Argentina, Tierra del Fuego, Catholic Church Records, 1894-1950

What is in This Collection?

This collection of church records for the period of 1894 to 1950 includes baptisms and marriages for the cities of Río Grande and Ushuaia. The parishes contained in the collection are Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria and Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes.

Church records are the most important records for genealogical research in Argentina. The vast majority of Argentines were Catholic and were registered in the records of the local parish or diocese which are called registros parroquiales (parish registers). These records include entries for baptisms, marriage information, marriages, deaths, and burials. They can help you trace and link families. Often two and sometimes three generations are indicated in the records. In addition, church records may include church censuses, account books, confirmations, and other church-related records.

In 1886 the civil government began keeping vital records (civil registration). If you are looking for ancestors who came before this time, then the Catholic Church parish registers are the best records available to identify these individuals, since church records were around for hundreds of years prior to civil registration. For civil vital records of births, deaths, and marriages after 1886, see Argentina Civil Registration (Registro Civil).

Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

Reading These Records

These records are written in Spanish. For help reading them see:

• Spanish Genealogical Word List
• BYU Spanish Script Tutorial

FamilySearch Learning Center videos:

• Reading Spanish Handwriting

If you speak Spanish, the following free online lesson may be helpful to learn how to use the information in these records:

• Registros Civiles y Parroquiales – Spanish

To Browse This Collection

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The information in these records may include the following:

Collection Content

For additional details about these records and help using them see Argentina Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records.

Sample Images

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  1907 Baptism Record

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  1903 Marriage Record