Early History
Aibonito is known as La Ciudad de las Flores (city of the flowers). March 13, 1824, is the official founding date. Manuel Vélez is the official name of its founder.
Aibonito derives its name from a name given by the Indians, “Jatibonucu,” which means “Great People of the Sacred High Waters.” The tribe of yucayeque living in the area was known as Jatibonicu, and it was led by Cacique Orocobix (Indian chief). The Jatibonicu region covered the same area as the current towns of Aibonito, Orocovis, Barranquitas, Morovis, and Corozal.
A legend also claims that a Spaniard wakes up over the Asomante mountain one day, overwhelmed by the beauty of the place; he exclaims, “Ay, que bonito” (Oh, how beautiful!).
Taino inhabitants (indigenous peoples) had several settlements in the Aibonito area. Then the Spanish arrived and built homes and ranches. This land was developed into a town by 1824. The current Catholic church (1887) replaces the one built in 1825. The Spanish-American War of 1898 pitted Spanish and Puerto Rican soldiers who could defeat the American troops. But Spain surrendered after a power struggle in Madrid.
Hurricanes affecting Aibonito
In September 1824, six months after the separation of Aibonito from the district of Coamo, the Island was hit by Hurricane La Monserrate. In 1825, a year after the Hurricane Santa Ana of the same year, another atmospheric phenomenon wreaked havoc on the population. Aibonito had a population of 2,115 inhabitants, mostly farmers. The rudimentary buildings made of wood from the country and roofed with royal palm leaves were devastated, including the Casa del Rey and a small wooden church on the way to Barrio Llanos.
The Church
The Iglesia San José was built in 1825 and replaced by the current church, started in 1887, and completed in 1897. This beautiful church is a fine example of Gothic architecture.
Observations of Parroquial books in 1964
The first book of baptisms, numbered 1B, goes from 1831 to 1844 and includes pardos and enslaved people. It is a copy ordered to be made in 1850 by Bishop Gil Esteve. Sadly, bad paper and ink were used, making the records almost illegible. The first and second marriage books are in better condition, 1831-1863, including whites and browns (Pardos).
The only record of confirmations is those made in February 1850 by the Bishop mentioned above, Gil Esteve, for 2,252.
Los Archivos Historicos de Puerto Rico, Lino Gomez 1964
Baptisms
Below is the main index that covers the years from 1831 through 1969. This is an excellent index and will facilitate your research. Therefore, I suggest going through this index when searching for baptismal records. Sadly Book 1 of Whites is missing and therefore not filmed. This is unfortunate as it would have included many of my direct ancestors. I have a Pardo line in this Book 1B, and I can barely make out the record. Fortunately, I could make out some information for the index. As stated above, this book is in terrible condition.
Main Index for the Baptism Books (Aibonito, Puerto Rico Church Indexes)
| Baptisms Index from 1831 to 1969 (Image 2140) |
| Book | Years | Race | Image | Index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 1830-1844 | Pardos, Enslaved | 4 | 174 | In deplorable condition. |
| 2A | 1844-1873 | 199 | 418 | ||
| 2B | 1845-1859 | 438 | 677 | Indexed by the first name. | |
| 3 | 1859-1864 | 702 | |||
| 4 | 1864-1870 | 1165 | |||
| 5 | 1870-1874 | 1194 | |||
| 6 | 1874-1879 | 1335 | 1598 | ||
| 7 | 1879-1882 | 1634 | 1792 | ||
| 8 | 1882-1885 | 1816 | |||
| 9 | 1885-1889 | 3 | 307 | ||
| 10 | 1889-1893 | 341 | 644 | ||
| 11 | 1893-1897 | 678 | 986 | ||
| 12 | 1897-1901 | 1022 | 1329 | ||
| 13 | 1901-1906 | 1361 | 1818 | ||
| 14 | 1906 | 1865 | 2062 | ||
| 15 | 1906-1909 | 2077 | |||
| 15 | 1909-1910 | 4 | 182 | Continuation of the book above. | |
| 16 | 1910-1914 | 218 | |||
| 17 | 1915-1918 | 483 | 484 | ||
| 18 | 1919-1923 | 881 | 865 | The index starts with the F surnames. | |
| 19 | 1923-1925 | 1247 | |||
| 20 | 1925-1927 | 1510 | |||
| 21 | 1927-1929 | 1717 | |||
| 22 | 1929-1932 | 1925 |
Marriages For Aibonito (Aibonito, Puerto Rico Church Indexes)
| Book | Years | Race/ | Image | Index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1831-1846 | 4 | |||
| 2 | 1846-1864 | 92 | 77 | ||
| 3 | 1864-1882 | 213 | 379 | ||
| 4 | 1882-1890 | 407 | |||
| 5 | 1890-1903 | 535 | 758 | ||
| 6 | 1903-1908 | 809 | 916 | ||
| 7 | 1910 | 928 | This book is for 1911 (January) and fragments of 1912. | ||
| 8 | 1911-1920 | 956 | |||
| 9 | 1921-1930 | 1020 |
(Image 989)
Burials (Aibonito, Puerto Rico Church Indexes)
Consequently, there are no death books available due to unfortunate circumstances. However, I did notice that many of my deceased relatives appear in the books of Coamo. So search those records for them. (see below)
Confirmations (Aibonito, Puerto Rico Church Indexes)
I cannot stress enough how important it is to research the confirmations. I have found children of ancestors that I could not locate in the baptism books. In addition, not everyone appears for some reason or another.
| Book | Years | Race | Image | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1850 | 1278 | ||
| 1 | 1850 | 4 | Duplicate Book | |
| 2 | 1860-1887 | 1387 | ||
| 2 | 1860-1887 | 112 | Duplicate Book | |
| 3 | 1890-1904 | 1487 | ||
| 3 | 1890-1904 | 211 | Duplicate Book | |
| 4 | 1914-1923 | 1600 | ||
| 4 | 1914-1923 | 4 | Duplicate Book |
(VIP) Additional Information
The following list I have compiled from information found at the end of the baptism index. I have listed it by relevance with the image number. As often as I have researched this book, I just noticed no index for deaths. This index of deaths is the only one available at the church. It covers the years from 1909 to 1911. However, I did notice an entry for one from 1949. If I ever return to Puerto Rico shortly, my priority is to locate that book of burials and transcribe it as it is possible it could break down some brick walls. I did notice some names that looked familiar to me. I only wish it had captured the parents’ or wife’s name.
- Minutes of the pastoral visits to the parish of Aibonito. 2331
- List of donors that contributed to the purchase of Church Bells. 2333
- List of Parish Priests of Aibonito and dates of their inauguration. 2335
- A newsletter mentions the end of slavery and guidelines. 2336
- List of the long-suffering coadjutors* of this Glorious San Jose de Aibonito parish. 2337
- A coadjutor is a bishop who assists a diocesan bishop and often becomes his successor.
- Index of Burials for 1909, 1910, 1911, and 2 fragments for 1946. 2337
Civil Registration Books
- This link will take you to the civil records that began in 1885; Civil records.
Sources:
- Federico Degetau House Museum (Historical Record of Aibonito; Angel Miguel Rivera)
- FamilySearch