Using Marriage Dispensations to Find Ancestors in Mexico

Marriage dispensations provide a privileged window into social and family life in viceroyal Mexico. Dispensations, or special permissions to marry granted by Catholic bishops, reveal the obstacles that had to be resolved before ecclesiastical authorities in order to contract marriage. This webinar examines dispensations for consanguinity and for ultramarinos (foreign-born individuals). In areas with high levels of endogamy, marriage dispensations become essential resources to reconstruct family relationships, even extending beyond other church records.