This is one of three collections of ecclesiastical records digitised by the EAP955 project team in three different Cuban cities.
Books digitised are of two main types: Baptisms and Burial Registries. The Baptismal Registries are divided by race between the "de color" (of color), and those deemed to be white or European "blancos" (mainly Spanish or white Cuban born Spaniards known locally as "criollos." The project succeeded in digitising twenty (20) continuous volumes of Baptisms "de color." There are nine (9) digitised baptismal registers digitised for "Blancos." There are also three (3) volumes of Burial registries for people of color.
Custodial history: The volumes were likely moved from the original location of the Cathedral of Santa Clara in the town square of Santa Clara (Parque Vidal), when it was demolished in the 1940s. Since that time, they have been located in the archives of the new cathedral.
Administrative context: All of these documents were created by the Catholic Church as part of the sacramental rites of the Church. Each entry was created by a priest or a scribe acting under the orders of a priest. In the context of chattel slavery, the Catholic Church mandated that the enslaved be included in the religious life of the colony and the broader Spanish empire.
Owner(s) of original material: Bishopric of Santa Clara.
Author(s) of original material: Various.
Scribe of original material: Various.
Arrangement: Books are arranged, generally, by type (baptisms, marriages, confirmations, deaths) and by date and volume number, when known.
Additional language information: Mainly Spanish with occasional Latin.
Image quality: Some of the images provided to EAP by the project team were corrupted and replacement images have not been provided. Some images are not oriented correctly for reading. Images can be rotated within the image viewer by clicking on the circular arrow icon in the top left of the screen.
