Census Reports or "Padrones"

These census reports, or "padrones" were taken all over Mexico during the colonial period basically to identify and be able to track the various individuals in a given area. They essentially provided the information that was needed to understand everything from labor availability, military readiness and the tracking of family members. Indirectly, they were also used to designate the "calidad" of individuals for social hierarchy purposes.

Although musters were somewhat different from a census in that they only recorded information for the military personnel, they captured much of the same information as the census. Additionally, filiaciones, or enlistment records, are not readily available so you need to know where to look for them.

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Hidalgo del Parral census taken Jan 6 1648

Above-First page of a document listing the residents of Parral requested by the civilian authorities and executed on January 6, 1648. The purpose was a measure of preparedness with their weapons and supplies

Below-First page of a document listing the soldiers from the garrisons of San Felipe and Santiago de Janos, San Pedro del Gallo and San Miguel del Cerro Gordo recorded June 5, 1715

Soldiers, or soldados, listed for presidios at San Felipe, Janos and Cerrogordo

Below-Sample of the padron or census of the military personnel and their families for the Presidio del Norte (Ojinaga) in 1803

Padron de las familias de la compania Presidio del Norte 1803