044-001 P.O. Box 2650

UTAH VALLEY FHC
044-001
CUBA
Ga~ERAl
RESEARCH GUIDE
by
Dr. lyman De Platt
IGHL Research Series, Volume 17
Instituto Geneal6logico e Hist6rico Latino~ericano
P.O. Box 2650
Salt lake City, Utah 84110-2650
1989
TABLE OF CctffEtfTS
Political History ••
,.
•••• 3
Civil Registration
•4
Ecclesiastical History
•4
Parish Registers
· 4
Fani Iy Sources
•7
Census Records
•9
Notarial Records
•9
Land Records •• •
10
Military Records
It
Fanily Histories
12
Other Genealogical Records
13
Cemetery •• • • • • • • •
13
lrnmigration-Enigration~igration
13
Civil-Criminal Cases •.•••.
14
15
Latin American Research Series
POLlTlCAL HISTORY
Christopher Columbus touched the land mass of Cuba during the
month of November 1492, but it was not until seventeen years
later that Diego Velazquez de Cu~llar colonized the island. The
first settlements were begun in 1511. The city of La Habana was
establ ished in 1519.
The island was divided into two gobiernos in 1620. These were La
Habana and Santiago de Cuba.
Cuba was under the jurisdiction of the vjceroyalty of Hew Spain
initially. In 1762 the English captured La Habana but it was
restored to Spain the following year. In 1777 Cuba was elevated
to a captaincy general within the colonial civil structure of
Latin fRerica.
In IB27 the Spanish government divided the island into civil
departments under which it was adninistered until IB78.
Between 1868 and 187B there was a revolution on the island, but
it finally ended without resolving anything. There was a lot of
destruction caused by this revolution, both in lives and records.
On June 9, 187B the island was divided into six provinces which
were Oriente, Canaguey, Las Villas, Matanzas, La Habana, and
Pinar del Rio. In 1893 the island becane one province again,
with a captain general as the governor, and it was divided into
four gobiernos or lieutenancies which were further sub-divided
into thirty one political districts. Once again, in 1895, there
began another uprising which resulted in the Spanish-American War
of 1898. In 1901 Cuba adopted a constitution which relegated it
to a protectorate of the United States. It finally declared its
independence in 1940.
In 1975 the old 1878 provinces were sub-divided as follows:
Oriente (Guantanano, Santiago de Cuba, Holguin, Granma, and Las
Tunas), Canaguey (Canaguey, Ciego de Avila), Las Villas (Sancti
Spiritus, Cienfuegos, Santa Clara, and Villa). The other
provinces remained undivided. Within all of these provinces, the
areas are divided into municipalities.
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Ci~il
The bapti~al transcriptions gi~e the n~e of the child, the date
of baptism, some birthplaces of parents, n~es of parents, and
the source of the reference. The marriage transcriptions give
the nanes of the spouses, their parents, former marriage information, the date of marriage and the source reference. Sometimes
places of origin are also ~iven. The burial transcriptions are
mostly for adults and give the death date, to wh~ the deceased
was married, s~e birthplaces and nanes of parents and the source
reference. Most of the records are recorded by parish, in semialphabetical order (by letter of principal surnane), but
occasionally they have been extracted in chronological sequence.
Registration
On July 31, 1889, the Spanish civil code, which was promulgated
in 1888, was put into operation in Cuba. Since that time ci~il
registration has technically been in effect throughout the
island. Many areas, hOAever, have suffered severe losses because
of the civil wars and revolutions waged on the island.
Copies of birth, marriage, and death certificates can be obtained
by writing to Cuban municipal officials. The cost is i60.00 U.S.
for each certificate. Correspondence has to be directed to the
Cuban Mission in Washington, D.C.
For the Cathedral of Havana and the church of Espiritu Santo
(Sancti-Spiritus), c~plete runs of marriage books ha~e been
identified in these papers, although all entries were not
extracted in the original transcriptions.
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY
The Diocese of 8aracoa, formed February II, 1517, was established
at Baracoa, but by April 28, 1522, it was changed to a new headquarters at Santigo de Cuba. The new diocese was suffragan to
Seville until 1547 when it passed under the newly-organized
Archdiocese of Santo D~ingo.
The follOAing is a list of the parishes for which there are some
tr anscr i pti ons.
tWiE OF PARISH
RECORD TYPE(S)
YEARS ClNERED
Ql.WfflTY
C~aguey:
On September 10, 1787, the second diocese of Cuba was established
at La Habana. On No~ember 24, 1804, the bishopric of Santiago de
Cuba was elevated to the status of an archdiocese.
Initially in Cuba there were four parishes including the
present cathedral parish called San Crist6bal de la Havana,
Remedios" Trinidad and Sancti Spiritus. Guanabacoa became a
parish in 1607. Matanzas was founded in 1693, Cienfuegos in
1819. Histories of all of the parishes of Cuba are being
prepared by the CGS staff. HOAever, most records prior to 1700
ha~e ceased to exist for a ~ariety of reasons.
Parish Registers
Cathedral
Marr i ages 1-9
Wi lis
1668-1874
1620-1850
1500
ca. 3000
Soledad
Marriages 1-8
1703-1852
1200
Cardenas
Marriages
1805-1860
100
Cienfuegos
Marriages
1827-1902
100
Guanabacoa
Nixed
1680-1790
100
Cal~ario
Marriages, v.2
1775-1856
10
Cathedral
(f i1m
1162426)
Bapt isms
Marriages
Burials
1705-1785
1622-1874
1619-1867
1300
2000
2250
La Habana:
Transcriptions of the working papers of Francisco Xavier de Santa
Cruz y Mall~n include some parish register entries of bapti~s,
marriages, and burials fr~ a number of parishes in Cuba. These
papers cane about through the work of a number of indi~iduals
(see CGS Revista 1:9-10).
I
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Guadalupe
Harriages
1850-1890
150
Jesds del Hontf
Hi xed
1750-1870
200
Honserratf
Mixed
1700s-1800s
Index
Santo Ange I
Harr iages
1694-1712
Index
Harriages
1871-1886
9
Marianao
Hatanzas
Harrriages
Hi xed
1689-1850
1700-1850
400
500
Relledios
Marriages
1684-1751
300
Santa Clara
Marriages
1690-IB80
400
Santiago de Cuba
Harr i age notfs
8urials
1688-1715
1678-18BO
400
100
Sancti Spiritus
Marriages 1-8
1674-1B91
750
lhe records for the Cathedral of Havana contained in the
collection are not cOllplete for the early period. lhe first
book of baptiSlls and marriages (baptisns 1590-1600; lIarriages
1584-1622>, was published by Hidalgufa in Madrid in 1974 in
alphabetical order. It is available on microfilll 973,150, itell
6 at the FaRily History Library. lhe Santa Cruz collaction
contains the foll~ing transcriptions:
BAP1I St1S
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
B
9
10
11
12
13
1705-1715
1716-1744
1745-1752
1753-1763
1764-1770
1771-1772
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
14
15
16
17
18
1622-164B
1649-166B
1668-1708
1709-1724
1724-1753
1754-1771
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
7
B
9
10
11
12
1773-17BI
17B1-17B6
17B6-1792
1792-1795
1795-IBOO
~RRIAGES
lhere is a ledger for Sancti-Spiritus foll~ing the same
alphabetical sequence of the records above, which includes
genealogical notes on births, lIarriages, burials, and civil,
ecclesiastical and military positions held, listed by age, year,
plaCf, etc.
lhe lIarriage records for Sancti Spiritus are a c~plete run as to
volulles, even though all the records are not included. lhey are:
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
B
1674-1724
1729-1744
1744-1760
1760-1772
1772-1783
17B3-1794
1794-1803
IB03-1B14
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
1814-1829
1829-1838
183B-IB49
IB4B-1859
IB59-1B72
IB72-18B3
IB83-1B91
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
1
2
3
4
5
6
i
BURIALS
Vol. 1 1619-1649
Vol. 2 1649-1679
Vol. 3 1679-
Volulle nUllbers are not given for the burial records after volulle
3, but the records are transcripted through 1871. lhese records
for the Cathedral of Havana are all contained on microfilll
1,162,426 at the Fanily History Library.
F{flI LYSOURCES
As genealogy is a study of faRily units, it stands to reason that
the hOlle of the nuclear faRily and the hOlIes of children and
grandchildren of the nuclear couple, should contain the 1I0st
extensive lIaterials available pertaining to the farnily's genealogy and history.
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1771-1794
1794-1B12
IB12-1B20
IB20-1840
IB40-1B55
1856-1874
In Cuba,
tions is
to b~gin all g~n~alogical inv~stiga­
~ith th~ old~r family n~nb~rs and r~latives, and if
th~se ar~ dec~as~d, at th~ plac~(s) ~here they liv~d if possible.
Fran this research it is usually possible to get sone names,
dates, and family traditions or stories, sane of which nay extend
back as nuch as five generations. Invariably nuch of this
infornation will b~ found in no other place and when it is lost
l! l! gone forever. Even though an ancestor nay have been dead
for twenty to fifty years, it is still a good policy to go to
where they lived and find out what still exists in the ninds of
others about then and their family. Because so nany of Cuba's
living citizens have been displaced and are presently in the
United States, it is inp~rative that the older g~neration record
what it kn~s concerning ancestral places of residence, family
traditions, names, dates, etc.
th~
If these materials are unavailable in the hone in question, then
the hones of friends, neighbors, and relatives should be visited,
as should local libraries, archives, and museums.
b~st plac~
Alnost every family has sonething of value to give to the
diligent researcher. Care should be taken in the approach that
is used, h~ever. 11any individuals, in an effort to obtain information, and before establishing trustworthy relationships with
newly-met or 1ittle-kn~n relatives, have asked questions which
are too personal, or asked to borr~ pictures, letters, documents, etc., that are very valuable to the owner. Apreviously
establish~d rapport through lett~rs, phone calls, or visits, many
times provides treasures of information that otherwise would have
remained hidden, and then destroyed or thr~ away at the death of
that individual. Even kinship is not a pre-requisite to success
in this area, if proper deference to and respect for age is
cultivated.
A carefu1 inves ti gat ion will uncover sone, j f not all, of the
foll~ing types of genealogical and family history material:
vital records
church records
photographs
picture albums
biographies
citizenship papers
di ar ies
legal papers
military documents
school records
work records
diplonas
newspaper clippings
fanlily histories
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i
Further information on this area of research can be found in the
pub1ications:
fo11~ing
Platt, Lyman De. Genealogical Historical Guide 1Q Latin Anerica.
Detroit, Michigan, 197B. Spanish edition: Una Gula Geneal6gicoHist6rica d~ Latinoan~rica. Ramona, California, 1978.
In Chapter 1 of this book, entitled ·Res~arch Standards,· there
is a section on Family Sources which identifies these sources and
describes them in detail.
Ryskamp, George R.
California, 1984.
Tracing Your Hispanic Heritage. Riverside,
Section I of this book, entitled ·Techniques and Principles·
includes several areas of interest to family research.
These books also contain detailed information on sone of the
records listed in the sections below.
CENSUS RECORDS
The civil census records of Cuba are on~ of its richest archival treasur~s that has been lost for the most part. As far as
can be determined the 1899 and 1907 censuses taken by the Unit~d
States were destroyed by an act of congress. Later censuses may
still exist in Cuba. At the national archives, there are at
least thirty-one bundles of census records under Censos for the
colonial p~riod.
NOTARIAL RECORDS
After the records already mentioned, the notarial records are the
most informative and important. Public or legal naterial pertaining to individuals that was recorded during the colonial period
usually found its way into the notarial books. These books
(called protoc010s) include wills, land transactions, dowry information, contracts, bonds, p~ers, mortgages, complaints,
charges, and parnents.
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Some notarial records have been destroyed for a variety of
reasons, but for the nost part they are still available in the
original archives of the notary that created then, in a special
notarial archives, in the provincial archives, or in the Archivo
Nacional in Havana.
Also. at the Nation~l Archives is a section called Tierras t
Propledaded.
It IS probably sinilar to other archival
collections in Latin Anerica and will contain information on
colonial land distribution and ownership. There is also a
collection called Solicitudes de Tierras.
Although some of the more conscientious notaries made indexes to
their protocolos, most did not. More of these records began to
be indexed following the independence period, however, as local
officials realized the absolute value of the infornation
contained therein.
In the book by J.C. Prince, entitled Cuba Illustrated, (New York,
1893, 6th edition), pages 125-174, there is a list of sugar
plantations in alphabetical order, noting where they were located
on the island, and the nane and address of the owner of each.
The nost-looked-for document in notarial records is the will and
for this reason some believe that wills are only found in
notarial records, but this is not true. They are also found in
ecclesiastical archives, nunicipal archives and if they are
holographic (written in the hand of the testator), they may be in
fanily archives, museuns, and other public archives.
In the National Archive there is an index to the 284 bundles of
protocol os for the years 1842-1890 housed at the Archive. This
index was published in the Bolet1n of the National Archives in
volumes 8-11, but included only 275 of the 284 bundles.
At Canaguey, there
million cards, for
records have been
are being published
is a card index in private hands of over one
the notarial collection there. Many of these
transcripted and are in the hands of CGS and
in the Revista.
lAND RECORD
Of all the records best suited to genealogical and historical
reseach in Cuba, those that deal with land are found in more
assorted places than any other.
MILITARY RECORDS
There was no standing army as such in Cuba until the mid-1700s.
During the early colonial period, the major mil itary efforts
consisted of protection provided by militia units conscripted
from the estates and various Spanish settlements.
There were four nain groups of nilitary personnel included in the
designation of "military." These groups were: 1) veteran Spanish
soldiers assigned for short duration throughout the viceroyaltYj
2) veteran Spanish troops assigned permanently to a given areaj
3) provincial nilitia unitsj and 4) urban militia units.
Military records for the colonial period are found in several
archives under varying classifications, the nost connon of which
are: 1) troop lists, 2) connission records, 3) service records,
4) conscription records, 5) reginental register sheets, 6)
petitions of soldiers for permission to narry, and 7) petitions
for pensions.
At the National Archives in Havana there is a collection
Comisiones militares, consisting of 133 bundles for the
1825-1869. The biographical information contained in
records is about nilitary nen receving connissions on the
during that time.
called
years
these
island
At the National Archives in Havana there is a collection of
records called Realtngos, consisting of ninety-eight bundles for
the years 1782-1850. The material is concerned with the adninistration of royal lands. In the Bolet1n, volumes 8-12, there is
an alphabetical I ist of properties and persons concerned with
this set of documents.
There are many nilitary records on Cuban officials and soldiers
in Spain at the Archivo Militar in Segovia and at Simancas.
8ecause Cuba was a province of Spain much longer than other Latin
American countries, this is a particularly valuable source.
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•
•
Santa Cruz, Francisco X. Historia de Fanilias Cubanas.
Films 1,156,324 through 1,156,329 at th~ Family History library
contain service records for Spanish and Cuban military men from
1786-1800. An index to thes~ r~cords is avai Jable in:
Sidney Louis. The Canary Islands Migration to louisiana,
1778-1783. This book is mostly about those who left louisiana
for Cuba.
Viller~,
Patronato Nacional de Archivos Hist6ricos. CatAlogo XXII del
Archivo de Simancas, Secretarla de Guerra (siglo XVIII> ,
Hojas de Servicios de America. Valladolid, Spain: Patronato,
1958.
The end result of the family history project of IGHl and CGS is
to compile an index to all of the family histories that have b~en
publish~d. There is so much that is available in th~se histories
that cannot be us~d by most individuals simply becaus~ it is not
ind~xed.
Ther~ are many int~rr~lat~d famili~s in Cuba that are
dupl icating research efforts, and in som~ cases this duplication
extends to oth~r latin America countri~s. It was not unusual for
an emigrant family to spilt up and go into th~ various countries
of South America, C~ntral America, Mexico, and th~ Caribbean,
~stablishing branches of the fanily that lost contact with each
other.
Military records for all of the regiments at Havana, Bayamo,
Cuatro Villas, Matanzas, Puerto Principe, Santiago de Cuba, and
Trinidad are included.
F#\IlY HISTORIES
IGHl Research Series, Volume 15, entitled latin American Family
Records, has over 3,500 family histories and genealogies listed
in it. Over 300 of th~s~ are for Cuban families. B~sid~s thes~
individual titl~s to specific surname histories, the following
publications hav~ be~n indexed by CGS and IGHl that pertain in
whole or in part to Cuba.
AlmeJa, Juan. Guh de
America.
Persona~
OTHER GENEALOGICAL RECORDS
There are many other records besides the ones mentioned previously, that have value in doing genealogy or family res~arch.
The following are some of the more important ones.
m cult ivan l! Historia de
Cemetery Records
Burkholder, Hark A. Biographical Dictionary of
ters In 1hi Americas, 1687-1821.
Audi~ncia
Minisi
Calcagno, Francisco. Diccionario BioQrifico Cubano.
Cuban Genealogical Society. Revista.
Lohmann, Guillermo. los Americanos
Mahy,
Jos~
~
l!i Ordenes Nobiliarias.
Antonio. Testamentos de Camaguey.
Nieto, Rafael. Dignidades Nobiliarias en Cuba.
Peraza, Fermin. Diccionario BiogrAfico Cubano.
Rodriguez, Emilio. Familias
Hispanoam~ricanas.
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On Harch I, 1784, King Charles IV. ordered the establishment of
cemeteries in the urban areas of the main cities of the
latin America. This was follwed by an order of April 3, 1787
outlining that cemeteries were also to be constructed in the
outside environs of the cities. With this order all church
cemeteries were supposedly closed. However, the order was reissued in 1804, shwing the resistence of the parish priests.
Many tombstone inscriptions and some cemetery burial books exist
and can provide additional information not found in church or
civil death records.
Immigration-Emigration-Migration Records
There were strict rules for controlling population movements
during most of the colonial period. All persons traveling to
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Cuba technically had to be cleared by the Casa de la Contratacion
in Seville.
IGHL RESEARCH SERIES
The AGI in Seville is publishing the early passenger lists to
Latin America. These exist irom 1509-1790 at AGI, Contrataci6n.
Seven volumes oi these lists have now been published ior the
early colonial period.
The archives oi Spain are iull oi proois oi massive innigration
to the Viceroyalty oi New Spain. The records dealing with this
subject are scattered in the notarial archives, in passports, in
padrones de hidalguta, and so iorth.
i
Civil-Criminal Cases
At the National Archives in Havana there are 14,000 bundles of
these records i~r the colonial and modern time periods. Although
they are not indexed or well-cataloged, they contain a valuable
treasure oi iniormation on many individuals.
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B
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IB
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2B
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Genealogical Research in Latin America
Nexico, General Guide: Political Divisions
Nexico, General Guide: Ecclesiastical Divisions
Mexico, General Research Guide
Mexico, Census Records
Research in Mexico City
Genealogical Gazetteer oi Mexico
Central America, General Research Guide
Caribbean, General Research Guide
Genealogical Gazetteer oi Central America and the
Caribbean
South America, General Research Guide
Genealogical Gazetteer oi South America
Latin American Census Records
Latin American Military Records
Latin American Family Records
Puerto Rico, General Research Guide
Cuba, General Research Guide
Dominican Republic, General Research Guide
Chile, General Research Guide
Argentina, General Research Guide
Peru, General Research Guide
Guatemala, General Research Guide
Colombia, General Research Guide
Ecuador, General Research Guide
Bolivia, General Research Guide
Costa Rica, General Research Guide
EI Salvador, General Research Guide
Honduras, General Research Guide
Nicaragua, General Research Guide
Panama, General Research Guide
Paraguay, General Research Guide
Uruguay, General Research Guide
Venezuela, General Research Guide
Research in Buenos Aires
Research in Lima
Spain, General Guide: Political Divisions
Spain, General Guide: Ecclesiastical Divisions
Spain, General Research Guide
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SERlE DE JtfJESlJ6ACJIliES GEtIAlOGJCAS DEL JGHL
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Jnv.stigaciones 6.nea16gicas.n Latinoil'rica
H'xico, Gula General: Divisiones Pollticas
H'xico, Gufa 6.neral: Division.s Ecl.siistlcas
H'xico, 6ufa d. Inv.stigacilD's 6.neal6gicas
H'xico, Censos y Padrones
Jnv.stigltlon.s 6.n.al6gieas .n la Cludad de H'xieo
6Iz.t.ro 6.o.al6gito d. H'xieo
Clntroil'rlca, Gula dl Jnv.stlgaeion.s 6.o.aI6gieas
Caribe, 6ula dl lovestigaciooes Geolal6gieas
6az.t.ro 8101116gico d. C.ntroll'rica y .1 Carib.
Sudam'rlca, Gula de Jov.stitation.s 6eoeal6gica5
6az.t.ro 6eo.a16gieo de Sudil'rica
C.osos y Padrones d. LatioOil'rica
Registros Hilitar., de latinoll'rica
Historils Famlliarls de latinoam'rica
Pu.rto Rico, Gula de lovestigaclon.s G.neal6gicas
Cuba, 6ula de Investigaciooes 6eneal6gicas
Rep6blica Dominicaoa, Gufa de lovestigaciones
Geneal6gicas
Chll., Gufa de Invistigacion.s 6.o.aI6gical
Argentina, Gufa de Inv.stigacion.s G.o.aI6gicas
Per6, Gula dl Inv.stigacion.s G.neal6glcas
Guat.~ala, Gufa de Jnv.stigacion.s 6ln.al6gicas
Colombia, 6ula de Jnvestigaciones Geneal6gicas
Ecuador, Gufa de Investigacion.s 6eo.al6gicas
Bolivia, 6ufa de Jnvestigaciones Gen.al6gitas
Costa Rica, Gula de Jnv.stigaciones Geneal6gicas
EI Salvador, Gufa dt Invtstlgaclon.s Geneal6gicas
Honduras, 6ula de Investigaclon.s Gtntal6gicis
Nicaragua, Gula de Investigaciones Gen.al6gicas
Panam' , 6ula de lovestigaciones Geneal6gicas
Paraguay, Gula d. Investigacion.s Gen.al6gicas
Uruguay, 6ula d. Jnvlstigacion.s Gen.al6gicas
Venezutla, 6ula de Investigaciones 6en.al6gicas
Invtstlgaclones Gental6gicas.n II Ciudad de Butnos
Aires
Investigacionts Geneal6gicas .n la Cludad dt Li~a
Espala, 6ula General: Divisiones Pollticas
Espala, 6ufa General: Divisiones Eclesi'sticas
Espala, Gula de Jnvestigaciones Geneal6gicas
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COOENJDO
Hlstoria Politic•••••••••••••••••••••••• 4
EI R.gistro Civil •
I
••••••••••••••••••••
5
Ecleslistlca ••••••••••• • •••• • •
•5
Reglstros Parroqulales • • • • • • • • • • •• • •••
•5
~Istoria
Fu.nt.s Fmtillares •••••••••••••
••••••• 8
Censos y Padron.s • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 10
Reglstros Notarlales •••• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 10
Reglstros de Tierras •••••••••••••••••••• II
Registros Hilitares ••••••••• • ••••• • • • • •• 12
Historlas Fmtillu.s • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 13
Otros R.glstros 6en'116glcos •••••••••••••••• 14
C~enterlos
••••••••••••
InligraeI6n-Enlgrlci6n~igraci6n
Casos
elvll.slcri~lnales
.
.
•••••••••••
14
14
••••••••••• • • • • •• 15
i
- 3-
Rl!gistro Civil
HISTORIA POLJTJCA
Crist6bal Col6n II.g6 a la isla de Cuba durante
novieabre de 1492, pero no fu. hasta dieelsiet. alos
Diego V,lizquez de Culilar eoloniz6 a la isla.
poblaei6n se hizo en 1511. La eiudad de La Habana fue
en 1519.
el aes de
despuls que
La prigera
estableeida
La isla .staba dividida .n dos gobiernos en 1620. Estos .ran La
Habana y Santiago de Cuba.
Cuba estaba baJo la jurisdieei6n del Virr.inato de Nu.va Espana
inlcialaent.. En 1162 los Ingl.ses Invadi.ron a La Habana p.ro
fue restaurada a Espafta el ano siguiente En 1117 Cuba fu. elevada
a capitanla gen.ral dentro de la .structura colonial civil de
Latinoaillriu
En 1821 el gobl.rno espanol dividi6 la isla en depart.entos
civiles bajo 105 cual.s fue adlipistrado hast a 1878.
Entre 1868 y 1818 habla una revoluci6n sobre la isla que finaliz6
sin resolver nada. Habla Rucha destrucei6n eausada por la
revoluci6n, en vidas y registros.
En 9 de junio de 1818 la Isla fue dividida en s.is provlncias
que eran Oriente, C.aguey, Las Villas, Hatanzas, La Habana, y
Pinar del Rio. En 1893 la Isla II.g6 a ser una provincia otra
vez con capitin g'Reral CORO el gobernador, y fue dlvidida en
cuatro gobi.rnos or t.nenclas que fu.ron sub-divididas en treinta
y un distritos politicos. Una vez gis, en 1895, habla otra
rlbeli6n qUI result6 en la Guerra HispanoaRericana de 1898. En
1901 Cuba adopt6 una constltucl6n que la releg6 a un prottctorado
de los Estados Unidos. Finalaente, declar6 su independencia en
1940.
En 1915 las provincias antiguas de 1818 fueron sub-divididas en
la forga siguiente: Oriente (Guantanallo, Santiago de Cuba,
Holguin, GraRRa, y Las Tunas), Callaguey (C.aguey, Ciego de
Avila), Las Villas (Sanctl Spiritus, Cienfuegos, Santa Clara, y
Villa). las otras provincias quedaron sin dividirs•• En todas
estas provincias, los territorios estaban sub-divididos en
lIunlcipios.
- 4-
En 31 dt julio dt 1889, tl. c6dlgo civil npatlol, qut fut
pr~ulgado tn 1888, st hizo tftctlvo tn Cuba. D.sd. 'ntonc.s tl
registro civil hi tstado operatlvo par toda II Isla tecnlcallIente. Sin flbargo, lIuchos lugar.s has sufrldo pfrdidas por causa
de las guerras civiles y las revolucionl!s que han destrozada la
Ish.
Cop 115 of c.rtiflcados dt nacillil!ntos, latrillonios, y defuncionts
se pUl!dl!n obttnl!r al Iscriblr al Embassy of thl! CZl!choslovak
Socialist Rl!publlc, Cuban Intl!rl!sts Section, 2639 16th Strl!l!t,
N.W. Washington, D.C., 20009. El costa es dt t60.00 U.S. para
cada certlflcado.
HISTORJA ECLESIASTJCA
La Di6cesls de Baracoa, foraada In II de fl!brtro de 1511, fue
establtclda en Baracoa, pero tn 28 d. abrll de 1522, canbl6 su
cabeetra a Santlgo dt Cuba. La nUl!va dl6cl!sis fue sufraginea a
Sevilla hasta 1541 cuando pas6 a II nueva Arquidi6cesls de Santo
Omingo.
En 10 de setlflbre de 1187, la segunda dl6cesls de Cuba fUI!
establecida en La Habana. En 24 de novitllbre dl! 1804, el
obispado de Santiago dt Cuba fue II.vlda a arquidl6cesls.
Iniclallent. en Cubl habfan cuatro parroquias incluytndo la
prts.ntt eattdra1 dt San Crlst6bal de la Havana, Regl!dlos,
Trinidad y Sanctl Spiritus. Guanabacoa III!g6 a sl!r parroquia en
1607. Hatlnzas fue fundada I!n 1693, Cienfuegos en 1819.
Historlas de todas las parroquias de Cuba se estin preparando por
CGS. Sin tRbargo, la mayorfa de los reglltros de las parroquial
de Cuba han cesado dl! exlstlr antes d! 1700 por una variedad de
razonn.
Registros Parroqulalts
Transcripciones de los papeles de Francisco Xavier de Santa Cruz
y Hal1fn incluyen algunos r.glstros parroquilles: bautismos,
natrlnonlos, y d.funclones d' varlas parroquias de Cuba. Estol
papeles fueron e!crltos por un n~ero dl! Individuos. (vlasl! CGS
Revlsta 1:9-10).
- 5-
Las' transcrlptclones bautlsmales dan el nombre delillo, la fecha
del bautlsmo, los nombre de 105 padres, a veces sus lugares de
naclalento, y la fuente de referencia. las transcripclones de
aatrilonio dan los nombres de los contrayent'I" sus padres,
inforRacion sobre Ratrimoniol anteriores, la fecha de .atrilonio,
y la fuente de referencia. AVICtS lugares de origin tambi.n
estin incluidos. Las transcriptiones de Intlerro'son en 5U
.ayorta de adultos y dan la fecba de .uerte, a quien.1 Ruerto
era casado, a veees lugares de naciml.nto y los nombres de padrls
y la fuente de referencia. La layorta de los rlgistros .stin
organizado por parroqula, in orden 5eli-alfab.tlco (por letra del
apellido principal>, p.ro a veces .xtraldas en ord.n crono16gico.
De la Catedral de La Habana, y la iglesia del Sanctl-Spiritus,
txtraetos d. latriRonio cubren .1 titapo completo indicado abajo.
MRROOUIA
llPO DE RE6JSTRO
AlOS CUBJERlOS
CftlTlDAD
-----------------------------------------------------------------
CilIaglltY:
Cat.dnl
Hatr ilIon ios 1-9
T.stamentos
HatriRonios 1-8
1668-1874
1620-1850
1703-IB52
1.500
ca. 3.000
1.200
CArd.nas
Hatriraonios
1805-1860
100
Clenfuegos
Hatr ilIon ios
lB27-1902
100
Guanabacoa
Hixtos
1680-1790
100
Sohdad
La Habanu
Calvario
Hatrh.onios v.2
1775-1856
10
Catedral
(filllina
1162426)
Bautismo5
HatriRonlos
Entierros
1705-1785
1622-1874
1619-1867
1.300
2.000
2.250
Guadalupe
HatriRonios
1850-1890
150
J. d.l Honte
Hixtos
1750-1870
200
- 6-
AIDS CUOIERlOS
TIPO DE REGISTRO
PARROOUIA
rmT IDAD
----------------------------------------------------------------I
HOM.rrat.
Hlxtos
17005-10005
Indict
Santo Angel
Hatr Ilion 105
1694-1712
Indin
Harlanao
Hatrlnonio
1071-18B6
9
"ahnzu
Hatr I"on i05
Hlxtos
1689-1850
1700-1850
400
500
ReR,dios
Hatr htolli os
1684-1751
300
Sanh Clara
Hatr h'on I05
1690-1880
400
Santiago d, Cuba Hatr. (notls>
Entiuros
1688-1715
1678-1880
400
100
Saneti Spiritus Hatrh'onlos 1-8
1674-1891
750
Hay un 1,gaJo d, Sanetl Spiritus sigui,ndo .1 "ismo orden
altabltieo d, 105 otr05 registros, que ineluy, notas gen,a16glea5
de naci"iento, "atri"onio, enti,rro, posicion" "ilitar,s, y
.elesi'stleas, por orden de ,dad, alo, lugar, etc.tera.
los latri"oniol de Sanctl Spiritus ineluyen referencias para
todos los alos aunquI no todas las partidas est'n ineluidas.
Son:
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
I
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
1674-1724
1729-1744
1744-1760
1760-1772
1772-1783
1783-1794
1794-1803
1803-1814
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
- 7-
9'
10
11
12
13
14
15
1814-1829
1829-1838
1838-1849
1848-1859
1859-1872
1872-1883
1883-1891
Los rlgistros para la Catedral dl La Habana contlnidas en la
colecci6n no Ist'n completas para el perlodo inicial. EI primer
libro dl bautiSRos y matrimoniol (bautiSRos 1590-1600; matrimonios 1584-1622), fue publicado por Hidalgufa In Hadrid In 1974 en
orden alfabltico. Est' en micropllfcula 973,150, itlm 6 en la
Biblioteca de Historia Familiar. La collcci6n dl Santa Cruz
contiene las transcripciones siguientes:
BAUTl5tlOS
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vo1.
Vol.
8
9
10
II
12
13
1705-1715
1716-1744
1745-1752
1753-1763
1764-1770
1771-1772
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
1
2
3
4
5
6
1622-1648
1649-1668
1668-1708
1709-1724
1724-1753
1754-1771
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
14
15
16
17
18
Vo1.
Vo1.
Vo1.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
7
B
9
10
1773-1781
1781-1786
1786-1792
1792-1795
1795-1800
HATRIH~IOS
1771-1794
1794-1812
1812-1820
1820-1840
11 1840-1855
12 1856-1874
EHTIERROS
Vol. 1 1619-1649
Vol. 2 1649-1679
Vol • 3 1679-
Los ndmeros dl vol6Renel del los entierros no se dan despuls del
vol6Ren tres, plro los registros est'n transcritos hasta 1871.
Estos registros de la Catedral de La Habana est!n todos en la
mlcropelfcula 1,162,426 en la 8iblioteca de Historia Familiar.
FUEHTES FANILIARES
Siendo que la genealogfa es ,I estudio de familias, es obvlo que
,1 hogar de la familia nucl,ar y los hogar,s de los hljos y
nietos de la pareja nuclear, deben contlner el material mis
Ixtensivo que existe sobre esa familia en cuanto a su geneal091a
, historia.
- 8-
En Cuba, el mejor lugar donde cOlenzar las investigaciones
genea16gicas IS con los mie.bros y parientes mis viejos de la
familia, y si Istos est'n muertos, en los lugares donde vivieron.
De Istas investigaciones usualmente es posible sacar algunos
nombres, datos, y tradiciones 0 historias familiares, quiz's
Ilevando uno hasta cinco generaciones atr!s. Invariablemente
mucha de esta informaci6n no se encontrar' en otro lugar y cuando
se pierde 11 !! para siempre. Aunque un antepasado haya estado
muerto por veintl a cinquenta ·aftos, es bUlna costURbre ir donde
vivla para ver 10 qUI todavfa Ixiste acerca de ellos y sus
familiares en las mentes dl otros. Porque tantos de 105
ciudadanos de Cuba han salido del pais y viven en 105 Estados
Unidos, 15 sURilente importantl que la generaci6n vieja registra
10 que sabe de los lugares ancestrales de residencia,
nacimientos, matrimonio, defuncion; de tradiciones familiares,
nombres, fechas, .tc.tera.
Casi cada familia ti.nl algo d. valor para dar al investigador
diligentl. Sin embargo 51 debl usar mucho cuidado en COlO
clXlienn. Huchos individuos, al iniciar h pequiu, y sin antes
establecer amiltades de conflanza con reciln conocidos, 0
parlentes poco conocidos, han hecho prlguntas muy personales, 0
han pedido prestar fotos, cartas, docURentos, etcltera, que tiene
mucho valor para su dueno. Es bueno establecer un ambiente
mediante Ilamadas telef6nicas, cartas, 0 vlsitas, y este fundamento muchas veces proveeri tesoros de Informaci6n qUI de otro
modo hubiera quedado escondidos, y entonces destruidas 0 echadas
a la basura con la muertl del aquel individuo. A6n el parentesco
no es un pr.-rlquisito al 'xito dl este modo, si el debido
respeto a la edad y situaciones del individuos se tlXlan en cuenta.
Una investigaci6n cuidadosa delcubrir' algunos, Ii no todos, de
los siguientes tipos de material genea16gico y familiar.
registros vitales
r.gistros eclesi'sticos
fotogriffu
'lbURes de fotol
biograffas
papeles de ciudadanla
dlirios
- 9-
papeles legales
docURentos militares
registros escolares
registros de trabajo
dipllXlu
recortes de peri6dicol
historlas familiares
durante la epoca colonial, usualaent. se Incuentra en los libros
notariales. Estos libros (ilalados ,rototolol) incluyen testamentos, codicilios, tutelas, cartas de dote, ventas de bienes
rafces y otras propiedades, hipotecas, poderes, pagos, etcftera.
SI IstOs aaterialls no 51 Inculntran en II hogar nucllar,
entoncis los hogarls dl IIIg05, vicino', Y pariente, deben
visltarse, camo tambitn blbliotlcas, archlvos y lU510S locales.
Infomaci6n adic lonal sobre uta foraa dl buscar puede. Incontrarse en las publicaclones sigulentes.
Algunos registros notarial.s han sido destruidos par uRa variedad
de razones, pero .n su layorfa estin aSlquibles y en buenas
condiciones en los archivos originalls dl los notlrios qUI los
crearon, In un archivo notarial especial, en los archivDs
provinciales, 0 en el Archivo Nacional In La Habana.
Platt, LYllan Dt. GennloQical Historical Guide to Latin (uerica.
Detroit, Michigan, 1978. Edici6n en espalol: Una Guia
Genea16glco-Hist6rlca de latlnoaltrica. Rllona, California, 1978.
Aunque algunos de los notarios mis concienzudos hicierDn fndices
a sus protocolos, la nayorfa no 101 hicierDn. Sin embargo, nis
~e
estos. rlgistros rlcibilron indices desputs de la
Independencla, cuando oficlalts localls realizaron el valor
absoluto de la Informaci6n contlnida en ellos.
En e' capitulo uno de este Ilbro entltulado 'Horaa de
Investigaciones Genla16gicas,' hay una seccl6n sobre Fuentes
faliliares que identlfica nis detalladllente a estas fuentes
flliliarts.
Ryskllp, George R.
California, 1984.
lracing ~ Hlstanic Heritagt. Rivenide,
EI documento·.is buscado .n los rlgistros notarialls IS .1 testamento y por .sa raz6n algunos han cr'ido qUI los testamentos
solamente se !ncuentran In los rlgistros notarialls, pero no es
ver~a~ •. TiRbl'~ Sl Inculntran In archivos de la iglesia, los
munlclplos Y Sl son hologriflcos (escrito In la mano del
tlstador), pu,dln Istar to archlvos p6blicos 0 con la familia.
Secel6n J de este libro entitulada 'lechnlques and Principles'
incluye varios puntos de interls' las Investigaciones
glneal6gicas.
Estos Ilbros tamblln contienen infornacl6n nis detallada sobre
algunos de los otros reglstros descrltos ., segulr.
CENSUS RECORDS
El censo civil de Cuba IS uno de sus tlsoros archivflcos ais
ricos qUI 51 ha perdido en 5U nayoria. De 10 qUI se puede
deteminar, ·105 censos dl 1899 y 1907 tamados por los Es\ados
Unldos fueron destruldos por acta del congrlso dl 105 Estado
Unldos. Clnsos tamados nls tard,s todavia puedan Ixlstlr en
Cuba. En II archlvo national, hay por 10 nenos trelnta y un
llgajos de c,nsos bajo ~ para la Ipoca colonial.
RE6JSlROS N01ARJALES .
Desputs dl los registros ya Istudiados, los registros notarlales
son los nls InforRatlvos e IRportantls. lodo dl naturaleza
p6blica 0 legal p,rtenecilntl a Indlviuduos, qu, fu, rlgistrado
- 10 -
En el Archivo Nacional hay un fndici a 284 legaJos dl protocolos
archivado allf para los aftos 1842-1890.
Estl fndice fue
publicado In ,I Boletfn del Archivo Nacional en los vol6Renes 8II, plro incluia solamentl 275 de los 284 IlgaJos.
i
En Camaguey, hay un fndie. tn lanOl prlvadas de nis de un ail160
de tarjetas, de los r.glstros notarial.s del Cilaguey. Muehos de
estos r.gistros se han transerlto y Istin en nanos de CGS y 51
estin publicando en su Revista.
RE6ISTROS DE TIERRAS
De todos los rlgistros usados IA la glnealogfa y las investigaciones hist6ritas d, Cuba, los dl tilrras 51 Incu,ntran en mls
lugares de cualquier otro.
En el Archivo Nacional dt La Habana hay una coleccl6n de
rlgistros 11amados ·11&1'lgDI, conslltiendo de novtnta y ocho
- II -
legaJos para los aIDs 1782-1850. El nat,rlal s, trata d, la
adlinlstraei6n de tierra reales. En ,1 Bole\ln, vol6menes 8-12,
hay un Indiee alfabltleo de las propledades y personas que estin
Ineluidas en es\OI docu.entos.
Tmblln en el Arehivo Naclonal hay una seeel6n nlllada Tlerras I
Propledaded. Es probable que slnllar a otras eol,etlones en
Latinolllrica y contendr' Inforlael6n sobre la dlstrlbuel6n y
duelos de tlerras coloniales. Hay tamblln una eolecei6n lillada
Solicitudes de Tlerras.
'I
En el llbro de J.e. Prince, entitulado Cuba Illustrated, (NfW
York, 1893, 6a edleI6n), piglnas 125-174, hay una llsta de
plantaelones de azdear en orden alfabltlco, notando donde eada
uno est' en la Isla, y el nambr' y dlreeei6n del duelo de eada
una.
REGISTROS HILITARES
No habia un ejtrelto eamo tal tn Cuba hasta nedlados del slglo
diecloeho. Durante la epoea colonial, las necesldades nllitares
eonslstleron de proteeel6n nilielana empleadas de las haciendas y
varlas poblaelones espalolas.
registros coneierne a nilitares reelbi.ndo ealisiones en la isla
durante los aIDs indicados.
Hay auchos rlgistros nilitar.s de ofieiales y soldados Cubanos en
Espafta .n .1 Archivo "illtar de Segovia y en Sinancas. A causa
d. que Cuba fue provincia de Espafta por un ti,npo nucho ais largo
que otros paises Latinomericanos, esta fuente .s particularnente
de valor a Cuba.
Hicropellculas .,156,324 al 1,156,329 en la Biblioteca de
Historia Fmillar contl.n.n hojas dt servlclo para los nllitares
de Espafta y Cuba que slrvleron en Cuba durante 1786-1800. Un
Indlce a estos r.glstros 51 .ncuentra ,n:
Patronato Nacional de Archivol Histdrlcos. Cat"ooo XXII dtl
Archlvo de Slaancas, S.cnhrh d. Guerra (siglo XVI1J>. Hojas de
Servlclos de Amtrica. Valladolld, Espafta: Patronato, 1958.
Registros ailitares para los regialentos estaclonados tn Havana,
Baymo, Cuatro Villas, Hatanzas, Puerto Principe, Santiago de
Cuba, y Trinidad estian incluldos.
HISTORIAS FAHILIARES
de Investigaciones Genea16gicas del IGHl, voldRen IS,
Filillares ~ Latlnoll4rlca, contiene ais de 3.500
fmillares y genealoglas. Huchas d, Istas son de
Cubanas. Adeais de Istos tltulos a historias de
tspeclficos, las siguitntes publicacion,s han sido
por CGS y 16Hl y un Indice hecho de elias.
Hubleron euatro grupos prlnclpales de personal Ineluldas en la
deslgnael6n de militar. Estos grupos faeron: 1) soldados
veteranos espalol,s asignados por duraelones eortas al
vlrreinato; 2) soldados veteranos espaftoles asignados pernanenten,nt, a un lugar espeelfieo; 3} nil lela provincial; y 4) nilieia
urbana.
La Serle
Historlas
historias
fmilias
apeliidos
,studlado
Reglstros nllitares para la epoca colonial se ,ncuentran en
nuchos archlvos baJo varlas claslflcaclones, las nis camunes
slendo: 1) llstas de tropas, 2) reglstros de eamlslones, 3) hoJas
de s,rvlclo, 4) r,gistros de eonscrlpelones, 5) hoja,
reglnentales, 6) petielones de soldados para casarse, Y 7)
petlciones de p,nsl6n.
Alnela, Juan. Gula
Merica.
En el Archivo Naclonal de La Habana hay una col,ccl6n llamada
Camisiones nilltares, conslstlendo de 133 legajos para los aIDs
1825-1869. La Infornacl6n blogrifica contenida en estos
- 12 -
~
P,rsonas !!! cultivan l! Historia de
Burkholder, Hark A. Biographical DictionarY of Audiencla Hinist,rs in !h! An,ricas, 1687-1821.
Calcagno, Francisco. Dicclonario Biogrifico Cubano.
Cuban Genealogical Society. R,vista.
- 13 -
LomanR, 6ullltmo. Los tneritlnos !! hs Ordenes Noblliarlas.
Haby, Jolt Antonio. lest.entos de C.aoun.
Nieto, Rafael. Olonidades Nobillarlas!! Cuba.
Peraza, FerRtn. Dlcclonarlo Blogriflco Cubano.
Rodrtguez,
~illo.
Filillas Hlspano.erlcanas.
Sanh Cruz, Francisco X. Hhtorla de Fanillas Cublnas.
Villtr', Sidney Louis. Tbe Canary Islands Higratlon to Louisiana,
1778-1783. Este libro trata dt fllilias que salieron dl luisiana
para Cuba.
El resultado final del proyecto de hlstoria familiar del JGHl y
CGS es compllar un tndice de todas las blstorlas fanillares qUI
se han publlcado. Hay tanto que Ixlstl ,n Istas hlstorlas qUI no
Isti aSlquible al Indlvlduo slaplementl porqul no hay tndlcl a
1110. Hay Ruchas fllilias Intlrrllacionadas In Cuba y In los
Estados Unidos de rafces cubanas , que tstin trabaJando,
dupllcando sus esfuerzos, y en algunos casos esta dupllcacl6n st
extlende a otros patses latlnollericanos. No es fuera del nOMlal
para una fllllia emigrantl de Espafta aandar hlJos I Sudlltrlca,
Centroamtrica, y H'xico, estableclendo ast ramas de 11 fllilia
que plerden contacto II uno al otro tras las generaclones.
OTROS REGISTROS GENEAlOGJCOS
Hay auchos otros reglstros fuerl de los yl aencionldos, que
ti,n,n valor para la genealogta 0 la histurla fllillar. los
slguient,s son algunos d, los ais Inportantes.
11 ordln fUI publitldo de nUlvo In 1804, mostrlndo que hlbfl
resistentia de los padres parroqulalls.
Huthls instriptlon,s dl lipidls y Ruthos Ilbros de entierro de
tlRenterios ,xist,n y pu,den prOYIlr InforRlcI6n adicional que no
se ,ncu,ntra en la Iglesia ni In los certlficados tivills de
defunt i6ll.
Registros de
IRRigrati6n-Ellgraci6n~igraci6n
Hubieron reglas .strictas plrl controllr 11 Rovi.iento de II
pobllci6n durant. 11 mayor plrte del perfodo colonial. Todl
p.rsona viajando a Cuba debertan tener permiso de 11 Clsa de
Contrataci6n en Sevilla.
El AGI en Sevilla Isti publicando lis listls de plsajeros a
latinoamfrici. Estos Ixisten de 1509-1790 en AGI, Contrataci6n.
Sietl vol6mtnes de Istas Ilstls han sido publicados para la epoca
colonial.
los archivos de Espafta estin Ilenas de pruebls de eRigraci6n
aasiva a Cuba. los registros tratando este asunto se hillan en
archivos notariales, In palaportes, In padronls de hidalgufa, y
en Ruchos Ills.
Casos Civiles-Crillinal,s
En .'1 Archivo Nacional d. La Habana hay 14.000 ',gajos de estos
reglstros trantindose d, los tilmpos colonialls y modernos.
AunquI no tientn fnditl ni Istin bien cltalogados contitnen un
ttsoro d, informaci6n sabre luchos individuos.
'
Reglstros de Pante6n
En primero de narzo de 1784, el Rey Carlos IV, ordenO ,1
estableclalento de cenentlrios en ireas urbanas de las cludades
principales de Cuba. Esto fue s,guldo con orden del tres de
abrll de 1787 Instruyendo que estos c'Renterlos d,berlan
construlrse In las afueras de las cludades. Con este orden todos
los cemet,rios d, las Iglesias deberlan cerrarse. Sin enbargo,
- 14 -
- 15 -
LOCALITY ANALYSIS FOR CUBA
By George R. Ryskamp, JD, AG
BYU Department of History
Locality analysis plays an essential part in detennining the objectives for family history
research. It should be done as soon as a specific new place of origin or residence is identified,
and, of course, must be completed before step two of the records analysis can be completed.
Locality Analysis involves two processes. The first is to locate the exact place or places
from which one's ancestors came and detennine the various jurisdictions to which that place
belonged. (This is, in effect, an answer to one of the initial questions asked in the People
Analysis: Where did the ancestor live?) The second goal of Locality Analysis is to learn as
much about that particular place as one can. This includes not only the physical location and
the geographical features of the place, but, to better understand the life of the ancestor, also
requires a knowledge of its history and physical appearance.
Modern Atlases and Maps
Atlas de Cuba. La Habana : Instituto Cubano de Geodesia y Cartografia, 1978. ( G 1605
.15 1978) (FHL film 1162487 item 2)
Nuevo atlas nacional de Cuba. La Habana : Instituto de Geografia de la Academia de
Ciencias de Cuba, 1989. (BYU Maps G 1605 .N83x 1989)
Gazetteers
Gazetteer of Cuba, Vol I &11. 3rd ed. Washington, D.C.: Defense Mapping Agency,
1991. (F 1754 .G39 1991)
Locality guide for Cuba. compiled by Mayra F. Sanchez-Johnson. Salt Lake City
Cuban Genealogical Society, 1992. (FHL)
Historical Atlases, Maps and Materials
Atlas of ports, cities, and localities of the island of Cuba. Washington, D.C. : Norris
Peters Co., 1898. (BYU G 1605 .U5 1898)
Atlas geografico de Espana, islas adyacentes y posesiones espanoles de ultramar. Madrid
: Gaspar y Roig, 1864. (FHL film 0897114 item 1)
Ecclesiastical Directories
Apuntes para la historia eclesiatica de Cuba by Juan Martin Leisaca. Habana: Talleres
Tipograficas de Carana, 1938. (U. of Florida 282.72 L532)
Encyclopedias
La Enciclopedia de Cuba. por Vicente Baez, ed. Madrid: Playor, S. A., Santa Polonia,
1973.
These are examples available from six major categories of books that can be valuable in
completing a locality analysis for this country.
1. Atlases and Maps. Individual atlases that exist for most Hispanic countries can help
locate ancestral towns and establish the proximity of ancestral towns to other towns found during
the research. Typical of these is one for Mexico, Nuevo Atlas Porma de la Republica Mexicana
(Editorial Porrua: Mexico, D.F., 1980), available in many local libraries. This small volume
contains maps of each state, historical maps, ad a general country-wide index, as well as various
geographical entity lists. Maps in these should be in a scale of at least 1:250,000.
Another useful geographical tool for the Latin American genealogist will be the Index
to the Map of Hispanic America, published by the American Geographical Society.
(Washington: 1945). As this is an index to a collection of maps, scale 1: 1,000,000, it will
generally only be found in a large public or university library. It covers all Latin American
countries in good detail.
Also of value for locating especially small hamlets and for recreating geographical details
of local life are the Untied States Army Map Service Select Series and Topographical Maps
produced for all of these countries. Any place, no matter how small, will appear on these
detailed maps (scale 1:50,000). Unfortunately, these maps have no direct index, and locating
places can only be accomplished by using latitude and longitude references in the gazetteers such
as those published by the U.S. Office of Geography. (See the following section on gazeteers).
Maps and atlases are being digitalized for computer storage at an incredible rate. As that process
continues these will become increasingly available on CDROM and on the Internet and World
Wide Web. Currently, for example, the University of Texas at Austin Perry Castaneda Library
Map Collection has placed many atlases and maps from the CIA on the Computer Internet.
Check with the library for the current address and the countries available.
2. Gazetteers. Gazetteers are long lists of place names with a minimal amount of
information to identify and locate each particular place. Since many of these gazetteers list
geographical subdivisions smaller than the parish or municipality, and other features such as
rivers and mountains, they can be of great help when the particular place to be located does not
appear in the atlases or geographical dictionaries available to the researcher. Many countries also
publish postal guides and political divisions guides.
Gazetteers, such as the Untied States Board on Geographical Names Gazetteer, prepared
by the Office of Geography of the Department of the Interior, are frequently more readily
obtained in the United States than local geographical dictionaries and detailed atlases of Hispanic
countries. The Hispanic countries covered by the U. S. Board on Geographical Names series and
their numbers in that series are:
Argentina, 103
Bolivia, 4
Brazil, 71
Chile, 6
Costa Rica, 7
Cuba, 30
Dominican Republic, 33
Ecuador, 36
EI Salvador, 26
Guatemala
Honduras, 27
Mexico, 15
Nicaragua, 10
Panama, 110
Paraguay, 35
Puerto Rico, 38
Spain and Andorra, 51
Spanish Sahara, 108
Uruguay, 21
Venezuela, 56
For a number of Hispanic countries there are updated versions of these gazeteers published by
the Defense Mapping Agency (DMA). These are included under each country in the last section
of this chapter. These gazeteers have now been placed by the DMA (in collaboration with the
U.S. Board of Geographic Names on the computer Internet ubder the title GEOnet Names
Server.
3. Geographical dictionaries. These vary in size, from one and two volume dictionaries
to large series containing sixteen to twenty volumes. In the United States, those covering
Hispanic countries are generally found in the Family History Library Catalog or in large public
or university libraries which have map collections. Nearly every country has at least one such
dictionary, although these can vary dramatically in the amount of detail they contain. Some of
the large countries such as Mexico even have state or regional geographic dictionaries. Whether
national or regional these are most helpful in locating a particular town, and usually provide a
written description of the town, or other geographical unit. These descriptions, as well as
individual place name entries, can be used to identify the larger geographical unit (where records
would usually be found) to which a smaller unit, whose name is the only one the family
remembers, belongs. Figure 7- ,a page from Volume I of the Diccionario geografico de
Guatemala, illustrates this principle, showing the caserios of Guatemala. These dictionaries also
often provide information in developing the history of the ancestral locality as a background to
the family history.
4. Ecclesiastical guides and directories. Many Catholic dioceses, publish directories
listing the various parishes, seminaries, and convents which make up the diocese. These
directories always include the names of local parishes and the priests who serve there. They
also may contain maps and other aids, and interesting and pertinent information about local
history, including even local jurisdictional changes. Many of these are available through the
LDS Family History Centers and in libraries having the CIDOC Collection of Latin American
Church documents on microfilm. For at least four countries, Spain, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and
Argentina, such guides exist which also indicate at least the beginning date for parish registers
in nearly every parish in the country.
5. Historical Atlases, Maps and Materials. In the chart in the last section of this chapter
a special category has been created for geographic reference tools that were printed before 1900
but are still widely available or were written to deal with geography during an historical period,
most often the collonial period. The use and format of these materials parallels that of their
contemporary counterparts described in other sections above.
6. Local histories. As the name implies, these are histories that deal entirely with a
particular town or region, found bothe as books and as articles in periodicals. Scholarly
historical journals such as The Americas and Hispanic American Historical Review are
particularly valuable. These do not help in locating exact places, but can be extremely valuable
in helping to understand the history of that locality, and especially to trace its jurisdictional
changes.
Other Resources: Cuba Cuba Map http://geology.com/world/cuba-satellite-image.shtml Cuba GenWeb http://www.cubagenweb.org/ Cuban Genealogical Society http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~utcubangs/ University of Miami – Cuban Heritage Collection http://www.library.miami.edu/chc/ Deaths in Santiago de Cuba (July 1898‐May 1902) http://www.hijadelmaryelsol.com/muertes_en_santiago_de_cuba.htm Vanderbilt University – Ecclesiastical Sources for Cubans of African ancestry http://lib11.library.vanderbilt.edu/diglib/esss.pl