Introduction
Church transcriptions are an excellent resource for the researcher. The following PDFs are a few available for this town. Keep in mind that the church books for Aguadilla are not available online for review. Therefore, this is the best that we have available to us.
My ancestors with the surname Barreto originated from this town and made their way to Morovis, Barros, and Ciales, to name a few. I have been able to trace them to the late 1700s.
Early History of Aguadilla
According to sources, a Taíno settlement called Aymamón was close to the Culebrinas River.[4] The present territory of Aguadilla was initially part of the territory of Aguada. Don Luis de Cordova approved the foundation of Aguadilla in 1775.[5] But, segregation was not official until 1780. Before 1770, there were already inhabitants residing in this area. In 1776, Fray Íñigo Abbad y Lasierra, in his description of the island’s towns, mentioned it as the “new town of San Carlos de La Aguadilla.” Nevertheless, according to Dr. Agustín Stahl in his Foundation of Aguadilla, it was not until 1780 that the town was officially founded. The construction of a new church and the proceedings to become an independent village began in 1775.[7]
The population in the Village of Aguadilla continued to increase constantly, mainly due to its excellent port and strategic location in the route of the boats. In 1776, when Santo Domingo became independent for the first time, the loyalists of Spanish descent emigrated to Puerto Rico. At this time, the territorial organization of Aguadilla was as follows: Pueblo Norte (North Town), Pueblo Sur (South Town), Ceiba Alta, Ceiba Baja, Montaña, Malezas, Aguacate, Dos Palmas, Camaseyes, Plainela, Borinquen, Arenales, Higüey, Corrales, Victoria, and Mangual.
Aguadilla Burials
- Index of Burials 1780-1860 (Images 1-100)
- Notes: This is just a list of names. It does not include second surnames, making it challenging to claim anyone on this list as an ancestor.
Index of Marriages
- Notes: Pay attention to the messages the person in charge of the books provides. It gives instructions on how Race should separate in the books. The issue with these indexes is that it does not give the bride’s full name.
- 1780-1791 Book 1, Freed and Enslaved – Images 3-14
- 1818-1822 Book 2, All Races – Images 14-16
- 1823-1845 Book 3, Freed Pardos and Enslaved – Images 17-19
- 1822-1835 Book 3, Whites – Images 20-24
- 1835-1845 Book 4, Whites – Images 25-28
- 1845-1851 Book 5, Race not indicated – Images 28-30
- 1848-1859 Book 6, Race not indicated – Images 30-35
Aguadilla Marriages 1780 to 1816
Note: This is a transcription made on October 6, 1988. There is a link to the images below. In addition, you have the transcriptions in a PDF Format for your review. I think the books must have been deteriorating, and they needed to make a written copy of the book. We are very fortunate they did so.
These PDF files will open in a new window. When it opens in a new window, please zoom in on the document, and you can expand the file by clicking on the double arrow in the right side corner. Next, you will see a drop-down menu. Click on presentation mode. Doing so will expand the file, and you can view it at full size. You also can download the file to view it at your convenience.
AGUADILLA-Matrimonios-1780-1816-revisionNote: This is a transcription made on April 6, 1989. I have included the link to the images. In addition, there is a transcription below in PDF format for your review. I think the books must have been deteriorating, and they needed to make a written copy of the book. We are very fortunate they did so.
AGUADILLA-Matrimonios-1816-1817-3| Church Archives | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Aguadilla Church Records (Baptisms, Marriages, Deaths) | 1780-1843 | Online Site |
Sources:
- Link to Familysearch Film
- Link to Aguadilla Civil Registration Records 1885-1995
- Wikipedia
- Ivette Izquierdo Garcia transcribed the books and made this possible. A huge thank you to her.
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