Based on my knowledge of Mexican history and family history, I can fully
understand the confusion caused by the terms ¨hijo legítimo¨ and ¨hijo
natural¨. As of 1859, it was mandated by Mexican law that all marriages,
births and deaths must be first registered with the civil authorities (Registro
Civil).

In the case of a marriage, this meant the civil registration ad to take place
prior to the religous ceremony, commonly referred to as ¨las dos leyes¨.
For various reasons, the religous ceremony was/may be postponed by
days, weeks, monhs or years.

Eventhough the civil ceremony had taken place, any children born prior
to the religous ceremony were idntified as ¨hijos naturales¨ in church
records. At such time as the religous ceremony took place, the
margin of the baptismal entry was annoted ¨hijo legítimo¨.

George
.
> Message: 3
> Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2006 22:48:31 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Leticia
> Subject: [Nuestros Ranchos] Help
> To: research@lists.nuestrosranchos.org
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> Can someone help me out with the following.
> I am having a hard time reading a birth certificatea from mid 1800's, I
> was under the assumption "hijo Natural" is a child born to a single mom!
>
> what is the difference between:
>
> Hijo Legitimo de - to - Hijo natural de
> on both terms parents are listed as a couple.
> In other cases the name of the baptised is listed followed by the term
> "Natural"
> and then the name of the parents.
>
> Help, Letty