San Mateo Parish Records (Santurce, Puerto Rico)
Introduction
For genealogists researching families from Santurce (formerly Cangrejos), San Juan, Puerto Rico, the records of San Mateo Parish are among the most valuable historical sources available. Baptism, marriage, and burial records preserved by the Catholic Church document generations of families long before civil registration began in Puerto Rico.
This page serves as a growing collection of transcribed and indexed San Mateo Parish records. Each transcription has been carefully prepared to help researchers locate ancestors more quickly while preserving the information recorded in the original parish registers.
Whether your ancestors were free people, enslaved individuals, freedmen, or immigrants living in the historic community of Cangrejos, these records can provide names, family relationships, occupations, places of origin, and other valuable genealogical clues.
History of San Mateo Parish
The origins of San Mateo Parish date back to the early eighteenth century. Around 1729, local residents established a small hermitage dedicated to San Mateo to serve the growing settlement of Cangrejos, a community of free Blacks, formerly enslaved people, and settlers from neighboring Caribbean islands. As the population grew, parish leaders built a larger church in 1832. They later undertook a major reconstruction during the late nineteenth century, creating much of the building that visitors see today.
The parish played a central role in the religious and social life of the community. Every baptism, marriage, and burial recorded by its priests provides a snapshot of the families who helped shape the history of Santurce and the greater San Juan region.
Why These Records Matter
Catholic parish registers often contain information unavailable elsewhere, including:
- Parents’ names
- Grandparents’ names
- Places of origin
- Occupations
- Marital status
- Legitimacy of children
- Witnesses and godparents
- Death and burial information
- References to enslaved persons and owners
- Marginal notes added years later
These details help researchers reconstruct entire family groups, identify relationships across generations, and uncover ancestors who may not appear in civil records alone.
Baptisms
An index covering Books 1–5 (1773–1873) exists, but it was mistakenly cataloged under Parroquia San Jorge, Santurce, Puerto Rico. In reality, these indexes belong to San Mateo Parish. To make them easier to use, I created the table below, which organizes the records by both book number and alphabetical letter. You will also find the full transcriptions for these books further down the page.
| Book Number | Year | Race | Image | Index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1773-1822 | Image | See Table Below | See Transcription | |
| 2 | 1822-1838 | Image | “ | ||
| 3 | 1883-1859 | Image | “ | ||
| 4 | 1849-1862 | Image | “ | ||
| 5 | 1862-1868 | Image | “ | ||
| 5-continuation | 1868-1873 | Image | “ | Folio 175v-299 | |
| 6 | 1873-1885 | Image | “ | ||
| 7 | 1885-1896 | Image | “ | Ends on 1/29/1896 | |
| 8 | 1896-1907 | Image | Not available |
| Book 1 | Book 2 | Book 3 | Book 4 | Book 5 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K | K | K | |||
| L | L | L | L | L | |
| LL | LL | LL | LL | ||
| M | M | M | M | M | |
| N | N | N | N | N | |
| O | O | O | O | O | |
| P | P | P | P | P | |
| Q | Q | Q | Q | Q | |
| R | R | R | R | R | |
| S | S | S | S | S | |
| T | T | T | T | T | |
| U | U | ||||
| V | V | V | V | V | |
| W | W | ||||
| Y | |||||
| Z | Z |
Paternal Surnames Only (Sin Apellido Paterno)
No Maternal Name Recorded (Sin Apellido Materno)
These children may have been recognized by their father at a later date. Therefore, researchers should investigate these cases further, as subsequent records may reveal the identity of the paternal line.
No Surnames Record (Sin Apellidos)
These may represent baptisms of enslaved individuals, although additional research is recommended to confirm this.
Enslaved Baptisms (Esclavos)
| Book Number | Year | Race | Image | Index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1860 | Enslaved | Image |
Marriages
Burials
About These Transcriptions
These transcription indexes make historical parish records easier to search and serve as valuable finding aids for genealogical research. However, they should not replace the original church records. Instead, consult the original record image whenever possible to review marginal notes, additional annotations, and other contextual details that may not appear in the index. In addition, the original record may include corrections, witnesses, or other valuable information that can provide further insight into an ancestor’s life.
To preserve historical accuracy, these indexes generally retain the original spelling found in the parish records. However, minor standardization may appear where necessary to improve consistency and make surnames easier to locate.
Baptisms Transcriptions
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Baptism Records Enslaved Transcriptions 1849-1870
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Marriages for San Mateo Transcriptions, 1773 to 1840
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San Mateo Burials Transcriptions, 1866 -1885
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Research Tips
When searching San Mateo Parish records, remember that:
- Surnames were not always spelled consistently.
- Individuals may appear under different surname variations.
- Women were sometimes recorded only by their given names.
- Enslaved individuals may appear without surnames or under the surname of their enslaver.
- Geographic names changed over time. Records referring to Cangrejos generally relate to what is now Santurce.
Searching neighboring parishes may also be necessary if a family moved or attended another church.
Additional Puerto Rico Church Records
If you are unable to locate your ancestors in San Mateo Parish, explore the other church record collections available on this website. New transcriptions and indexes are added regularly as additional parish records become available.
San Juan Nuestra Señora de Remedios
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