Church Records: Baptisms
Baptisms | Marriages | Investigations | Burials |
According to Catholic doctrine, all individuals must be baptized in order to be saved. Because of this universal need for baptism, these records will include the majority of the people living in the parish, regardless of their social or economic status. Christening records for most Catholic countries may include the following information, depending on the time period when they were created:
- Given names and surnames of the person being baptized
- Date of the baptism
- Date of baptismal entry (usually same as baptism)
- Birth date and place of the person being baptized
- Whether the child being baptized was legitimate or illegitimate
- Given names, surnames, residences, and birthplaces of the parents and grandparents
- Marital status of the parents
- Names of the godparents and sometimes their relationship to the child
- Residence or birthplaces of the godparents
- Name or signature of the officiating priest
The information included in these records usually follows a specific order. However, it is not uncommon to find the same information in a different order.