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Ed,
Questions about the Archivo General de la
Nacion:
The Archivo that I visited is in Mexico City. It is
located in an old Prison (Lecumberri). It is open just in the mornings. It
is open partially to the public. Before you can see the records, you need
approval. Normally you need only a letter, better if it is from an institution..
Also you need to bring an ID with you. They have different areas. The area of
Genealogy, has many of the film that the LDS church has. They have an index just
like in the library.
In another area, they have microfilms of historical
documents, like maps, census, etc. In another area, they have the actual
documents. This area is closed to the public, or very restricted. One of the
hardest things is to get in is photocopies of the microfilms. The
staff is very helpful, specially if you describe your situacion. I would call in
advance, to make sure that the place is going to be open (They take many
vacations)
Many times the website from Los Archivos posts copies of
interesting documents. For example old maps, etc. I make it a routing to review
their website
About the
Church Dispensations. These documents are incredible, specially for
anyone researching Jalisco, Aguascalientes or Zacatecas. They are many
times a treasure chest. Dispensations were given for different
reasons:
MARRIAGE THAT REQUIRE
DISPENSATION
?
IF THE MARRIAGE HAD ANY
OF THE FOLLOWING CASES
1.
Relationship/Up
to 4 generations back (They were
related)
?2.
Impotence
?3.
Crimes (Adultery or Homicide)
?4.
Chastity vows
?5.
Priesthood
?6.
Living wife
?7. Banns
?8. Minor
?9. Not
catholic
?10.
Clandestine marriage, often initiated by abduction
11. Ultramarine (Coming from across the
ocean)
RELATIONSHIP
CASES
?1. Consanguineous (Blood)
?2.
Affinity (by marriage)
?3.
Spiritual(god
parentage)
As you can see, many marriages require a
dispensation. It is great when you find dispensations describing a
family tree (Dispensation for Relationship- Consaguineous, Affinity or
Spiritual). Some of them have even an actual drawing of a
tree.
OK, How to find them?. I would recommend
first getting the book from Maria de la Luz Montejano Hilton "Sagrada Mitra de
Guadalajara"- Antiguo Obispado de la Nueva Galcia"- Expedientes de la Serie de
Matrimonios Extractos Siglos XVII-XVIII. You can buy the book in Borderland book
store is around $100.00. I bought mine in Mexico from the author directly. In
the book, she review around 50 films (some of the oldest ones) and
index them. It is a great source. If you can find who you are looking for
in the book, you need to review the films by hand. They are in the LDS Library.
The numbers are for example : #167971, #167993. They are 707 films in total. It
covers from 1636-1899. I'm sending you the
link:
The films are organized roughly by years. In the same film
you find a dispensation from Texas, another from Guadalajara, etc. They are
organized in what I call "ORDEN DE CAIDA". A Typical dispensation has
between 10 pages, but I have some as big as 25 pages. Many times it doesn't
matter if the dispensations was for Banns(Amonestaciones), you can get
genealogical information out of the document. For example I have one
dispensation that The bride and the groom were requesting
to have a secret marriage. The petition was denied. They
wrote again describing in detail who they were (The prestige from the
family). The dispensation was granted at the end. Normally you can review
the rolls of films very quickly. Because of that when I go to the library
in Utah, I allocate almost all my time to review these films.
WARNING: When you review the film index (LDS
Library Catalogue) go all the way to the end of the list. There are old
films at the end of the list.
Good hunting!
Regards
Susana Leniski
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, December 12, 2005 9:36
AM
Subject: [ranchos] Re: introduction-new
member of los ranchos
--- In ranchos@yahoogroups.com, "Susana
Leniski" <susyfarias@c...>
wrote:
> I also travel to Mexico nearly every year to visit family, many
times for an extended time.
During these periods I try to allocate time
for geneological research. In a few of these
trips, I have researched
historical data at the "Archivo General de la Nacion", and "Instituto
Nacional de Antropologia e Historia" in Mexico City.... Church
Dispensations from
Guadalajara (Sagrada Mitra- Arzobispado de Nueva
Galicia). I will be submitting some of
these lines
shortly.
Susana,
I am interested in your comments on the
"Archivo General de la Nacion" since it appears to
have much information
not available in the Mormon repository. A copy of the Archivo is
available
locally at the University of California San DIego, not too far from my La
Jolla
home. (I hope it is there, as advertised).
My questions for
you re: Archivo. How easy is it to use? Is it indexed in any way? Did you
find much information regarding your family? Any tips? Any warnings?
Do you know where someone could review the Church Dispensations of
Guadalajara
without going to Guadalajara?
Thank you for your
introduction.
Ed
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