Church Record Index for Patillas, Puerto Rico

Brief History

Patillas has a rich history dating back to the 18th century when Europeans first settled in the area. Although the town was not officially founded until 1811, some parochial books suggest there may have been some form of settlement as early as 1810.

Unfortunately, in 1841, a devastating fire claimed the lives of many Patillas residents. Despite this tragedy, the Church appears to have survived, with many books still intact and available for historical study. It’s interesting to note that the town’s early history is significant for Patillas and other nearby towns like Maunabo, which are connected to Patillas through their shared history.

Observation of Church Books

The Church still preserves several books, the oldest of which is the series of baptisms dating back to the town’s origins. There are fragments of the first book of baptisms, with entries from 1810-1815 and 1827-1828, of all classes of people. For pardos and blacks, we have the second book (1816-1820) and another book covering September 25, 1825, to October 1827.

Unfortunately, this last book is significantly damaged due to the use of inferior paper and ink used at the time. Another book of baptisms covers the years 1834-1838. In December 1834, the Franciscan Fr. Jose Portilla signed two articles, which the insurgents must guard.

In 1812, Fr. Francisco Espina, a Franciscan who would later become a priest of Pampatar and the Valley, was due to the illness of the parish priest on the island of Margarita. Then, in July-August 1826, the Capuchin fr. Joaquin de Olleria took over.

In 1964, many more books were available during an inspection. But as you see below, quite a few books are missing for deaths. This leads me to believe that the books went missing, were trashed, or were not filmed because they were moved to another location. Therefore, contact the Church or the Archives in Old San Juan to investigate this further.

Patillas Baptism Books

Baptism Books for Pardos and Enslaved Residents

Book	Year	Race/Notes	Image	Index
	1811-1815	Pardos	4
	1816-1820	Pardos	262	This book has been transcribed. See below.
	1843-1848	Pardos	860
	1858-1870	Enslaved	1205

Transcription of Baptisms, book of Pardos from 1816 to 1820

This transcription is courtesy of José Bello.

Books of Baptisms: Whites

Book	Year	Image	Index	Notes
5	1813-1824	53
6	1825-1827	1107
7	1827-1829	1261
	1834-1838	457
	1841-1851	645
12	1857-1862	1359	1846
13	1863-1866	1595
14	1866-1869	1861	1889
15	1869-1873	4	1889

Patillas Baptisms of All Classes

Book	Year	Image	Index	Notes
16	1873-1876	289	556
17	1877-1881	612	886
18	1881-1883	916	1930
19	1883-1886	1222
20	1887-1890	1532
21	1890-1893	2
22	1893-1895	322	2012
23	1895-1900	533	2075
24	1900-1903	850	2037
25	1906-1908	1061	2119
26	1908-1911	1295	2152
27	1912-1915	1676	2214
28	1915-1917	2047	2274
28	1917-1918	2		This book is a continuation of the film above.
29	1918-1922	162	2344
30	1922-1924	5
31	1925-1926	308
32	1926-1928	551
33	1928-1931	785

Patillas Marriage Books

Book	Year	Image	Index	Notes
1	1842-1861	1180	1374
2	1865-1877	1403	1640
3	1877-1905	1668	1044
4	1905-1914	1986	1084
5	1914-1921	2161	1111
6	1921-1929	2273	1136-1152
7	1929-1940	2544	1152-1174

Inscription of Burials

Book	Year	Image	Index	Notes
18	1873-1879	552	827
19	1879-1884	854	1124
20	1884-1889	1149	1454
	1891-1900	1483

Confirmations for Patillas

Book	Year	Image	Notes
	1870-1890	1256	This book appears at the end of the esclavos baptism book for 1858 to 1870.
	1870-1890	1603	This is a duplicate copy of the book above.
2	1908	1697
3	1920-1934	1749

Sources:

• The Historical Archives of Puerto Rico, page #104, #39, 1964, by Lino Gomez.
• Page 272. Ubeda y Delgado, M. (1878). Isla de Puerto Rico: Estudio Historico, Geografico y Estadistico de la Misma. Accessed by https://books.google.com/books?id=Gl8zAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA271#v=onepage&q&f=false