Baptism Vocabulary and Phrases
As anyone who has worked with old documents knows, the best way to learn to read handwriting in old records is to read and work with the documents themselves. Practice is the best way to put the various pieces of information discussed in the previous pages to work.
Here is an opportunity to explore an actual document and see the vocabulary and phrases that are found in a typical baptism document.
Instructions:
Click on a word in the document. On the left will appear specific information about the word, its usage, and alternative spellings. Below the document, there will appear information on the phrase that the word belongs to and the importance that the phrase holds to the document as a whole.
Sample Baptism Record
Welcome to the Interactive Exercise. Hover over a word to see its meaning.
Transcription
Josef de Laño - Partida 140 En Veintey nueve de Marzo de este año de mil Setecientos ochentay Siete, yo el infraescripto Curay Benefdo bautizè Un Niño que nacio el dia Veintey Seis de dicho Mes, entre Unay dos delatarde Segun declaracion de Sus Padres, y le puse por nombre Josef hijo legitimo, y de legitimo Matrimonio de Formerio de Laño, y de Maria Santos Saenz, havitantes en esta Villa dePeñacerrada, y naturales, Formerio del lugar de Moraza, Aldea deTreviño, y Maria Santos dela Ciudad de Santo Domingo dela Calzada. Abuelos paternos Josef de Laño, y Juana de Uriate, Vecinos en dicho lugar deMoraza, y naturales, Josef de este, y Juana dela Villa de Corres: Maternos Francisco Saenz, y Melchora Martinez, naturales, y Vecinos de dicha Ciudad de S.to Domingo: fueron Sus Padrinos Matheo de Pinedo y Maria de Montoya, naturales de esta Villa, á quienes adverti el parentesco espiritual, y demas obligaciones Contrahidas, y por la Verdad lo firmo yo el Cura dha Ut Supra .//. D.n Estevan Ramirez
Phrase Description
Translation
In hundred and eighty-seven, I the undersigned benefice-endowed parish priest baptized a child that was born on the twenty-sixth day of the said month, between one and two in the afternoon according to declaration of his parents, and I gave him the name of Josef legitimate son, and of legitimate matrimony between Formerio de Laño and Maria Santos Saenz, residents of this town of Peñacerrada and born, Formerio in the place of Moraza, village of Treviño, and Maria Santos in the city of Santo Domingo de la Calzada. The paternal grandparents [are] Josef de Laño, and Juana de Uriate, neighbors of the said place of Moraza and born in, Josef in this [place] and Juana in the town of Corres: Maternal [grandparents] Francisco Saenz, and Melchora Martinez, natives and residents of the said city of Santo Domingo: His godparents were Matheo de Pinedo and Maria de Montoya, [both] natives of this town, whom I warned regarding their spiritual relationship and other contracted obligations, and being true, I, the priest signed it on the said [date] stated above. Dn. Estevan Ramirez
