Prenuptial Investigations are a type of marriage record. Prenuptial or premarital investigations, also known as diligencias matrimoniales in Spanish, were conducted by a Catholic priest for couples wishing to be married in the Catholic church. An investigation was done to ensure that the couple were in good standing with the church and free to marry (for example, that they weren’t currently married or closely related). Questions regarding prior marriages and the bride and grooms’ familial relationship are a few of the types of questions asked.
These records are similar to other marriage records that documented intent to marry such as a marriage license, bond, or marriage bann but they can contain more information of use to genealogical research.
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Premarital investigation and genealogyPremarital investigation and genealogy
Genealogical information that may be included in these investigations include:
- Bride and grooms’ names
- Bride and groom’s age
- Bride and groom’s parents’ names (as well as lineage if related)
- Occupations
- Residence
In addition to gathering information about the bride, groom and their families, witness testimonies were sought out to confirm the character of the bride and groom. Witness could include family or friends. Whether the couple married or not may be included at the end of the document.
Depending on the time period, these records differ and could be anywhere from a few handwritten pages to longer documents with a documented lineage. These investigations are still done today and include a form that the bride and groom fills out. There may be other marriage records for a couple including a marriage certificate.
Finding prenuptial investigationsFinding prenuptial investigations
Since these are a church records, they may be found in a parish or diocese archive. If you know where your ancestor was married, seek out the parish or diocese archive for possible marriage records.
It is also possible that these records can be found in other types of archives. Conducting an exhaustive search by searching on the name of the place and the term “prenuptial investigation” or “premarital investigation” may help. In some cases these records have been digitized and available in a university or historical society digital collection.
See alsoSee also
Explore more about premarital investigationsExplore more about premarital investigations
- Claremont Colleges Digital Library – Matrimonial Investigation Records of the San Gabriel Mission
- Marriage and Prenuptial Investigations at New Mexico Genealogical Society
- New Mexico Prenuptial Investigations from the Archivos Históricos del Arzobispado de Durango, México, 1760-1799