When working on Puerto Rican genealogy, many of us in this digital age go online to websites such as MyHeritage, Ancestry, or FamilySearch, plug in our ancestors' names, and hope to hit the genealogical jackpot, and occasionally we do! Since Puerto Ricans have been a part of a U.S. territory since 1898 and U.S. citizens since 1917, our appearance begins on census records in 1920 and the WWI and WWII Draft Registration Cards. This makes tracing our ancestors a bit easier. Coupled with the Puerto Rican Civil Registry, which began in 1885, and the older church archives—we can sometimes trace our branches back to the 16th-17th century with a lot of luck, hard work, and sleuthing. (Personally, though, these instances are few and far between on my own family tree.)
It's important to keep in mind that Puerto Rican genealogy begins in oral history, supported by documentary evidence. This means that to this day, many manuscript resources remain offline for one reason or another.
Here are two archives and three record collections that can help you push past your Puerto Rican brick walls.
Visit the Archivo General de Puerto Rico (AGPR) for Puerto Rican Genealogy Research
Source: Archivo General de Puerto Rico; image courtesy of Wikipedia
This archive is located in San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico, and has records from various towns and time periods. Its collections range from local census records and passports (which can also include extracts of baptisms from other countries, manifests, etc.) to records of people who retained their Spanish citizenship when the United States took over Puerto Rico.
One record set commonly underutilized is the Last Wills and Testaments. Not every ancestor left one, but it could be a gold mine of information if they did.
How do I know if my Puerto Rican ancestor left a last will and testament?
Typically, this type of information was recorded on death records (usually civil records and, occasionally, religious ones). There, you can find information such as the notary's name, filing dates, and other details such as executors of the will.
Source: Death of María de la Cruz Román, 1 August 1854, Adjuntas, Puerto Rico; document courtesy of FamilySearch
What do these records include?
A last will and testament usually included a list of heirs, land bequeathed to family members, and other forms of property and belongings. It came as a great shock to me to find out that my 5th great-grandmother's will also included a list of enslaved persons. When I began my research I had no idea this branch was involved in chattel slavery, and was surprised to see that on a document from 1852.
Source: Archivo General de Puerto Rico Research Room; image courtesy of Wikipedia
Archivo Histórico Arquidiocesano de Puerto Rico (AHDPR) for Genealogy Research
Source: Archivo Histórico Arquidiocesano de Puerto Rico; image courtesy of Google Maps
This archive can also be found in San Juan, and its collection usually includes more religious documentation. This can range from baptisms to records dealing with marriages. Two record collections from this archive are, I think, severely underutilized because people do not really know they exist—these are of consanguineous marriages and probands de soltería (proofs of bachelorhood).
What is a consanguineous marriage, and how do I know if my ancestors had one?
Consanguineous marriages involved family members who had a close affinity or connection and wanted to marry each other; however, permission from the church was needed to get married. Their relationships typically range from the 2nd to the 4th degree of consanguinity and can occur at the same level (2nd degree) or at different degrees (2nd and 3rd degree).
Source: Marriage of Manuel de Jesús Martínez and Vicenta Rivera, 28 September 1872, Maunabo, Puerto Rico; Document courtesy of FamilySearch
The church would note this in their marriages and require a dispensa (dispensation, permission). These dispensations can include copies of each contracting party's baptism, affidavits from witnesses attesting to their relationship, and any other record that would allow the couple to marry.
How far back do these consanguineous records go?
Unfortunately, the records held at the Archivo Histórico Diocesano only date back to the early 1840s, meaning that if a consanguineous marriage occurred before those years, they likely do not exist; however, do not fret! Once you establish relationships between families, finding other relatives marrying amongst themselves can be more manageable, allowing you to create a web of interrelated family members to draw upon to find connections.
Source: Marriage Dispensation Cover Page, Manuel de Jesús Martínez and María Vicenta Rivera, 1872; Document courtesy of Archivo Histórico Diocesano, San Juan, Puerto Rico
What are probanzas de soltería?
Proofs of bachelorhood or probanzas de soltería were required of foreigners who wished to marry in Puerto Rico. A “proof” was needed to show they were not married in their homelands. The probanzas can include information regarding their origins and sometimes even extracts of baptisms and other records to prove they were not married before their arrival to Puerto Rico, or if they were married, proof of their status as widowers. The documents also established that they were faithful Catholic church members and allowed to marry in it.
How do I know if my ancestor needed a probanza?
Since these records are for foreigners, island-born Puerto Ricans will not have these available for them because they had proof right in their backyards. However, if you have an ancestor from another country, these records might help you learn more about them.
What does a probanza look like?
Recently, I identified my first ancestor (or set of ancestors) who might have needed one! Most of my ancestors have been on the island since before the 1700s and therefore did not need proof of their bachelorhood; however, I learned I had two ancestors who immigrated to Puerto Rico from a French overseas territory.
My 4th great-grandfather, Gustave Jean Charles, was a native of Terre-de-Bas, Les Saintes, Guadeloupe, and arrived around the 1860s in Puerto Rico. His first daughter, María Paulina, my 3rd great-grandmother, was born out of wedlock in 1867 on the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico. Later, in April 1869, a document was created in Guadeloupe stating that his first wife died during a cholera outbreak in 1865. Shortly after, in September 1869, my 4th great-grandfather appeared in Vieques, Puerto Rico, and married my 4th great-grandmother, Julienne Malvina Lautin, a native of Rivière Salée, Martinique.
Source: Marriage of Gustave Juan Charles and Juliana Malvina Lautin, 7 September 1869, Vieques, Puerto Rico; Document courtesy of FamilySearch
Given the gap of years between his first wife's death and when they reported it, as well as the fact that his first child was born out of wedlock and his second child was legitimate, it is very possible that my 4th great-grandfather (and potentially 4th-great grandmother) needed to prove their status of singlehood before marrying. On my research list, I plan to visit this archive to learn more about the probanzas and determine if my 4th great-grandparents appear registered.
Summary
Though for many of us genealogical research has become a digital hobby, it is important to remember that there are untapped resources out there waiting to be discovered. Though this type of research requires a bit more legwork, it is well worth the work once you discover a record you didn't know existed! For example, it was on a visit to the Archivo General de Puerto Rico about 10 years ago that I discovered the name of my 3rd great-grandfather, a native of Sóller, Mallorca, Spain, listed on a local census for property owners in Lares, Puerto Rico where he otherwise appeared nowhere else.
Final reminders:
- If you're driving to one of the archives, consider parking in the surrounding area, as parking at the archives can be hard to find.
- Note that bags and other large items must be left in a locker in the AGPR.
- Bring a proper form of identification to register yourself in the archives.
- Call in advance to make sure they're open. Puerto Rican holidays can sometimes differ from American ones.
- Dress appropriately. Though it's a warm island, the air conditioning can be strong. Similarly, dress for research and not for the beach.
- Be cognizant of issues such as electric failure, weather, etc. Though an American territory, Puerto Rico is still a Caribbean island and is significantly affected by these occurrences.
Luis Ariel, the Legacy Tree researcher who wrote this article, has written some additional articles about this subject on his personal blog. If you're interested in learning more, you check those articles out at the following links:
1. A visit to the AGPR (Archivo General de Puerto Rico) – https://boricuagenes.com/a-visit-to-the-agpr-archivo-general-de-puerto-rico/
2. Visiting the Archivo Diocesano – https://boricuagenes.com/visiting-the-archivo-diocesano/
3. A look at my 5th great-grandmother's testament – https://boricuagenes.com/a-look-at-my-5th-great-grandmothers-testament/
4. A Consanguineous Family: The Martínez of Guayama/Maunabo – https://boricuagenes.com/a-consanguineous-family-the-martinez-of-guayama-maunabo/
If you'd like more help with your Puerto Rican genealogy research, we'd love to work with you!
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