In this post I will provide you with a Guide to Materials in the Principal Archives of Mexico that can be used in your genealogical research. Several years ago I came across an eBook that I believe is of great importance.
It is a book written back in 1913 by Herbert E. Bolton titled "Guide to Material for History of the United States in the Principal Archives of Mexico".
At first glance one can safely assume that this book is not genealogicaly relevant but it is. History goes hand in hand with genealogy and specially historical records.
This book basically is a compilation of church and government records available in the archives that are in Mexico City, Guadalajara, Queretaro, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosi, Durnago, Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, Tamaulipas, Chihuahua, and Sonora.
One of the towns that is of interest to me and is mentioned in the book is Reynosa, Tamaulipas Mexico. What is great about this book is that it provided me with a snapshot in time of the government and church records that were available up until 1913.
I had heard from various individuals that many of the records from Reynosa were lost/stolen in the 1930 and 1940's, so that families could not find their link to the land grants of South Texas. Well this book proves that theory wrong since it shows that by 1913 many records were already lost.
To see if your area or towns of research are included in this book the best thing is to download a copy and look at the table of contents. I did not include it here since it is three pages long.
Another important thing about this book is that it provides us with what records were available in church archives. Records such as marriage, baptismal and death records and as you know those are pure genealogical gold.
Guide to Materials in the Principal Archives of Mexico
About the Author
Herbert Eugene Bolton (July 20, 1870 – January 30, 1953) was an American historian who pioneered the study of the Spanish-American borderlands. He was also a prominent authority on Spanish American history. He originated what became known as the Bolton Theory of the history of the Americas. This theory holds that it is impossible to study the history of the United States in isolation from the histories of other American nations, and wrote or co-authored 94 works. - Wikipedia
Get A Copy to the Guide to Materials in the Principal Archives of Mexico
eBook - Download
Printed Copy - Buy at Amazon
Other Articles of Interest
Guide to the Church Archives of Spain
Major Genealogical Record Sources In Mexico
I truly hope you find this eBook interesting and informative since it is a Guide to Materials in the Principal Archives of Mexico. I also hope that it is helpful in your research.
An excelant book.
It is.