History
The Taíno region of Guayaney, which covered what is now Yabucoa in Puerto Rico, was led by Cacique Guaraca. After the Spanish arrived, the area became part of Humacao and was used for cattle and farming. Don Manuel Colón de Bonilla and Doña Catalina Morales Pacheco founded Yabucoa.
Map of Barrios
File: General Archive of Puerto Rico Map Library, Title: Map of the municipality of Yabucoa) Date Original Document: 1901, Scope and Content: (Map of the municipality of Yabucoa,1901. [Procedencia o Archivo:, Archivo General de Puerto Rico Mapoteca, Título: (Mapa del municipio de Yabucoa) Fecha Documento Original: 1901, Alcance y Contenido: (Mapa del municipio de Yabucoa). 1901.] Aguacate
Calabaza, Camino Nuevo, Guayabota, Jácanas, Juan Martín, Limones, Playa, Tejas, Yabucoa barrio-pueblo.
Church Book Observations in 1960
According to the inventory recorded in the accounts of 1815, the parish archive then contained five books of baptisms, two of marriages, one of burials, one of confirmations, and two circulars. However, of these volumes, only one survives today: a book of marriages for whites (1813–1820), externally marked as number 3.
In addition, there exists a parish book of marriages for pardos, free Blacks, and enslaved individuals, beginning on February 8, 1832. At that time, the Parish Priest of the Holy Church of the Santos Ángeles Custodios and San Vicente Ferrer of Yabucoa was Presbítero Andrés Corcino de Rivera, assisted by his lieutenant, the presbítero José Rafael Rodríguez. This record spans the years 1832 to 1850.
Furthermore, within the baptismal series, there is a book covering 1805–1814, along with another—significantly damaged—covering 1808 to 1812. Additionally, fragments remain of a baptismal book for free pardos and enslaved individuals (1813–1820). For whites, another volume covers the years 1817 to 1824. Finally, there are also fragments of an additional baptismal register spanning June 12, 1827, to March 1836.
Additional Observations
A multi-volume book of burials contains entries from December 1797 through 1894. Meanwhile, although the two books of circulars mentioned in the 1815 inventory have since disappeared, a third book survives. Notably, this volume includes episcopal visitations, analyses of records, royal orders, and dispositions issued by the Ilmos. Señores Bishops of the Diocese, beginning in February 1825.
Subsequently, the record continues through the episcopate of Bishop Puig and includes provisions issued by the Vicar General Lic. Nicolás de Andrade, Bishop Gutiérrez de Cos, and once again Andrade in 1839. Moreover, it documents the tenure of Bishop Fray Francisco de la Puente and his vicar general, Don Domingo González de Mendoza.
Then, in 1849, Don Domingo arranged matters concerning the Council Seminary and scholarships endowed by Gutiérrez de Cos. Finally, during the pastoral visitation of 1850, the priest Benigno Luis signed as secretary to Bishop Gil Esteve y Carrión.
In addition, the digitized records of the Parroquial Santos Ángeles Custodios y San Vicente Ferrer del Pueblo de Yabucoa—today known simply as Santos Ángeles Custodios—cover baptisms, marriages, and deaths from 1790 to 1937. Unfortunately, relatively few early records have survived, and those that do remain are in poor condition. As a result, their review presents considerable challenges.
Nevertheless, this limitation is particularly disappointing, given that many Yabucoa residents trace their origins to Coamo. Therefore, researchers should also consult records from Coamo. Additionally, since Yabucoa was later separated from Humacao, it is advisable to examine Humacao’s parish records as well.
Yabucoa Baptisms
| Book | Year | Race | Image | Index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1790-1832 | Pardos, Other Races | 1450 | This book consists of fragments of baptisms and deaths in poor condition, out of sequence and filmed upside down, but you can decipher a few records. | ||
| 1805-1812 | Whites | 485 | The book is watermarked and in poor to fair condition. | ||
| 5 | 1812-1817 | Whites | 782 | 770 | The book is in poor condition. |
| 1817-1821 | Whites | 1729 | The book is in poor condition. | ||
| 1813-1814 | 1628 | A damaged book. Includes one dated 1813, and images 85-170 are 1814. | |||
| 6 | 1818-1824 | Pardos, Enslaved | 1013 | ||
| 7 | 1825-1837 | Pardos, Enslaved | 1391 | Documents are out of sequence. | |
| 7 | 1827-1830 | Whites | 856 | ||
| 8 | 1830-1837 | Whites | 913 | ||
| 1838-1842 | Whites | 135 | |||
| 1836-1840 | Whites | 1133 | |||
| 1846-1859 | 1211 | Fragments of documents. |
Baptisms for Pardos (All Classes, Free Blacks, and Enslaved people)
| Book | Year | Race | Image | Index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1844-1847 | Pardos, Free Blacks, Enslaved | 1389 | |||
| 1848 – 1856 | Pardos, Free Blacks, Enslaved | 339 | |||
| 1854 | All Classes | 1272 | 1383 to 1390 | Index A to H | |
| Sep 1856- | 1211 | ||||
| 11 | 1860 – 1863 | 4 | |||
| 12 | 1863 – 1866 | 301 | |||
| 13 | 1866 – 1872 | 623 | 918 | ||
| 14 | 1872 – 1877 | 962 | |||
| 15 | 1877 – 1878 | 1219 | |||
| 16 | 1889 | 747 | There is no book for this index. | ||
| 18 | 1878 – 1881 | 1533 | |||
| 19 | 1881 – 1882 | 1839 | |||
| 20 | 1883 | 2123 | Poor Condition. | ||
| 21-A | 1883-1884 | 2300 | |||
| 21-B | 1884-1886 | 4 | |||
| 22 | 1886-1887 | 243 | |||
| 23 | 1887-1889 | 556 | 821 | ||
| 24 | 1889-1893 | 852 | |||
| 25 | 1894-1896 | 1144 | |||
| 26 | 1896-1899 | 1442 | |||
| 27 | 1899-1903 | 1742 | |||
| 28 | 1903-1905 | 2057 | 2337 | ||
| 29 | 1905-1908 | 2406 | |||
| 30-A | 1908-1910 | 4 | 272 | ||
| 30-B | 1910-1911 | 293 | 378 | ||
| 31-A | 1910-1912 | 396 | |||
| 31-B | 1912-1915 | 599 | |||
| 32 | 1915-1918 | 984 | |||
| 33 | 1918-1920 | 1386 | |||
| 35 | 1920-1923 | 1762 | |||
| 35-A | 1923-1924 | 2162 | |||
| 36 | 1923-1924 | 2444 | 2667 | ||
| 36-A | 1924 | 2688 | |||
| 37 | 1924-1926 | 2721 | |||
| 37-A | 1924-1926 | 4 | 238 | ||
| 37-B | 1926 | 257 | |||
| 38 | 1926-1927 | 284 | |||
| 39 | 1927-1928 | 527 | |||
| 40 | 1928-1930 | 768 |
Yabucoa Marriage Books
| Book | Year | Race | Image | IndexNotes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1813-1820 | 442 | |||
| 3 | 1820-1825 | 533 | It is in poor condition and does not contain many records. | |
| 3 | Same film | 1889 – 1877 These are fragments of records in this film. | ||
| 3 | 1850-1870 | 568 | This section is in the same film as the previous one, but it starts with the year 1850 and ends in 1870. | |
| 1822-1850 | 2701 | This series of records is not filmed well. It is very light. | ||
| 1832-1854 | 2521 | 2505-(I believe this to be an index for a baptism book. Most of the folio numbers are cut off.) | ||
| 7 | 1846-1850 | 4 | Not a complete book. | |
| 1857-1868 | 2314 | |||
| 1869-1877 | 163 | |||
| 1877-1883 | 4 | |||
| 13-A | 1910-1912 | 1588 | Indexed | |
| 13-B | 1910-1911 | 1643 | ||
| 13 | 1914-1928 | 1688 | Indexed | |
| 14 | 1928-1937 | 2080 | Indexed |
Inscriptions of Burials for Yabucoa
| Book | Year | Race | Image | Index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1797-1805 | 2566 | Mixed fragments of documents | |||
| 9 | 1850-1826 | Pardos & Whites | 667 | The timeline is out of sequence. This book is in poor condition. | |
| 759 | Image 759 in 1835. It is best to go through the whole book carefully. | ||||
| 1835-1869 | 1194 | ||||
| 1837 | 2008 | ||||
| 1843-1853 | 2476 | ||||
| 1846-1850 | 1865 | ||||
| 1869-1899 | 2154 | Mixed fragments of documents | |||
| 1877-1880 | 2660 | ||||
| 14 | 1872-1889 | 217 | 509 | ||
| 16 | 1881-1884 | 1516 | |||
| 17 | 1884-1885 | 4 | |||
| 1885-1889 | 541 | 858 | |||
| 1884-1894 | 1171 | 1485 | |||
| 1894-1899 | 878 | ||||
| 27 | 1899-1904 | 1533 | 1834 |
Yabucoa Transcription for Marriages Book 1
The Sociedad Puertorriqueño de Genealogia (SPG), Inc., has a transcription available in one of its magazines. Rosana Medina Perza (Vice President) transcribed Marriages covering the years 1820 to 1850. You can visit its website to see if any of its magazines are left.
- Hereditas, Volume 1, Number 1, the Year 2020. You can visit their website here: SPG and click on the Kiosk tab. You will find others for sale. And while you are there, look up their membership benefits. They are the only Genealogical Society for Puerto Rico and an excellent resource for research.