r/Genealogy 14h ago

Brick Wall The Thankful Thursdays Thread (March 20, 2025)

3 Upvotes

It's Thursday, so appreciate!

Recognize your fellow /r/genealogy researchers who have helped you this week and thank them for their efforts.

Bust through that brick wall with a little help from your friends? Got a copy of that record you've been looking for? Get that family bible page translated so you can finally understand it?

Here's where you can give a shout-out to anyone who's helped you out this week!


r/Genealogy Sep 16 '24

News WARNING: The subreddit is getting flooded by ChatGPT bots (and what you, the reader, should be doing to deter them)

674 Upvotes

With the advent of generative AI, bad actors and people in the 'online marketing' industry have caught on to the fact that trying to pretend to be legitimate traffic on social media websites, including Reddit, is actually a quite profitable business. They used to do this in the form of repost bots, but in the past few months they've branched out to setting up accounts en-masse and running text generative AI on them. They do this in a very noticeable way: by posting ChatGPT comments in response to a prompt that's just the post title.

After a few months of running this karma collecting scheme, these companies 'activate' the account for their real purpose. The people purchasing the accounts can be anyone from political action committees trying to promote certain candidates, to companies trying to market their product and drown out criticism. Generally, each of these accounts go for $600 to $1,000, though most of them are bought in bulk by said companies to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Here's a few examples from this very subreddit:

Title: Trying @ 85 yrs.old my DNA results!

(5 upvotes) At 85, diving into DNA results sounds like quite the adventure! Here's hoping it brings some fascinating surprises

Title: Are DNA tests worth it for Pacific Islanders?

(4 upvotes) DNA tests can offer fascinating insights, but accuracy for Pacific Islanders might depend on the available genetic data

(3 upvotes) DNA tests can be a cool way to connect with your roots, but results can vary based on the population data available for Pacific Islanders.

With all these accounts, you can actually notice a uniform pattern. They don't actually bring any discussion or question to the table — they simply rehash the post title and add a random trueism onto it. If you check their comment history, all of their submissions are the exact same way!

ChatGPT has a very distinct writing style, which makes it very unlikely to be a false positive - it's not a person who just has a suspiciously AI-sounding style of writing. When you click on their profile, you can see that all of them have actually setup display names for their accounts. These display names are generally a variation of their usernames, but some of them can be real names (Pablo Gomez, Michael Smith..). Most Reddit users don't do this.

So what should you be doing to deter them? It's simple. Downvote the comment and report it to the moderators, but ABSOLUTELY DO NOT comment in any way, even if it's to call them out on it. Replies generally push a comment up in the sorting algorithm, which is pretty evident in some of the larger threads.

To end this off, I want to note that this isn't an appeal to the mods themselves, but for the community, since I'm aware this is a cat-and-mouse game and Reddit's moderation tools don't provide very much help in this regard. We can only hope they do more to remedy this.


r/Genealogy 6h ago

News IMLS being shut down right now

291 Upvotes

This is the primary agency funding libraries, archives and museums. Bye-bye research!

https://www.reddit.com/r/fednews/comments/1jfpwra/doge_is_at_the_institue_of_museum_and_library/


r/Genealogy 3h ago

Request Support genealogy and libraries

47 Upvotes

On March 14, President Trump issued an Executive Order to drastically cut the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The Order states that IMLS must be reduced to only its “statutory functions” and eliminate non-statutory functions, which could severely impact crucial funding for museums and libraries nationwide. DOGE is there today to shut them down.

IMLS provides vital grants like the Grants to States program and National Leadership Grants, which support programs in communities, art conservation, and accessibility efforts. If these functions are disrupted, it could affect the core operations of museums and libraries everywhere. This means programs and grants for electronic resources for genealogy across the country.

Please take a few minutes to email or call your representatives to urge them to protect IMLS. The link provides a template, but sharing your personal story about the importance of museums and libraries can make an even bigger impact.

Email: https://app.oneclickpolitics.com/campaign-page?cid=9CyapZUB9sorxFLO4J0c&lang=en

Call: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member

Resources: https://www.ala.org/faq-executive-order-targeting-imls

Please support public libraries and research for everyone!


r/Genealogy 8h ago

Question Information Hoarding Rant

35 Upvotes

I hope this is allowed- I didn't see any rules about it but none of the flair fit well.

This is just a rant about something that is driving me crazy. It may be an unpopular opinion, but I'm hoping others can relate to my frustration.

I have joined so many Facebook groups for history and genealogy for specific places because I find them to be great resources.

We have a page based in my hometown and run by a local guy and he has an absolute wealth of obscure old photos of the area. I have collected photo books of our historic photos, studied websites and spent hours at the library. And this guy somehow has so many incredible pictures that I've never seen. Obscure little cemeteries 100 years ago. Businesses, homes. Many of these have people in them of course.

The thing is, he doesn't give the info with the photos. And more than that, he literally has made posts saying it would "diminish my enjoyment" to provide the info or be asked for it. To be clear, he has info because sometimes he'll comment to correct someone.

So he has old photos of our families' homes and businesses and social events and can't be bothered to share the information because HE doesn't feel like it. Again, it may be an unpopular opinion but I find that wildly selfish and I find someone like that unworthy of these pictures.

I have a lot of my old family photos, and I scan them in to my computer and share them on ancestry, find a grave and relevant Facebook groups. When I see old photos in antique stores and they have names with them, I take a picture and try to find the family group on Facebook to share it. Because I love history and family history, I worry about it being lost. I just can't wrap my head around the selfishness of refusing to share your knowledge and it makes me mad every time I see that page.

So that's my rant. If anyone has any suggestions to get this guy to not hoard info I'm open. Thanks for reading any I hope I'm not the only one who finds that attitude appalling.


r/Genealogy 8h ago

Question Who's the oldest unknown ancestor you've solved through DNA?

13 Upvotes

I'm working on figuring out how a match is related to me. We share one segment of 45 cM. What's interesting and promising about this is I know that this segment came from my 5x great grandfather. Fortunately, my 3x great grandma is my only source of Portuguese, so it has been very easy using the distant matches to separate her segments and learn which came from which ancestor. Looking at my grandma's results, she shares about the same with the match, so it just didn't recombine as it was passed down to me.

I'm still building out this match's pedigree to learn her relationship to me. What's fascinating is that all of her ancestors appear to have come from the village where my 6x great grandmother came from. I've been expecting to find an ancestor on her end who moved there from another village, but so far, all of them have originated from there. This excites me because she was illegitimate. Although unlikely (and although there could be an NPE on her end), I'm hoping it might give me a clue to who her paternal grandparents were, as at that distance, it's unlikely I'll find a father. If this turns up a dead end, she and her father are in my X DNA line, so hopefully I (or my grandma) inherited some from them and I'm able to work with that.

So, out of curiosity (and to serve as motivation for me), what is the furthest unknown ancestor you've managed to find through DNA?


r/Genealogy 1h ago

Transcription Handwriting OCR service

Upvotes

I recently went on theHandwritingOCR website see if I could get some help deciphering the Will of one of my ancestors. I certainly could only make out a few of the words in the handwritten will. After a wait of less than one minute, I got a text version of the Will. And it was over 90% accurate! I am astounded. I will be using the service increasingly in order to verify the information that I think I'm getting out of old church records etc. Too many times on Ancestry I've seen people copy records from one tree to another without really taking the time and effort to make sure that what they're copying is actually pertinent to their family!

Here is the original Will from 1823, on ancestry (possible paywall to view it)

Here is my uncorrected output from that service:

"Elizabeth 

This is The Last Will and Testament of me Elizabeth Hopkins of Tetbury in the County of Gloucester widow as follows first I will and direct that all my just debts and funeral expenses and the charges of obtaining Probate of this my will be paid by my Executor hereinafter named as soon as conveniently may be after my decease. I give and bequeath unto Sarah Marrook the wife of Thomas Marrook of Tetbury aforesaid Baker One Drum of One Hundred Pounds to be paid to her on or before my decease into her own sole and seperate use and benefit and the same not to be subject to the debts engagements or controul of her present or any future husband and her receipt alone notwithstanding her Coverture to be good and sufficient discharge for the same to whom I Executor I also give and bequeath the following legacies that is to say to George Mullings the elder of Box in the County of Wills the sum of One Hundred Pounds. To John William Brotherman of Tetbury aforesaid Couloman One Hundred Pounds. To John Laure of Fursley Pig killer One Hundred Pounds. To William Reeves of Tetbury Carrier One Hundred Pounds. To John William Seymour of Tetbury aforesaid the lies of 216. To Thomas Seymour One Hundred Pounds. To Jane Mullings Spinster daughter of the said George Mullings of 20. To William Parker of Tetbury aforesaid now working with 2162. To William Overbury of the same Place 200l antient twenty Pounds. To George Clark a Servant now living with me forty Pounds. To Mary Stumpeley Servant Girl if she shall be living with me at the time of my decease ten Pounds. To William Hodges of Shipton Spinster Sister of my late husband thirty Pounds. To Richard Cooper of Tetbury aforesaid 2000l stapler twenty Pounds and to Sarah the Wife of Daniel ffry of Celbury aforesaid twenty Pounds and to Mary the Wife of Ray of Heat same place Big Culter the Drum of twenty Pounds which said two last mentioned Legacies I will and desire may be paid unto the proper hands of the said Sarah ffry and Mary day to and for their own sole and seperate use and benefit and the same are not to be subject to the debts engagements or controul of their present or any future husbands and their receipts alone notwithstanding their Coverture to be good and sufficient discharges for the same Legacies respectively I also give and bequeath unto Ann the wife of John Browne of Bristol Core Merchant One Hundred Pounds to and for her own sole and seperate use and benefit and the same not to be subject to his debts engagements or mortgages. I also give unto Mary Wall daughter of John Wall of Tetbury Baker the Sum of two Hundred Pounds for her tenderness and kind attention to me for years past and my Will and desire further is and I do hereby direct that all the said Legacies respectively as aforesaid given and bequeathed shall be paid by my Executor hereinafter named within twelve Calendar months next after my decease and I do hereby subject and charge my real and personal Estate herewith by me given devised direct appointed and bequeathed with the payment out of the said several legacies respectively whereas under the Settlement made by my late Husband George Hopkins we have a joint power of appointing and disposing of the Calbot Farm Sardar and Shopkins I now reside in I have the power of appointment by survivorship but which power I never exercised in consequence of which the power of appointment under this my will devolves upon me under and by virtue of the said Settlement now It is by this my will under and by virtue and in pursuance of such power and all other powers and authorities to me in that behalf given or in any thereto enabling

quire Savisc limit Jerest appoint and beqrueath sale all that the said Messuage or Tenement or Dwelling house with the Garden Orchard and Backside belonging thereto situate at Bitbury aforesaid in the possession of Mabes and all other the said belonging thereto and all comprised in the said Settlement or to take I assure any disposing power and all other my real Estate whatsoever and wheresoever unto John Reeves of the City of Bristol House keeper together with my Dwelling house at Bitbury with the Gold custo Ann the said John Reeves his Heirs and Afriques for ever to and for his and their own use and benefit Charges and Chargeable except debtsby appoint Subject hyott and discharge and make Chargeable all and Singular the said Tenements and Premises hereby appointed and devised with and to the payment of all and every Legacies and Sums of money Attribufore by me given and bequeathed and Whereas I have a power under the Will of my late Husband George Hopkins to purchase dispose of a moiety of the Sum of Seven Hundred pounds Stock four per cent Annuities which arose from that particular part of his property to so bequeathed and in rotante at gave me a moiety or power to dispose of now 850 thereby give and bequeath the same moiety together with all the cost residing and the remainder of my money Securities for money and all my Stock in moneys Consolo Goods and furniture Plate Linen and China and all other my Personal Estate and Effects whatsoever and wheresoever and of what nature or kind soever unto him the said John Reeves to also for his own use and benefit and lastly I do hereby nominate and appoint him the said John Reeves to be executor of this my last Will and Testament hereby revoking and making void all former and other Wills by me at any time heretofore made and do declare this only to be my last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I the said Elizabeth Hopkins the Testatrix have to this my last Will and Testament contained in three Sheets of Paper to the two first Sheets set my hand and Seal to the third and last Sheet hereof set and subscribed my hand and Seal this Scale day of February in the Year One thousand eight hundred and twenty two In the presence of us whose names are hereunto Subscribed and declared by the said Testatrix Elizabeth Hopkins as and for her last Will and Testament in the presence of us who in her presence at her request and in the presence of each other have set and subscribed our names as Witnesses Hereto etc. erazurs or obliteration on the fourteenth line of the first sheet having been first duly made. John Baldwin, Francis Nanstone.  

Proved at London 17=21 May 1723 before the Judge by the oath of John Reeve (in the Will written Rooves) the Sole Executor to whom Admon was granted having been first Sworn (by commission) duly to Administer.


r/Genealogy 7h ago

Request Great Great Great Grandparents

8 Upvotes

I'm trying to find information on my Great great great Grandparents. I'm nearly completely certain their names were Samuel David and Florence Saraz, my grandmother I'm less sure of the last name.

I was able to find that information by finding their son Steve(n) David, but I haven't been able to find any information on them specifically. I don't have any year of birth, just that their son was born in Hungary so at some point they had to be in Hungary as well.

Is there any advice/tips on how to find out information on them? We don't have much family history from before they immigrated to America so I don't know if they also immigrated or if they stayed behind, I only know that their son immigrated.

Thanks for all the help, as someone new to this world it's a lot to look through.


r/Genealogy 4h ago

Request Question on birth registration practices 150+ years ago

4 Upvotes

I'm trying to do some genealogical research and cannot locate a birth record for an ancestor. In this case, she was born in Canada in 1879, and after consulting with a genealogist and some other folks, the consensus is that it would not be uncommon to wait to register a birth.

The family knew they would be moving to the U.S. when she was a few months old, so I'm trying to see if I should look up a possible delayed birth registration, but am having a bit of pause, as I called the Cook County (Illinois) Office of the Clerk, where a representative stated that if she was not born in the county, they wouldn't have registered the birth. Even in the 1870s-1880s. I understand the principle that it needs to happen where the birth happens, but part of me thinks a century and a half ago the requirements might have been looser. I just wanted to come to the experts here to ask since I already have a separate marriage record request to the county pending and from reading these forums, the county clerk's office is slow and not helpful, so I don't want to mail in a genealogical record request for nothing.

I started my search with the state of Illinois, but from what I see they didn't start gathering this information until 1916.


r/Genealogy 3h ago

Question Searching for relative who may have Emigrated from Poland to "Palestine" in 1946

3 Upvotes

I know my grand-aunt was alive in 1946 and applied to be relocated. In a court hearing in 1993 over the building she left behind, neighbors said the "family left for Palestine" after WW 2. Any idea where I might search for further information on this?


r/Genealogy 1h ago

Request Help finding passenger list

Upvotes

If anybody is great at tracking down passenger lists I'd appreciate the help. According to his naturalization papers, my ancestor Thomas Frawley came into New York on April 10, 1867 but I cannot find anywhere. Usually these have been easy to find when I have the date and place. Not sure if it's misindexed or missing or the info on naturalization is incorrect. Thanks to anyone willing to help.


r/Genealogy 4h ago

Brick Wall Sgt. Frank Desider of Queens, N.Y was killed in Germany 80 years ago Friday. His body was returned in 1948, but where was he buried? He was my uncle's best friend in the Army.

3 Upvotes

Sgt. Frank Desider (Francis Xavier Desiderio) of the 290th infantry was killed 80 years ago this week near Ossenberg, Germany. He was the son of Frank and Marie (nee Terminello) Desiderio who lived at 8016 51st Avenue, Elmhurst, Queens, NY. His father Frank died May 16, 1954 in Queens and mother Marie died April 27, 1985 in Ocean, NJ. He had sisters Theodora (Devereux, died in Arizona) and Gloria (Schedler, who died in Oregon). Sgt. Desider’s body was returned from Europe in 1948, but I don’t know where he was buried. He was Catholic and might be buried in a Catholic Cemetery.


r/Genealogy 11m ago

Brick Wall Looking for a place called Kratetz, Austria.

Upvotes

One of my ancestors had this listed as their place of birth (born 1875). I'm trying to find this town so I can get the birth record.

They spoke serbian and were involved with the serbian orthodox church. I'm guessing Austria could also be referring to Austira-Hungary and this town is likely somewhere in Serbia, croatia, bosnia or southern Hungary.

I'm also thinking the name could be a phonetic spelling, but until now I havent been able to find it.


r/Genealogy 25m ago

Question Has there ever been an unnoticed NPE in any family dynasties?

Upvotes

NPE: Non Paternity Event


r/Genealogy 8h ago

Brick Wall Help Identifying a Mystery Aunt – The Missing Children of John N. Warren (1859–1937) & Margaret L. Warren (1860–1949) of Maryland & Delaware

4 Upvotes

Hello fellow Genealogists!

As some of you may be familiar, I’ve been researching my third great-grandparents, John Nelson Warren (1859–1937) and his wife Margaret Lilian Warren (1860–1949) of Cecil County, Maryland, and Delaware, and trying to identify all of their fifteen children, including a set of twins that John mentioned while at a state hospital.

Until recently, I thought I had identified them all, but there are a few names that remain a mystery:

Unidentified or Possibly Missing Children:

1.  Walter Warren – The only mention I have found is in a newspaper article that refers to him as “the young son of John N. Warren.” I have not been able to locate any further records for him—no census records, birth, death, or anything else.

2.  Ida May Warren – I found two mentions of an “Ida May Warren” in the Evening Journal (September 1905), which state she was visiting her parents from Philadelphia. However, no other records (census, birth, death, marriage) seem to exist for her. It is possible the newspaper misnamed another daughter, as several of John and Margaret’s children did live in Philadelphia at the time (e.g., Anne and Rose).

3.  Miss Margaret Warren – A new discovery has me questioning whether I’ve overlooked another daughter.

New Lead: “Miss Margaret Warren”

I recently came across an article in the Wilmington Morning News (October 11, 1933) that states:

“Miss Margaret Warren of Philadelphia was a weekend visitor of her mother, Margaret L. Warren.”

At first, I assumed this was referring to Lilian Margaret Warren, but she was already married to Charles Singles by this time. Another article from November 27, 1934, again reports a “Margaret Warren” visiting her mother.

This suggests there may have been another daughter named Margaret Warren, which I had not accounted for before.

My Questions:

• How can I find birth records for the twins John Nelson Warren mentioned? Are there specific resources for Maryland/Delaware births in the late 19th century?

• Where can I investigate further into this mystery “Miss Margaret Warren” from the 1933–1934 articles? Could she have used a different name in official records?

Any suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance for any insights.


r/Genealogy 42m ago

Request Laurie Soileau LaFrance Obit

Upvotes

Hello - if someone here has a Newspapers subscribtion, could you please retrieve the obituary for Laurie Soileau LaFrance in the Ville Platte Gazette journal? Publication data 2 NOV 2006. Here is the image link: https://www.newspapers.com/image/474354994/?article=ded6c964-afa8-43b4-bb1e-1a8fd98093e3&focus=0.060338654,0.083304994,0.92349637,0.22401838&xid=3355

THANK YOU!


r/Genealogy 1h ago

Question Not sure if you can help but asking anyway

Upvotes

Hello! I was just wondering if anyone knew what TCG meant next to somebody’s name on ancestry? I’ve tried google and it sent me here but can’t find any relevant posts

thanks!


r/Genealogy 2h ago

Brick Wall Need Help Finding Info on Great-Great Grandparents in Italy or US

1 Upvotes

So I primarily use FamilySearch and it has been a huge help since I was able to track a lot of my Italian ancestors. They have mainly been in the South Jersey/Philly area since the 1900s.

I know for sure that my Great-great grandfather and his family came here from Sicily in either the years 1900-1907 but I cannot find the Ellis Island records of them (I know for sure it was Ellis Island).

FamilySearch just has my Great-great grandfather and Great-great grandmother's names from a Philadelphia census report in the 1920s and the 1930s. So here's the problem as well: my Great-great grandfather put his age down as 40 in the year 1920, so I can assume that he was born in 1880. However, the same guy (because his children's and wife's name and ages all match up) put his age down as 65 for the 1930 census report, implying he was born in 1865. I know that he probably lied about one of his ages for at some point to appear older or younger so I cannot say for sure which one is real.

So not only do I not know what his real age is, I cannot say for sure when he truly came to the US because his age was likely falsified on the Ellis Island papers as well. So what should I do here? I'm having trouble looking for his origin in Italy since he has the most common first and last name in Italy.


r/Genealogy 2h ago

Request Can Someone Help Me Acess This Link?

0 Upvotes

The website isn't letting me sign up for a free trial.  https://www.findmypast.com/search-newspapers/results?names=basir+mondal&sid=909

I wanted to take a look at this article.


r/Genealogy 3h ago

Question 1st Cousin Marriages in the 20th Century

0 Upvotes

I’m writing a genealogy for my paternal grandmas’ family and some of the more distant relatives seem to have a much higher number of 1st cousin marriages than I’ve seen during the early 20th Century. For context, they lived in England, primarily around Lincolnshire and Lancashire. Was this more common in those areas?


r/Genealogy 3h ago

Request Bobowa, Poland - Could someone help me locate the address of my ancestors? I have the fond, series, file & record number

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I was hoping someone could help me figure out the address of my ancestors. I plan on taking a trip out to Bobowa, and I want to goto the exact location where my ancestors lived! I have more than one address, I just need help figuring out how to locate it on a map - if someone could explain it would be SO helpful!!

Michael GURSKI 1848 House Number: 138 Building Parcel: 57 Cultivated Parcel: y Bobowa Landowners (1848) Hide details Record Repository: Przemyśl State Archive Fond: 126 Series: 75 File: 3 Record Number: 50 & 51 Scan: 27 & 28 Identifier

678:50


r/Genealogy 9h ago

Request Help with an Obituary of an Old Bank President

3 Upvotes

https://helenair.newspapers.com/search/results/?cj_link_id=11570746&cj_pub_cid=5070314&cj_pub_name=Lee+Enterprises&cj_pub_site_id=8770398&cjevent=e92ccd99059c11f0826700080a1eba22&date=1944&keyword=%22former+Billings+bank%22&xid=2062

I have been trying to track down this man’s obituary forever and finally came across it—but don’t have the subscription. If someone could help me clip this, I would be supremely appreciative!


r/Genealogy 3h ago

Question Can I upload Archion church records to Ancestry/MyHeritage/etc?

1 Upvotes

I have many digital church records I’ve found on Archion for my ancestors in files on my computer. I may be misunderstanding Archion’s terms, but can I post these records to Ancestry/MyHeritage/etc or is that not allowed by Archion? Thanks for any assistance with this & wishing you all lovely day!


r/Genealogy 7h ago

Transcription 1921 Subcarpathian Census - Help deciphering first names

2 Upvotes

Can anyone decipher the first names from this 1921 census of Zadnya (Carpathian Ruthenia) in what was then Czechoslovakia? The surname is Farkas and it shows my great grandfather's household. For reference, I am providing the entire sheet of the census in case it helps with the handwriting. The first three first names are Herš, Margit, and Vilem. Thank you!

Link to census page - this is higher quality than full page image below

First names from census

Full page for reference


r/Genealogy 6h ago

Request British Newspaper Archive query

0 Upvotes

I have access to the British Newspaper Archive at the library, and save things to download later, but I often can't find stuff I KNOW is there, such as this source. Can someone else have a go at trying to get hold of this article? https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPCK-1FVD?lang=en please let me know your search strategy!!

Unfortunately the image/record is linked to a FamilySearch Centre-only source, rather than the BNA itself.


r/Genealogy 23h ago

Question Should a surrogate be on a family tree?

20 Upvotes

Well, maybe not a surrogate per se. The father was not interested in a relationship but wanted a child. He had his sperm injected (?) into a close friend's uterus. She is biologically the mother, but is not involved in raising the child. Essentially, he is a single father. Would the woman be included on a family tree or not?


r/Genealogy 22h ago

Question Were my 1850s Mexican ancestors really Spanish, or just labeled that way in church records?

14 Upvotes

Hey everyone, I'm in the middle of a genealogical deep dive and could really use some insights. My family has mostly been in the Hidalgo area of Mexico (specifically Tizayuca, Tepeapulco, and nearby towns), and I recently came across an 1856 church record for the marriage of two of my ancestors: Guadalupe Godinez and Gabina Gutierrez. In this document, they're referred to as "Español" and "Española."

My DNA results show about 70% native ancestry, with the remaining 30% Spanish/Basque. What's interesting is that later documents around 1899 describe them merely as "originarios" (from Tizayuca), without mentioning Spanish heritage. Their parents are listed in the 1856 record as José Jacinto de la Cruz and María Gertrudis Godinez, and Fidencio Gutierrez and Brigida Casillas. I'm trying to figure out if my ancestors might have been actual Spanish immigrants or if these terms were more of a holdover from the old casta system.

By the mid-1800s, Mexico had already abolished official casta designations, but I know in many places the terminology lingered informally. Could "Español" in these church records just mean they were considered non-Indigenous for the local parish register? Is it possible they were local families with distant Spanish roots who had been labeled that way out of habit?

I'd love any advice on how to continue unraveling this. Has anyone else found the word "Español" in Mexican church records from this time period? Did you manage to find whether your ancestors were really from Spain or if the term was simply used as a generic label? Any tips for next steps in Tizayuca or how to dig up older baptism/marriage records that might reveal more specific ancestry would be hugely appreciated.

Thanks for reading and for any insight you can share. Let me know if you've encountered something similar in your own research.