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Making sense of old handwriting

Common Phrases


Common Phrases Used in Parish Records

Reading old parish records can be much easier when one understands and becomes familiar with the format of those records. Most christening, marriage, and burial records written after the Council of Trent follow the same pattern and include basically the same phrases. The following is a list of commonly used phrases found in old christening, marriage, and burial records.

General

Spanish Phrase
Meaning 
ídem, iden, eadem, ejusdem same, of the same
dicho, susodicho the said
infrascrito, infraescrito, infraescripto undersigned
ut supra (Latin) as above, as stated above (usually refers to the date)

Date

Spanish Phrase
Meaning 
A diez días del corriente mes y año… On ten days of the current month and year…
En quince días del mes de septiembre del corriente año… On fifteen days of the month of September of the current year…
En veinte y seis días del mes de julio próximo pasado... On twenty and six days of the past month of July...
...que murió el veinticinco del mismo... ...that died on the twenty-fifth of the same...

Place

Spanish Phrase
Meaning 
En esta villa del Rosario… In this town of Rosario…
En este departamento del Diamante… In this district of Diamante…
En esta (iglesia) parroquial de San Cipriano… In this parish (church) of San Cipriano...
En la iglesia de… In the church of…
En la feligresía de… In the parish of…
En la doctrina de… In the curacy/parish of…
En la curato de… In the curacy/parish of…
En la vicaría de… In the vicariate of…
…vecinos de la parroquia de María Magdalena en el lugar de Cué, concejo de Llanes… …residents of the parish of María Magdalena in the place of Cué, municipality of Llanes…
…todos naturales y vecinos de este departamento… …(being) all natives and residents of this district…
…natural de dicho concejo y vecino de esta… …native of the said municipality and resident of this (parish/town)...

Authority

Spanish Phrase
Meaning
el cura the parish priest
el licenciado the licentiate
el párroco the parson, the parish priest
el teniente the deputy
el bachiller the bachelor (This term refers to the person's academic degree, not his marital status)
el vicario the vicar
fray friar or brother
el presbítero the priest
el reverendo padre the reverend father
encargado in charge
con licencia de with permission of
con mi licencia with my permission
ex licentia parochi (Latin) by license of the parish priest
cum venia parochi (Latin) with permission of the parish priest
haciendo oficio de performing the office of
juez eclesiástico ecclesiastical judge
de este lugar y su partido of this place and its district
de esta parroquial y su hijuela of this parish (church) and its dependent (church)

Relationships/Legitimacy

Spanish Phrase
Meaning
viudo (que fue) de widower of
viuda (que fue) de widow of
esposo que fue de who was the husband of…
mujer que fue de who was the wife of…
hijo legítimo legitimate son
hijo natural natural-born son
hijo ilegítimo illegitimate son
hijo bastardo illegitimate son of known father
hijo espurio illegitimate son of unknown father
hijo adulterino illegitimate son
hijo expuesto abandoned child
hijo expósito abandoned child
hijo de la iglesia abandoned child
hijo de padres no conocidos son of unknown parents
hijo de padre no conocido son of unknown father

Witnesses/Godparents

Spanish Phrase
Meaning
siendo testigos... being witnesses...
fueron testigos (presenciales)... the (present/eye) witnesses were...
Fueron (sus) padrinos… The godparents were…
sostuvieron al niño the child was held by… (godparents were…)
tuvo/tuvieron al niño the child was held by… (the godfather/godparents was/were…)

Certification

Spanish Phrase
Meaning
Y por ser verdad lo firmo. In witness thereof, I sign it.
Para que conste lo firmé con el expresado señor cura. In witness thereof, I signed it with the said parish priest.
Para constancia lo firmo. To certify it, I sign it.
En constancia lo firmé. In witness thereof, I signed it.

Christening

Spanish Phrase
Meaning
hice los exorcismos I baptized (I exorcised)
hizo los exorcismos He baptized (He exorcised)
exorcicé a I baptized (I exorcised)
bauticé solemnemente a I solemnly baptized
puse los santos óleos y el sagrado crisma a I put the holy oil and the sacred chrism to
bauticé sub conditione (Latin) I baptized conditionally
bauticé condicionalmente I baptized conditionally
puse por nombre… I named …

Warning (Christening)

Spanish Phrase Meaning
a quienes advertí whom I advised (of)
a quienes dije whom I told
a quienes hice saber whom I informed (of)
a quienes instruí sobre whom I instructed concerning
el parentesco espiritual the spiritual relationship
sus obligaciones de enseñarle la doctrina cristiana their obligation(s) to teach him or her the Christian doctrine
y demás obligaciones contraídas and other contracted obligations
que contraían that they contracted
que contrajeron that they contracted
que han contraído that they have contracted

Marriage

Spanish Phrase
Meaning
habiendo corrido todas las diligencias conciliares having taken care of all the conciliar measures
habiendo precedido todo lo dispuesto por el Santo Concilio de Trento having preceded everything required by the Holy Council of Trent
habiendo precedido todo lo que manda el Santo Concilio Tridentino having preceded everything required by the Holy Council of Trent
previas las disposiciones conciliares foregoing the conciliar arrangements
conforme al Concilio de Trento consistent with the Council of Trent
según manda el Concilio de Trento as ordered by the Council of Trent
amonesté en tres días festivos I published (banns) on three holy days
habiéndose amonestado en tres días festivos having published (banns) on three holy days
después de leídas las tres conciliares proclamas after reading the three conciliar banns
inter missarum solemnia (Latin) in solemn mass
sin haber resultado ningún impedimento without any impediment (to marriage) resulting
y no habiendo resultado impedimento alguno and no impediment (to marriage) having resulted
no resultó ningún impedimento no impediment (to marriage) resulted
no resultando impedimento alguno no impediment (to marriage) resulting
confesados (having) confessed
dispuestos sacramentalmente sacramentally disposed
se dispusieron sacramentalmente sacramentally disposed
examinados en la doctrina cristiana examined in Christian doctrine
instruidos en la doctrina cristiana instructed in Christian doctrine
estando hábiles en doctrina cristiana being able in Christian doctrine
de los pretendientes of the candidates
di las manos (a) I married
desposé (a) I married
casé y velé (a) I married and veiled (=blessed)
in facie ecclesiae (Latin) in the presence of the congregation
por palabras de presente using words in present tense (performing an actual marriage as opposed to a promise to marry)
según el Ritual Romano according to Rituale Romanum (a book prescribing the form of Catholic ceremonies)
según orden de nuestra Santa Madre iglesia according to the order of our Holy Mother Church
que constituyen el verdadero y legítimo matrimonio that constitute true and legitimate marriage
que hacen verdadero y legítimo matrimonio that constitute true and legitimate marriage
asistí al matrimonio de I was present at the marriage of
asistió al matrimonio de he was present at the marriage of
con el mutuo consentimiento with the mutual consent
con su mutuo consentimiento with their mutual consent
oídos sus mutuos consentimientos (having) heard their mutual consent

Burial

Spanish Phrase
Meaning
di sepultura a I buried
enterré a I buried
fue sepultado el cadáver de the body of ... was buried
misa de cuerpo presente a mass said while the corpse of the deceased is present in the church
recibió los sacramentos de eucaristía, penitencia y extremaunción he/she received the sacraments of Eucharist, penitence and extreme unction
mandó enterrarse en la iglesia parroquial he/she requested to be buried in the parish church
mandó seis misas por su ánima he/she requested six masses for his soul
no dejó testamento he/she did not leave a will
no testó he/she did not leave a will
no testó por ser pobre de solemnidad he/she did not leave a will because of his/her destitute condition/extreme poverty
dejó testamento ante el escribano… left his/her last will and testament before the notary…
nombró como su albacea a named … as his/her executor
nombró como único y universal heredero a… named … as sole and universal heir

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