witnesses often were relatives of the parents.

I Found Who I was Looking For, Now What?

 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct
 * Continue to search the marriage records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives of the bride and groom who may have married 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
 * Regarding marriage and death records, name changes, shortened names, or nicknames may have been used by your ancestors, so pay attention to other relationships (parents, spouse, siblings, children, etc.) that can confirm whether you have the right person/record
 * 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

I Can't Find Who I'm Looking for, Now What?
Maybe your ancestor immigrated to another country. Search immigration/emigration records. Spain Emigration and Immigration

Civil registration records (birth, marriage, and death records) are also a good substitute for when a church record cannot be found. Spain Civil Registration - Vital Records

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Spain.
 * Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

Citing This Collection
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.