Campeche, Mexico, Civil Registration Births, 1859-1921

Civil registration in Mexico began in 1859, although compliance wasn’t enforced until 1867. Generally, the registration of a birth would take place within a few days after a child was born, although the gap was sometimes longer in rural areas where it could be more difficult to travel to the civil registration office. Close attention should be paid to differentiate the date of the registration and the actual birth date.

What You Can Find in the Records

The early records are in paragraph form, while later records often appear in a register format. They will generally include the following details:

• location and time of registration
• name and gender of the child
• birth place and date
• legitimacy
• parents’ names and sometimes ages and nativity
• father’s occupation
• residence
• names of two witnesses who may or may not be related

You will occasionally also find the names of grandparents, whether they are living, and if so, where they reside.