There is a list of notarial documents from Zacatecas on this website that were translated by Jaime Holcombe. One referred to a "testamento" in Zacatecas for a Margarita Tinoco. Does anyone know how to obtain or view the actual document online instead of the summary of it? Thanks.
Testamentos from colonial Zacatecas
Have you looked in the archives of Guadalajara? Don’t forget: Zacatecas was part of the Kingdom of Nueva Galicia during the viceroy period, whose capital was Guadalajara, and some of its historical archives are available online.These archives are not indexed, so you’ll have to go through the individual rolls of film.
Here are the testamentos, 1500-1895: https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/130231?availability=Family%…
And here are the notary archives. Some testamentos, codicils, and probate records can be found among them:
1583-1674: https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/198356?availability=Family%…
1606-1903: https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/35680?availability=Family%2…
Here’s another resource that I came upon that I found useful for at least one of my ancestors, it’s an archives of testamentos and probate records from 16th century Zacatecas: http://ru.juridicas.unam.mx/xmlui/handle/123456789/9366
If the individuals were peninsulars living in the new world, some “bienes de difuntos” can be found at the PARES website, Make sure you select the Archivo General de Indias in the filter: http://pares.mcu.es/ParesBusquedas20/catalogo/search
I hope you find these useful - good luck!
Manny Díez Hermosillo
Thank you, Manny. This opens…
Thank you, Manny. This opens up a new world for me. I was feeling so discouraged lately. I have ancestors in the Cd, de Durango in the early 1600s and it became obvious they were mixing with people from Zacatecas. It seemed logical that they too would come from there, but the church records didn't go back far enough on Familysearch. Some of the surnames with connections to Zacatecas were Tinoco y Tello, Ortiz de San Pedro, and Valle. The surnames Tello and Valle appeared in a link to one of the the testamentos from UNAM that you sent. I have a lot of work to do!
Have you tried FamilySearch?…
Have you tried FamilySearch? they have most church records online.
Zacatecas Archives and Church Records
Thank you, but a testamento (a will) is a notarial record and not included in church records. Familysearch only had a phone number for the Zacatecas historical state archive. I was hoping there is a way to view or order archive items online. Some American universities have Mexican archives, but so far I haven't been able to find any. I am finding that it's impossible to find Zacatecas church records for the early 1600s. Has anyone out there had any luck finding those?