Digitized Ponce Church Records 1835 to 1948

Ponce was established in 1692 and had settled prior to this year.  While churches did exist prior to 1836, it is the earliest records that were filmed for the region.  I cannot say if books prior to this date exist and if they do, they were never filmed.  Most importantly, Ponce has a large connection to the Independence of Haiti during the revolutionary years. It pays to read the history as it will potentially lead to connections if you notice cousins via DNA from Haiti.

After breakdown the film images for Caguas, I do not believe that Ponce would be as bad. While the number of films are 16, it is no longer intimidating to me as I go through the films. One lesson here is that you take your time as you go through the images.  When I discovered the books for the town where my Bayala line came from, I went through pages quickly trying to find every Bayala.  It was not until as time progressed in my research, I realized that many of the records I sped through were actually many of my ancestors. Names such as Silverio, Betancourt, Diaz, Delgado, Aleman, Soiza, and Mangual.  It is why I say to all, slow and steady will get you what you seek. You just never know who you just passed over.

While going through the civil records for Ponce makes me cringe at the task, I must say that the church records for Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe are not so bad. I know many have been waiting for this, but remember, go back to what you know before reviewing these records to ensure the correct year. I give every generation of parents 20 to 30 years. So if your ancestor is born in 1900, you can look for their parents between 1870 and 1880 baptism books.

Books of Baptisms Indexes

• Index of Baptisms 1850 – 1869 (Image 4) for Books 1 through 15
• Index of Baptisms 1869 – 1883 (Image 418) for Books 16 through 26
• Index of Baptisms 1882 – 1890 (Image 826) for Books 26 through 33
• Index of Baptisms 1890 – 1899 (Image 985) for Books 34 through 39
• Index of Baptisms 1899 – 1907 (Image 1312) for Books 40 through 46
• Index of Baptisms 1906 – 1914 (Image 1138) for Books 49 through 52
• Index of Baptisms 1914 – 1920 (Image 1453) for Books 53 through 57
• Index of Baptisms 1920 – 1925 (Image 1634) for Books 58 through 61
• Index of Baptisms 1926 – 1931 (Image 1798) for Books 62 through 65
• Index of Baptisms 1931 – 1940 (Image 1975) for Books 66 through 73
• Index of Baptisms 1940 – 1948 (Image 2187) for Books 74 through 80

Includes Baptisms, Marriages, and Deaths

There are some 1836 records in this mix.  I did not look for them due to the large volume of records. However, they are within the following books.

• Book 1 of Recognition & Justifications 1881 – 1892 (Image 381)
• Book 2 of Recognition & Justifications 1892 – 1898 (Image 733)
• Book of  Recognition & Justifications 1892 – 1893 (Image 752) with Index in back

Baptisms Books

It seems that the priests were forgetful in recording baptisms or ran out of places to post baptisms records and simply placed the record at the end of any of the books; it is very random.  So while FamilySearch states that years are missing, that is not the case.  Here is what I found going through some of the books. I recommend that each book is looked at thoroughly at the end as there are straggler records in many.

In Book 1, that covers 1850, there are some misplaced baptism records ranging from 1836 to 1882 in the back. They start on Image 80.

In Book 8, that covers 1858 – 1859, there are some misplaced baptisms records ranging from 1858 – 1872 in the back. They start on Image 2219.

In Book 16, that covers 1869, there are some misplaced baptisms records ranging from 1869 – 1921 in the back. They start on Image 236.

In Book 30, that covers 1886 – 1887, there are some misplaced baptisms records ranging from 1885 – 1921 in the back.  They start with Image 2112.

• Book 1 of Baptisms 1850 (Image 7)
• Book 2 of Baptisms 1850 – 1851(Image 91)
• Book 3 of Baptisms 1852 (Image 404)
• Book 4 of Baptisms 1852 – 1853 (Image 713)
• Book 5 of Baptisms 1854 – 1855 (Image 1053
• Book 6 of Baptisms 1855 – 1856 (Image 1399)
• Book 7 of Baptisms 1856 – 1858 (Image 1599)
• Book 8 of Baptisms 1858 – 1859 (Image 1913)
• Book 9 of Baptisms 1860 –  1861 (Image 4) 
• Book 10 of Baptisms 1861 – 1862 (Image 317)
• Book 11 of Baptisms 1862 – 1863 (Image 640)
• Book 12 of Baptisms 1863 – 1865 (Image 926)
• Book 13 of Baptisms 1865 – 1866 (Image 1239)
• Book 14 of Baptisms 1866 – 1867 (Image 1560) 
• Book 15 of Baptisms 1868 – 1869 (Image 1848)
• Book 16 of Baptisms 1869 (Image 5)
• Book 17 of Baptisms 1870 – 1871 (Image 247)
• Book 18 of Baptisms 1871 – 1872 (Image 593)
• Book 19 of Baptisms 1872 – 1874 (Image 883)
• Book 20 of Baptisms 1874 – 1875 (Image 1156)
• Book 21 of Baptisms 1875 – 1877 (Image 1482) 
• Book 22 of Baptisms 1877 – 1879 (Image 1810)
• Book 23 of Baptisms 1879 – 1880 (Image 2124)
• Book 24 of Baptisms 1880 – 1881 (Image 4)
• Book 25 of Baptisms 1881 –  1882 (Image 294)
• Book 26 of Baptisms 1882 – 1883 (Image 609)
• Book 27 of Baptisms 1883 – 1884 (Image 825)
• Book 28 of Baptisms 1884 – 1885 (Image 1140) 
• Book 29 of Baptisms 1885 – 1886  (Image 1461)
• Book 30 of Baptisms 1886 – 1887 (Image 1804)
• Book 31 of Baptisms 1887 – 1888 (Image 5)
• Book 32 of Baptisms 1888 – 1889 (Image 227)
• Book 33 of Baptisms 1889 – 1890 (Image 532)
• Book 34 of Baptisms 1890 – 1893 (Image 792)
• Book 35 of Baptisms 1893 – 1894 (Image 1314)
• Book 36 of Baptisms 1894 – 1895 (Image 1620)
• Book 37 of Baptisms 1895 -1896 (Image 2002)
• Book 37 of Baptisms 1896 – 1897 (Image 6) Continues from above
• Book 38 of Baptisms 1897 – 1898 (Image 161)
• Book 39 of Baptisms 1898 – 1899 (Image 426)
• Book 40 of Baptisms 1899 – 1900 (Image 737)
• Book 41 of Baptisms 1900 – 1901 (Image 1052)
• Book 42 of Baptisms 1901 – 1902 (Image 1367)
• Book 43 of Baptisms 1902 – 1903 (Image 1706)
• Book 44 of Baptisms 1903 – 1905 (Image 2026)
• Book 45 of Baptisms 1905 – 1906 (Image 4)
• Book 46 of Baptisms 1906 (Image 364)
• Book 47 of Baptisms 1906 – 1907 (Image 691)
• Book 48 of Baptisms 1907 – 1908 (Image 1037)
• Book 49 of Baptisms 1908 – 1910 (Image 1378)
• Book 50 of Baptisms 1910 (Image 1658)
• Book 51 of Baptisms 1910 – 1912 (Image 1915)
• Book 52 of Baptisms 1912 – 1914 (Image 6)
• Book 53 of Baptisms 1914 – 1915 (Image 366)
• Book 54 of Baptisms 1915 – 1916 (Image 729)
• Book 55 of Baptisms 1916 – 1918 (Image 1099)
• Book 56 of Baptisms 1918 – 1919 (Image 1459)
• Book 57 of Baptisms 1919 – 1920 (Image 1821)
• Book 57 of Baptisms 1920 (Image 4) Continues from above
• Book 58 of Baptisms 1920 – 1921 (Image 81)

One of the seven sacraments, Confirmations, did not happen all the time as baptisms do. So while FamilySearch states there are missing years, that is not the case. I recall sitting in St. Pascal Baylon Church’s rectory going through the books as the priest let all the teens rummage through the rectory as part of our curriculum for Confirmation.  At the time, I believe Confirmations were being done either once a year or every other year. Our group consisted of 20 of us. So disregard the statement of missing years in the catalog since not everyone who is Roman Catholic would do their Confirmation.

Confirmation Books

• Book 1 of Confirmations 1881 – 1914 (Image 457)
• Book 2 of Confirmations 1914 – 1938 (Image 767)

Marriage Books

• Book 1 of Marriages 1850 – 1860 (Image 1023) with Index in back
• Book 2 of Marriages 1860 – 1880 (Image 1340) with Index in back
• Book 3 of Marriages 1880 – 1884 (Image 1631)
• Book 3 of Marriages 1884 – 1888 (Image 4) Continuation from above
• Book 4 of Marriages 1888 – 1894 (Image 206) with Index in back
• Book 5 of Marriages 1894 – 1906 (Image 503) with Index in back
• Book 6 of Marriages 1906 – 1910 (Image 918) with Index in back
• Book 7 of Marriages 1910 – 1917 (Image 1253) with Index in back
• Book 8 of Marriages 1917 – 1921 (Image 1596) with Index in back

While all of the Death books have indexes, for whatever reason, the photographer didn’t take images of the indexes. Only those marked below have images of the indexes of their perspective book.

Death Books

• Book 5 of Deaths 1854 – 1856 (Image 1925) with Index in back
• Book 6 of Deaths 1856 – 1857 (Image 2230)
• Book 6 of Deaths 1857 (Image 4) Continuation from above
• Book 7 of Deaths 1857 – 1859 (Image 44)
• Book 8 of Deaths 1859 – 1860 (Image 329) with Index in front
• Book 9 of Deaths 1860 – 1862 (Image 73) with Index in back
• Book 10 of Deaths 1862 – 1863 (Image 643) with Index in front
• Book 11 of Deaths 1863 – 1864 (Image 985) with Index in front
• Book 12 of Deaths 1864 – 1865 (Image 1319) with Index in front
• Book 13 of Deaths 1865 – 1866 (Image 1651) with Index in front
• Book 14 of Deaths 1866 – 1868 (Image 2269) with Index in front
• Book 14 of Deaths 1868 (Image 4) Continuation from above
• Book 16 of Deaths 1870 – 1871 (Image 1955) with Index in front
• Book 17 of Deaths 1871 – 1872 (Image 57) with Index in front
• Book 18 of Deaths 1872 – 1873 (Image 372) with Index in front 
• Book 19 of Deaths 1873 – 1874 (Image 686) with Index in front
• Book 20 of Deaths 1874 – 1875 (Image 1022) with Index in front
• Book 21 of Deaths 1875 – 1876 (Image 1358) with Index in front
• Book 22 of Deaths 1886 – 1887 (Image 2011) with Index in front
• Book 23 of Deaths 1887 – 1880 (Image 2310) with Index in front
• Book 24 of Deaths 1880 – 1881 (Image 1644) with Index in front
• Book 25 of Deaths 1881 – 1882 (Image 2441) with Index in front 
• Book 25 of Deaths 1882 – 1883 (Image 4) Continuation from above
• Book 26 of Deaths 1883 – 1884 (Image 234) with Index in back
• Book 27 of Deaths 1884 – 1885 (Image 470) with Index in back 
• Book 28 of Deaths 1885 – 1887 (Image 810) with Index in back
• Book 29 of Deaths 1887 – 1888 (Image 1184) with Index in front
• Book 30 of Deaths 1888 – 1889 (Index 1531) with Index in front
• Book 31 of Deaths 1889 – 1890 (Index 1873) with Index in back
• Book 32 of Deaths 1890 – 1892 (Index 2224) with Index in front
• Book 32 of Deaths 1892 – 1893 (Index 4) Continuation from above
• Book 33 of Deaths 1893 – 1894 (Image 240) with Index in front
• Book 34 of Deaths 1894 – 1896 (Image 575) with Index in front
• Book 35 of Deaths 1896 – 1897 (Image 885) with Index in front
• Book 36 of Deaths 1897 – 1898 (Image 1082) with Index in front
• Book 37 of Deaths 1898 – 1899 (Image 1253) with Index in front
• Book 38 of Deaths 1899 – 1900 (Image 1593) with Index in front
• Book 39 of Deaths 1900 – 1909 (Image 1934) with Index in front
• Book 40 of Deaths 1909 – 1920 (Image 2279) with Index in front
• Book 41 of Deaths 1920 – 1923(Image 4)
• Book 41 of Deaths 1937 – 1940 (Image 39)