Spain, Diocese of Cartagena, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
España, Diócesis de Cartagena, registros parroquiales

What is in this Collection?
This collection will include Catholic Church records from 1552-1948 created by parishes in the Diocese of Cartagena, Spain. These records include: baptisms, confirmations, pre-marriage investigations, marriages, burials and other miscellaneous church records. Images of indexes to these record groups are also included.

Depending on the year, some records may be completely handwritten or filled out on pre-printed forms.

These records are in Spanish; see the section "For Help Reading These Records" for links to translation help guides.

Collection Content
The information in each record may vary by year. Confirmations don’t contain as much information as the baptismal records and may be found among the baptismal records.

Baptism records may contain the following information:
 * Name and gender
 * Date and place of baptism
 * Date and place of birth
 * Legitimacy (biological or adopted son/daughter of …)
 * Father’s name and age
 * Mother’s name and age
 * First names of paternal grandparents
 * First names of maternal grandparents
 * Names of godparents
 * Names of witnesses

Marriage records usually contain the following:
 * Names and ages of bride and groom
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Birthplaces of bride and groom
 * Marital status of bride and groom prior to marriage
 * Legitimacy to parents
 * Occupations of bride and groom
 * Names of parents

Burial records generally contain:
 * Name, age, and gender of deceased (keep in mind that the records of women may be filed under their married name)
 * Date and place of death
 * Names of parents
 * Marital status/name of spouse
 * Date and place of burial

How Do I Search the Collection?
 Search by Name by visiting the Collection Page 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.

Some record sets have indexes; these indexes were created at the end of the year. Copy errors 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 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.

Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

For Help Reading These Records
These records are in Spanish or Latin. For help reading the records, see the following wiki articles:
 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * Latin Genealogical Word List
 * Reading Spanish handwritten records
 * Script tutorial for Spanish

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.

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.

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.

Continue to search the indexes and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have lived in the same area or a nearby area.

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.

Citing This Collection
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:

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