Puerto Rico Census from the 1800s
If you were ever told that census records don’t exist for the 1800s then the likelihood is that the person just wasn’t aware. One such group is FamilySearch themselves and they have the records. I had written to them asking when would the Puerto Rico census records be digitized and uploaded. The response I received back was extremely telling why no one is aware they are available and why they have not been digitized.
You see when you’re using an English website and search for them in English in their catalog such as on FamilySearch, you will not get the results you expect. I went back and forth with their helpdesk advising them that they did have records and them responding that they didn’t exist. So I finally responded back with a link and their response was that of a deer facing headlights in the road. Yes, I got total silence for 10 days until I wrote back and asked.
Again I asked when they would be uploaded and unfortunately whoever was working the ticket doesn’t do well with reading comprehension or possibly doesn’t read at all. After 4 weeks of going back and forth, I got fed up and finally called them. I felt as if I was speaking a foreign language with the individual who was responding to the emails.
Up until this point, I’ve always felt that those working the ticket system via the website were extremely knowledgeable. I actually got a better response and clarification when I picked up the phone and called them. It turns out that they are planning, by the fall, a massive upload which should include these films; please note I said “SHOULD” so that doesn’t mean it is going to happen.
If you truly want it to happen then feel free to copy and paste the below list and send emails to put pressure to ensure that it will happen. If you have questions, feel free to post below and I’ll try my best to respond to the best of my knowledge. One individual asking isn’t enough, we need many to go back and continue to ask.
To give you an example of what the census records look like, I’m posting a few images from the 1860 Census that I took of Trujillo Alto. Note that Trujillo Alto is actually listed under Carolina and is on the same film as that of the Civil Registration records but not available online.
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It was through these census records that I was able to find more ancestors in church books and also determine how many children existed in a family up until 1860. I also have 1870 and 1872 Census records to reference along with 1898. The reason I took these images with a camera was that it was difficult to nearly impossible to read them on the screen as I was dealing with a broken machine that made them too blurry. This caused issues in trying to decipher or reading them. With computer software, I was able to clean up images and zoom in as much as I wanted without distorting it too much.
The following list is what I found in their catalog. They have census records going back to 1800 on some regions. You can follow the links for each region as they will open in a new window:
Bayamon, Puerto Rico:
https://familysearch.org/
Caguas, Puerto Rico:
https://familysearch.org/
Another Caguas, Puerto Rico search view:
https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/430460?availability=Family%20History%20Library
Camuy, Puerto Rico:
https://familysearch.org/
Comerio, Puerto Rico:
https://familysearch.org/
Fajardo, Puerto Rico:
https://familysearch.org/
Isabela, Puerto Rico:
https://familysearch.org/
Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico:
https://familysearch.org/
Juncos, Puerto Rico:
https://familysearch.org/
Lares, Puerto Rico:
https://familysearch.org/
Manati, Puerto Rico:
https://familysearch.org/
Ponce, Puerto Rico:
https://familysearch.org/
Rio Grande, Puerto Rico:
https://familysearch.org/
Rosario, San German, Puerto Rico:
https://familysearch.org/
San German, Puerto Rico:
https://familysearch.org/
San Juan, Puerto Rico (Includes Rio Piedras, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Santo Domingo, Puerta de Tierra):
https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/605453?availability=Family%20History%20Library
Toa Baja, Puerto Rico:
https://familysearch.org/
Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico (found under Carolina) – Scroll down, the first item on the list
https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/375143?availability=Family%20History%20Library
Utuado, Puerto Rico:
https://familysearch.org/
https://familysearch.org/
https://familysearch.org/
Finally and most importantly, if and when these images are uploaded, I hope that each of you who visit this page volunteer in indexing these records so that we can easily find ancestors using the search window tools available on the website. Yes, it is free but it takes volunteers to make this possible. Please do your part in helping preserve our ancestors!
I had no idea. I wonder why they are with holding this information, it just doesn't make sense. Thanks for the info.
I agree! I wish they would upload these images as it would help tremendously with everyone's research!
I have one more question. Did you happen to notice if there are any more slave census records for PR? I mean aside from the 1872 one that's already on ancestry.com
Hi Diana,
This was the only census done for only slaves. However because Spain required that anyone who entered the island must convert to the Roman Catholic religion, you should be able to locate slaves in church books. Look for the church books dedicated to slaves, morenos and pardos. They were maintained in separate books until 1866 when they were combined.
You should be able to locate slaves on the other census records. I posted a separate blog about the available census records from the LDS. However I understand that the Archives in San Juan have more census records for the general population.
Sorry for all the questions but I have one more. Do you think it would be in the Caguas census' that I could find the ones taken for Gurabo, PR?
Hi Diana,
No problem with the questions. 🙂
As for Gurabo. It all depends on what years you are looking in. The church books are available for Gurabo starting with 1822 but you have to order them. Before you do that, look at my post about church records in Puerto Rico; it will save you money and time.
Now if you're asking if Gurabo would be included in the 1800 Census for Caguas then they should be since it was a part of Caguas and it used to be called Burabo. It established itself as a municipality in 1815. What years are you looking for someone in Gurabo? What names?
Oh one more thing. You can read up on where the name came from at the below website, it's in Spanish but it belongs to the municipality of Gurabo. You can copy and paste into Google Translate to help you with translations…just in case you don't read the language. 🙂
http://www.municipiodegurabo.com/home/historia/datos-importantes
Hi, Giving you an update, I read here they said about the possible update on images mention here, so far it hasn't happen. I do indexing and haven't come across any of it. And I agree we need to see how can they finally release all those important and valuable documents they have and are important to us. I will share this on a group I'm part of. Sincerely Dinorah Ramos-Burgette
Hi Dinorah,
Yes they have been slow in releasing the records and I believe it is due to the complexity involved in converting microfilm to digitized images. Part of the process includes restoration of the images that may not appear clear on the microfilm. They also have to obtain permission from the owners of the actual books which involves attorneys, etc. This is why I advise folks to help them as they are offering the service to all of us for free. Thanks for sharing the blog. I'll have another update loaded today. 😉
I'm fairly new to genealogy but have felt very drawn to finding more of my Puerto Rican ancestors. Do you know where I can find census records for the regions of Moca and Aguadilla? Thank you
Lindsey
Hi Lindsey,
If the census you seek are from prior to 1900, then you won't find them at the Family History Center as the above listings are what they have in their catalog.
The only place you'll find the records you seek is by visiting the Archivo General de Puerto Rico which is located in San Juan. The process is that when you arrive, you order the boxes you seek from a catalog and you wait 2 days for the boxes to be located and placed on the shelf to exam. You'll need a sweater, paper, and pen/pencil as you're not allowed to take images of the documents and very cold due the AC blasting.
I recommend that you read up on the history of the region to determine if census was taken by another municipality since borders change or new municipalities were developed over time. Have you taken a look at the civil registration records for that region? You can either search or browse through them on http://www.familysearch.org Civil records can go back as far as 1801 depending on the region of the island. However most civil registration books start in 1885.
Dear sir: I´m looking for birth records of my grand grand father, born at mayaguez from 1870 to 1885 and emigrate to Dominican Republic around 1900. Any sugestions?
tks
homero
Hi Homero,
Actually if you know that he was born in Mayaguez,and if he was born in 1885 then there are free records available for you to view. Visit the following link and type in his name.
http://www.familysearch.org
Once you do that, check to see if Dominican Republic has him in their database. Visit this blog post so you can understand what to do.
https://genealogianuestra.com/2015/08/navigating-dominican-republics-archive_2.html
Anna
I apologize, I thought I saw mention of this, but can't find it now – Would I contact the site or the morman church in order to be able to view the microfilm? or is there no way to do that until they index it?
Hi Sol,
First find your closest FHC, below is the link. You can type in city and State, Country, etc. OR you can use the zoom in on the map too.
https://familysearch.org/locations/centerlocator?cid=hp2-1047
Once you locate the closest one, look at their hours of operations and also you can call ahead. Then look to see what films they have at the location during your visit. I recommend that you jot down the film numbers so you can compare what is in their file cabinets at the location.
Once you have done this and you discover the film isn't there, then ask for assistance in ordering films and they'll be more than happy to assist you.
Anna
The claim from the records in Utah is that the record owners do no want to give permission to release. Some of them are available at Mormon centers. The whys of this are totally unsatisfactory. I index for them and I do not have access to those records. As for the Archivo in PR no permitting photos, it could be for many reasons. But, these records should definitely be public by now.Why are records in PR so hard to dig into? Good grief!
Many of the films are accessible via local Family History Libraries. They have started making many available online but it is a slow process. I have posted many that are now available on my blog, the work is unfortunately is not easy to convert from microfilm/microfiche to digitized images.
As for the Archivo in PR, the main reason is that the camera flashes are not good for these old documents. Many are taken out of circulation due to the condition of the records. The main reason I've heard about images of some records is that they are legal documents so photos are not permitted based on Puerto Rico's laws.
The biggest reason is hording of records. Unfortunately there are many out there that are mad that they had to sit in dark rooms to look at these documents and today it is much easier by sitting home and looking at digitized records. However I will not allow that behavior to deter me. I will share info here as soon as I find them online to help others.
Let's not forget they work with records from all over the world. I think Anna is correct when she says we must contact them and ask and keep asking (always in a nice way). I've been researching my PR ancestors since early 80s. Back then we went in carro publico from town to town. Even had to get written permission from archbishop to search San Juan Cathedral records. We've come a long way!!!
Agree Emma! It is a lot of work but they are starting to add a lot of records and hoping that in the near future we will see a whole lot more online. I posted in the Facebook group today the available digitized census records for Caguas and San German. Also San Lorenzo's is available for 1884. I also posted it in the group. It hasn't posted yet until it gets approved.
Thank you Berry blue, I know this is a late reply but I have so many names from Gurabo. A few are: Santiago Cuevas & his wife Petrona Rivera, born about 1829. Then Domingo Rodriguez & his wife Cruz Cuevas Berrios & all their children. It's been a brick wall this far but thankfully to this blog post I know more of the direction to turn to now for more records.
Hi Anna. I am looking for my great-great-great grandather who was born in Guayana City, Bolivar, Venezuela in 1810. His name is Cosme Aguirre and he emigrated to Puerto Rico and lived in Ponce, Juana Díaz and Santa Isabel PR where he died. Where can I find information about the early 1800's? I appreciate any information that you have. Thank you and Blessings.
Hi Nereida,
Santa Isabela was established around 1842 so he would have had to have died well after that date.
There are church records available but you will have to order the films to view the records at a local FHC. I posted about that in one of my blog posts for Puerto Rico so look for the article before you order the film. Below is the direct link to the church records in the catalog.
https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/282641?availability=Family%20History%20Library
Nereida,
Actually there are also civil records available for free online you can view. I searched on Cosme Aguirre and this link will provide you with a lot of records. You will see death of his children. It is important that you document all children for each generation as you will discover connection to another line within your tree that way. Take a look at the following link…
https://familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&query=%2Bgivenname%3ACosme~%20%2Bsurname%3AAguirre~%20%2Bbirth_place%3AVenezuela~%20%2Bbirth_year%3A1800-1820~%20%2Bdeath_place%3A%22Puerto%20Rico%22~
You should be able to find her in book 1 for Gurabo baptisms. The book covers 1822 to 1845. You should also find her in Book 1 of marriages which covers years 1822 to 1853.
Homero, escríbeme a mi email: inuyamak@hotmail.com
Hello Anna B,
You seem to be a good source of information for finding records from the 1800's in Puerto Rico. I have been searching for two family members on my father side who may or may not have been slaves. I am travelling to Puerto Rico in the hopes I can find more information. All I have is their names and that they must have lived in Dorado. All their children were born there so I am fairly certain that is a good place to look. Any suggestions on where to start? I have hit a wall with Ancestry and Family search. Thank you
Hi Myriam,
Dorado church records are available online. Have you looked at them yet? Here is the link to them. Just click on the church name and it will open up what is available.
https://familysearch.org/search/image/index?owc=QZYD-NGV%3A149110701%3Fcc%3D1807092
Hello,
I am having a difficult time finding information on my great-great grandmother. She lived in Guyabota, Yabucoa. I found records on my great grandfather (her son), but absolutely nothing on his mother. Where can I look for information on her? e.g. death records, birth records etc.
Hi Andrea,
When did she she live, years? Did you look at church records? I posted some of Yabucoa's church records and there are more available online. What year was she approximately born in?
Hi Anna…Can you guide me, please. My father's biological father did not marry his mother. He always told us that his real last name was Rivera. I found one record showing his father's name as Simplicio Rivera. I know he's my dad's father, as it lists my grandmother, my father, his twin sister, and a couple of older siblings. That is the only record I've found searching both Ancestry and Familysearch. My father was from Botija II, Orocovis, PR. I am also aware that there was a massive fire at a Catholic church that destroyed may records. My quest is to find more info on Simplicio Rivera. I don't have a second last name. There are several Simplicio Riveras on records, but which one could he be? All my paternal relatives have passed, which complicated my search. Any guidance you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks! –Gladys
Orocovis is a challenge and so is finding an unwed parent, especially if they have a common name which Simplicio and Rivera are. I recommend the following…
Go back to where you found him in the Census, look at his age and document it. Pull a calculator and estimate his year of birth. Then visit FamilySearch and enter in his name, town, and give him a range birth of plus/minus 5 years. So for example, if you estimate he was born in 1910 then your range should be 1905 to 1915. You can do this on Ancestry too. Look to see who are his neighbors to see if you can locate potential siblings to Simplicio and look for them in records too, you may discover them all living together. You are going to have to become a detective in order to locate him. I also recommend having an autosomal DNA test. There are thousand of Puerto Ricans who have tested and you may discover a second cousin who descends from one of Simplicio's siblings.
Hello: when the San Juan, Puerto Rico (Includes Rio Piedras, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Santo Domingo, Puerta de Tierra)
Are going to be available online (digital)? Also Manatí.
Hi,
San Juan and Rio Piedras have been available online for many years. They are broken down into books too. I guess I should post the information. I thought all knew of this. I don't know about Manati offhand if they are available.
Hello Anna,
Many thanks for your response and guidance. I did do the Ancestry DNA test. I'm still trying to understand the results. I also, uploaded it to GEDmatch.com. I've also joined genealogy groups on Facebook. Plus, I'll be visiting Orocovis next Wednesday, while vacation in Puerto Rico. Getting closer to the town may also result in some new information.
I truly appreciate your time.
–Gladys
Hello:
I have been researching my family ancestry and got stuck in the late 1800's in Cayey and Caguas. Because i noted names were adopted at that point i assumed illegitimate or slave might be possibilities. In my last trip I tried to go to archives but i went in December and all municipal archives were closed for the holidays. Churches in Caguas and cayey told me archives were handed out to other groups to be handle. I'm looking for last name Felix, Baez y Cruz in Cayey and Caguas through census and slave records.
Hi,
Read the above post and it will lead you to a list of posts I've made on Puerto Rico. I posted links to the Caguas church book along with many other towns. You can access the records from home, travel not required. 😊
Hi Anna,
Looking at some of your responses here I think the answer to my question may be that I have to go to the General Archives. I am trying to access the Baptismal Records for the church in San Sebastian, PR. (San Sebastian Martir). Specifically for 1935 to 1940. First I am trying to figure out what diocese it was/is a part of and if those records are accessible.
Thanks for your help
Amy Osteen-Muniz
Hi Amy,
You almost got it right. The records are not available for public viewing. They are not permitting anyone access. They are either under Arecibo or Mayaguez diocese. I forget which one.
Anna
Good Day 🙂
I began delving into my family legacy about 9 months ago and as many others have reached an impasse in trying to obtain vital and census records for Puerto Rico prior to the 1900's. I am looking for the Ponce de Leon and Mojica lineage of Las Piedras, Juncos, Humacao, San Lorenzo and Valladolid, Spain. I remain stuck at my 4th great grandfather Isidro Ponce de Leon of Las Piedras or Juncos. Records note my 4th great grandparents at one of the two locations from their children's death records and grandchildren's birth records. Any research suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
My lineage is as follows including spouses:
* Marilyn Gonzalez (Me) + Dennis Kopczyk
* Maria Gonzalez y Garcia (Mother) + Unknown Father
* Maria Garcia y Ponce de Leon (Grandmother) + Jacinto Gonzalez y Galloza
* Maximina Ponce de Leon y Mojica (1st G-Grandmother) + Jose Garcia y Matos
* Agapito Ponce de Leon y Mojica (2nd G-Grandfather) + Evangelia Mojica y Delgado
* Dona Francisca Ponce de Leon y Rivera (3rd G-Grandmother) + Jose Mojica y Rosario
* Don Isidro Ponce de Leon (4th G-Grandfather) + Juana Rivera
Hi,
If you are stuck at 1900 then it sounds like you are not aware of the many available records you can access from your home. There are many records available online for Las Piedras, Juncos, Humacao, and San Lorenzo. I recommend that you read up on the history of Puerto Rico so that you know where to search next after going through all the church records for these regions. For example, before many of these regions existing, they were once part of Caguas.
If you read my above post, it will tell you how to access more posts on Puerto Rico on this website. I also recommend that you join an amazing group on Facebook that is ran by Aida Torres and dedicated to Puerto Rico's genealogy. I've provided the link below.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/aidatorres/
When it comes to Spain records, I also posted about them in my blog. You should see posts about PARES; this is Spain's archives website. I posted how to use the website on this website. Good luck on your research and thanks for visiting.
The links to many of the churches can be found on this website. I still have to do San Lorenzo and finish Humacao but the others I have posted. The links in the posts on this website will lead you directly to the records. Also they are free to access.
Hi Anna,
Let me try this again. Don't know if it went through the first time.
I am trying to access Baptismal Church records for the church in San Sebastian, Pr (San Sebastian Martir). Specifically for 1935-1940. I have been trying to narrow down in which diocese to look for them and if they are accessible.
Thanks,
Amy Osteen-Muniz
Anna B… I've hit a brick wall searching for my grandfather. His name was Simplicio Rivera. I do not have a second last name. I've found one record that his name appears on. I know it's him, as my father and his twin sister appear on the Orocovis 1930 census, as well. My grandmother was not married to him; and he didn't give the twins his last name. Simplicio was born about 1892. Can you guide me, or is this one a though one. I believe it's a though one. Many thanks! –Gladys
Hi Gladys,
So what I recommend is that you manually go through the 1920 Census for the same town where you found your dad and his sister. The reason why is that the Census takers from 1920 made many errors in spelling of names. Many were uneducated and clueless of how to spell last names so do not be surprised when you go through the town in 1920 the mess you find. If you locate him there, document the information. Also pay attention to neighbor names in the 1930 census in order to find him. Most times you'll find people there and notice that people are not married. It also looks like Simplicio's parents were not married either. I did find him as well has your dad and his twin sister in 1930. Notice that they had older siblings, search for their names in 1920 versus their father. Based on the "CC", you are correct, they were not married.
Anna
Berryblue,
You seem to know a lot about locating records. I have been trying to find my bisabuela from Vieques, last name almestica. I know she had many brothers and sisters, and that she left the island to reside in St. Thomas. She died there in 1962, but i dont know when she was born and i cant find records of her. I have a pic of her, but can't find anything else. If anyone can help or point me in the right direction it will be greatly appreciated.
Hi,
Since you know where she was born, there are church and civil records available for Vieques. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the following website. Ignore what it says and scroll down. Notice that there are films there. Notice the first entry and says Bautismos 1844-1897 which is baptism records. These records were not fully indexed by the website but are available.
https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/566856?availability=Family%20History%20Library
Anna (Berryblue)
hello, just beginning my search for ancestors with no idea where to start, could you please point me the right place , I was told that my grandfather name was Antonio Gonzalez Maldonado or De jesus, but my grandmother was Marcelina Hernandez Scarrfuller, my dad was Leopoldo Gonzalez Hernandez if not mistaken from Ciales , I would like to find more about them, thank you ED (ps) I can be contacted at dumontrec@yahoo,com
Hello Anna B,
I'm at a dead-end and hope you can help me break through this wall. I've been only able to find census info on my great grandmother, Maria Tapia y Villalongo (b1878/d1939), and her husband, Juan Bautista Quiniones (b1875?/d1964?). I've been able to find my great, great grandmother through Maria's death certificate, Julia. I have not been able to find my great, great grandfather's first name, assuming last name is Tapia.
I assume Maria Tapia's birth year to be 1878, based on 1920 US census (age 42). I would be so very grateful if you could help me find, provide pointers to Maria's parents. Perhaps I can apply the same approach to find Juan Bautista Quiniones parents (father: Quiniones, mother: Pimentel)
I know there is more information out there. Can you help?
Hi Anna, I have a rough time finding my ancestors from Spain or Portugal. Why is it when they are living in a town they assume that they are from there. When they die the record is than put that they were neighbor from that town and not put that they were from Spain, Portugal or Africa. It makes it hard for us to find our ancestors and record keeping was horrible. What do you think? I want to go to the International records but I don't have where they are from and the parents name. My family came around the 1700 and I believe that they didn't start with Passports by around the 1800's. If Ellis Island's record burned where can I find a list with their names leaving their country. Kind of impossible, do you think?
Hello Anna, I appreciate you helping us with this information on these records that sometimes it is hard to get. I have been looking for my great great great grandmother who supposedly was born in Las Piedras, PR but I don't know if she married my great great great grandfather Antonio Hernandez in Las Piedras, or in Naguabo where they lived. Why do they put that when they die they are vecinos from that town, when in reality they are from another town or country. Other countries report where the persons came from but in Puerto Rico they don't put what town or country, it would help us more with finding our ancestors. I have gone thru Las Piedras and Juncos to find anything about her and nothing. Around or about the 1830's when one is born or baptized, if it was Las Piedras, do they record it to another municipal or that same town. I see they don't have much or its more destroyed? I found Antonio by accident and finally I found out his father's name and I cannot make out his mother's last name. I was really upset, because they didn't really take these document seriously and they don't even ask question who were the grandparents or where they came from. How sad. Is there anywhere I have to look for her death, all I have is a 1910 census living in Bo. Mariana, Naguabo. Thanks for your attention on this matter.
Hi, Anaisa! This is a super old post I just stumbled on, but I am curious if you know anything else about the supposed digitalization of these documents, 3 years later? Unfortunately, it seems they no longer loan microfilms, or at least that was the message they sent out last year, that they would stop that service to focus on full digitalization. I'm at a dead end for some relatives in Isabela and Camuy and I got excited when I saw these census records actually existed.
They have been digitized but requires you to visit a FHC to view them. Just follow the above links.
Digitized records for San Sebastian don't exist.
Good morning Anna,
Can you pls leave the link for the online records for Vieques and Culebra. Most of my ancestors are from these two islands and I sometimes feel we're left out of most events. Pls post if you have it available.
Thanks so much!
Hi Pinky,
I recently did the records for Culebra. If you search at the top of the website and look for Culebra, you should be able to find the post. Vieques was also partially done and I posted about it, you can find a post for them too. Just type in Culebra to find the first one. Then when done, search for Vieques, it should come up. Another way is by navigating to the top of the website to the right and clicking on Puerto Rico Genealogy if you are viewing from a computer. It will bring up all the posts related to Puerto Rico.
Millie,
I don't provide one on one help to anyone, it isn't feasible. I recommend that you post your questions in the Puerto Rico genealogy groups that exist on Facebook to assist you with your research. There are thousands of members there that can help direct you in the right direction. Best of luck in your research.
Your links don’t work at all.
I just checked the links and they are working. Sorry I haven’t been monitoring the website. Try again.