Barranquitas, Puerto Rico Church Index 1860 to 1952

Barranquitas Early History

• Barranquitas is a small mountain town and municipality located in the Cordillera Central region of Puerto Rico and initially inhabited by the Taino. Barranquitas’s local Taino Indian Cacique is known as Orocobix. His yucayeque or tribe was known as the Jatibonicu Taino. Founded in 1803 by General Antonio Aponte Ramos (my 5th great-grandfather.)
• Early in the 20th century, Barranquitas residents, known as Barranquiteños, had a short but legendary territory war with residents of the city of Comerío.

Historical account concerning the establishment of the church

• On April 3, 1803, seventy-two residents of the (newly founded town of Barranquitas) gave authority to the militia lieutenant Don Antonio de Aponte Ramos to request the erection of the new village. Thus, separating said land from the jurisdiction of the town of Coamo. Documents recording all phases of the church’s inception through its final erection in March 1809 exist.
• Bishop D. Francisco de la Cuerda (1790-1795), during a visit to Coamo and the Aibonito territory (November-December 1792), had authorized the erection of a hermitage on the (site of Barranquitas). Only Mass celebrations during specific festivities and the administration of sacraments will occur. But only under the condition that Barranquitas will not separate from Coamo.

A Better Ally Found

• The residents of Barranquitas found a better ally in Bishop Arismendi, who decidedly favored the erection of an independent parish. Therefore, when Aponte Ramos presented him with the corresponding request on December 17, 1803, Arizmendi asked for a report from the parish priest of Coamo, Don Toribio González Ezcurra.
• A proposal on (January 4, 1804) indicated authorizing only one (Ayuda de Parroquia). The fear is that the separation of Barranquitas after already having lost the territories with which the parishes of Guayama, Cayey, Juana Díaz, and (a considerable part of Toa Alta), would leave Coamo could result in a (poor neighborhood) being as it was the second villa on the Island.
• On February 11, 1804, Aponte Ramos satisfied the priest’s objections with a very interesting counter-report. Of the five hundred and more neighbors that the parishioners of Coamo had, more than two hundred lived in the heights of Aibonito, and these remained intact for Coamo, along with those of Salinas, Jauca, Salitral, etc.
• However, on May 14, 1804, the Ecclesiastical Prosecutor advised only a parish aid. Arizmendi hastened to decree it (May 28, 1804), empowering the residents of Barranquitas to build a church. A lieutenant priest would reside with faculty to administer all the sacraments (reserving as we reserve-add-provide on the dismemberment and independence that has been requested after we verify our pastoral visit what we are to undertake).

Additional Facts

• On July 12, 1804, the parish priest of Coamo blessed the first stone of the new church.
• On July 18, 1808, Don Antonio de Berrios (War Lieutenant of the new population of Barranquitas) asked Arizmendi to appoint a priest for the new church. It would be finished in two or three months.
• December 20, 1808, Arismendi erected Barranquitas as an independent parish.

Barranquitas Baptisms

Book	Years	Race	Image	Index	Notes
	1860-1886		4-291	264	The Index is out of sequence. In addition, images are not the best and require patience while reviewing these documents.
	1882-1886		293		No Index Available
	1892		525		No Index Available
13	1895-1901		840	1154
14	1901-1904		1185	1390
	1900(1904)-1907		1420	1647	The first page consists of several 1900 baptisms.
	1907-1909		1672	1805
	1910-1912		1828		No Index Available
14	1913-1918		2114	2375
14	1913-1918		2396		This film is a continuation of Volume 14. No Index
	1918-1922		2506		No Index Available
	1922-1926		3		No Index Available
	1926-1928		373		No Index Available
	1928-1930		625	595
	1930-1932		847	1110
	1932-1934		1148	1124
	1934-1936		1309	1525
	1936-1938		1538	2401-2423	The Index was in 1941-1943.
	1938-1941		1806	2703
	1941-1943		2141	2115-2140	There are two indexes for this book. Index on images 2115 and 2140 corresponds to this book. Images 2401-2423 belong to 1936-1938
	1943-1945		2453	2427
	1945-1947		5	248
	1947-1948		273	534
	1948-1950		557		No Index Available
	1950-1952		876	850

Barranquitas Marriages

The early marriage records for Barranquitas are not in good shape. Documents are missing, and the images are very light. Some are better than others. Unfortunately, so many are missing that we are hitting brick walls for our research. I suggest locating relatives of your ancestors. This could assist you in making those connections. Good luck, you will need it!

Book #	Years	Race	Image	Index	Notes
	1860-1870		1153		This book is transcribed; see below.
	1871-1882		Image 1431	1701
	1899-1909		1751	1727
14	1909-1930		1937	2226
5	1930-1938		2276	2254

Here are two transcriptions by Beatriz Vierra & Liza Lopez. They did a fantastic job considering how difficult it is to read these documents.

Transcriptions for Marriage Records

Burials

Unfortunately, there are no books on the burials of its residents before 1885. But the Civil Registration records starting in 1885 do exist. (Barranquitas Civil Records) In addition, various films exist from 1885 through 1989.)