That's great, Jacqui. I agree, microfilmed church records from the FHL are the ticket to European research. I've never used Catholic records, but I have used Lutheran records from Germany and Denmark, and they are fantastic! I've often found bonus information written in the margins of the baptism records. Examples: death dates; notations that the individual had emigrated to America (or some other country) and the year of emigration; the parents' date of marriage--a year or two after the baptism of the child (an illegitimate birth, later legitimized by marriage.) The parish priest went back and added this information to the baptism records, sometimes YEEEARS later. Some poor little children apparently didn't have names and are entered in the baptism records as Anonymous. How would you like to have your name recorded for posterity as Anonymous Schillinger? Barbara Leak ----- Original Message ----- From: Jacqui <JMarcela@pacbell.net> To: <CA-PCGS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2001 1:57 PM Subject: [CA-PCGS] Church Records > I just have to share the fantastic luck I've had with ordering Catholic > Church Records from the Family History Library. These particular records are > in Spanish, from a small town in Granada, Spain. Not only did I find > marriage bans, bride and groom's baptismal records, etc., but there was also > information on the groom's first marriage to a young woman who later died in > childbirth, the death records of both his parents, and his military > discharge papers. Could anyone ask for more? Not all records are as detailed > as this one, but don't be afraid to order church records for your > ancestors--they may contain a goldmine of information. Jacqui Marcella >