Aguas Buenas. Tanto los libros de bautismos como los de matrimonios y defunciones comienzan en 1845. Se hallan muy bien conservados y cuidados, aunque los más antiquos han sufrido bastante a causa de la mala calidad dl papel y de la tinta.
Si bien el pueblo se dice fundado en 1839, la bendición de la iglesia parroquial no debió tener lugar antes de 1845.
Both the baptismal books and those of marriages and deaths begin in 1845. They are very well preserved and cared for, although the oldest ones have suffered a lot due to the poor quality of the paper and the ink.
Although the town is said to have been founded in 1839, the blessing of the parish church could not have taken place before 1845. “Los archivos historicos de Puerto Rico. Apuntas de una visita (enero – mayo 1960) Don Lino Gomez, page 39
History of Aguas Buenas
Aguas Buenas was originally a sector of Caguas known as Aguabuena. In 1798, a group of residents started establishing their houses near some of the area’s rivers and started calling the sector Aguas Claras.
The number of residents increased with time. Finally, on July 25, 1832, a meeting occurred with commission Francisco de Salas Torres and Ramón Díaz to make arrangements for the region to be declared a municipality. A resident, Julian López, offered a part of his estate to construct a town square, a church, the city hall, and the priest’s house.
The town was officially founded on May 25, 1838, and the name was changed to Aguas Buenas. Francisco de Salas Torres became the first mayor. Initially, the city’s economy relied on coffee plantations and commerce. At the end of the 19th century, the town’s population was close to 7,000.
In 1906, Mayor Don José E. Morales bought nearly six acres of terrain from Don Guillermo Díaz Delgado. In these lands, the sectors of La Pajilla, El Pueblito, and El Guanábano were established, expanding the town’s area.
Personal comments about researching in Aguas Buenas
If you are researching your ancestors and it takes you beyond 1845, I would start looking in Caguas. The historical accounts state that Aguas Buenas was part of Caguas in 1798. Don Lino says the Church could not receive its blessing before 1845. Bayamón is another town I would look at as well. When researching for a client, I found their ancestors were from Bayamón. Just be aware of this.
Indexes(índices) of Books for Aguas Buenas Baptisms by Name
Baptisms 1845 to 1932
- Transcriptions are coutersy of Salli M.
- If you see the following under the book column, here is the explanation: 1(B is for Blancos, Whites), 1B(T) is for Book 1 Blancos (Whites) (T is for todos, All classes), 1P is for Pardos, and 1PE is for Pardos and then Esclavos (Enslaved). The race changes within the book. I hope that explains it for you.
| Book | Year | Link to Transcription |
|---|---|---|
| 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 | 1845-1872 | Transcription |
| 8, 9, 10 | 1872-1880 | Transcription |
| Book | Years | Race/Notes | Image | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1845-1870 | Mixed Races (1845-1849), Freed Blacks, Enslaved (1845-1870) | 197 | |
| 1 | 1845-1852 | Whites (1845-1852) Freed (1850-1852) | 3 | |
| 2 | 1852-1855 | Whites, Pardos | 406 | |
| 3 | 1855-1859 | 548 | ||
| 4 | 1859-1863 | 753 | ||
| 5 | 1863-1866 | 1058 | ||
| 6 | 1866-1870 | 1346 | ||
| 7 | 1870-1872 | 1654 | ||
| 8 | 1872-1874 | 1953 | ||
| 8 | 1872-1875 | 4 | ||
| 9 | 1875-1877 | 302 | ||
| 10 | 1877-1880 | 600 | ||
| 11 | 1880-1883 | 902 | ||
| 12 | 1883-1886 | 1197 | ||
| 13 | 1886-1890 | 1507 | ||
| 14 | 1890-1894 | 1815 | ||
| 15 | 1894-1896 | 2126 | ||
| 16 | 1896-1900 | 5 | ||
| 17 | 1900-1906 | 315 | ||
| 18 | 1906-1917 | 792 | Index | |
| 19A | 1917-1922 | 1112 | Index | |
| 19B | 1922-1924 | 1355 | Index | |
| 20 | 1924-1926 | 12 | 4 | |
| 21 | 1927-1930 | 289 | 266 | |
| 22 | 1930-1932 | 537 | 527 |
Marriage Books, Volume 1 through 6
| Indexes(índices) 1845-1944, Aguas Buenas Marriages |
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G |
| H | I | J | L | M | N | O |
| P | Q | R | S | T | U | V |
| Z |
Note: See above for the indexes by name. They will facilitate your research and save you time. It indicates eight volumes, but only six books are available. I identified the missing years from 1938 through 1944.
Confirmations
Burials
| Books 1 through 8 Deaths Index of Book 1 1845 – 1856 (Image 1093) |
| Book # | Years | Image | Index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1845-1856 | 546 | Index | |
| 2 | 1856-1863 | 1105 | Index | Damaged Book. Indexed by the first name. |
| 3 | 1864-1869 | 786 | Index | Indexed by the first name |
| 4 | 1869-1876 | 1702 | Index | |
| 5 | 1876-1883 | 1386 | Index | |
| 6 | 1883-1889 | 2008 | Index | |
| 7 | 1889-1897 | 7 | Index | |
| 8 | 1897-1901 | 8 |
- 1859 – 1889 Book 1 of Accounting ledgers (Mayordorimia Fabricas) (Image 789)
- Notes: Title of Book; “El presente libro consta de 304 folios y perteneces a la mayordormia fabrica y pueblo anterior.” English Translation: This book consists of 304 pages and belongs to the mayordormia of the factory of the previous town.
Note: Factory steward is the one who collects the rents of the church and takes care of the factory . Formerly, the inspection of the church factories belonged to the bishop , but this care was transferred to the archdeacons and these, to the priests . Later notable and zealous laymen were appointed to this office. This is what was arranged in the General Council of Vienna in the year 1311 .
Dictionary of Canon Law, Abbé Michel André, 1839
