By
By
Webinar Library
Places and Ethnicities Mexico

Using Marriage Dispensations to Find Ancestors in Mexico

Nefi Arenas Salazar, AG®
Jan 16, 2026
173 views
Free
Free through January 23, 2026
Want to watch the full webinar?
Join now to access all 2,621 webinars and unlock all features.
Join now
Syllabus
Join now

Content

Play. Playing.
Welcome
1m 46s
Play. Playing.
Speaker's Introduction
1m 18s
Play. Playing.
Introduction
1m 35s
Play. Playing.
Where to Find
16m 33s
Play. Playing.
Types of Dispensas
20m 55s
Play. Playing.
My Ancestors Didn't Marry Their Cousins
8m 05s
Play. Playing.
Social & Historical Context
3m 30s
Play. Playing.
Endogamy
3m 07s
Play. Playing.
Announcements / prizes
3m 06s
Play. Playing.
Questions / answers
4m 37s

About this webinar

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.

Discount code: marriage26 (valid at Familytreewebinars.com)

Valid through: January 21, 2026

About the speaker

About the speaker

Nefi Arenas Salazar, AG®
Nefi Arenas graduated from Brigham Young University – Idaho where he studied business management and also took many genealogy classes. He inherited a passion for genealogy from his grandmother, who for many years served as volunteer in a Fam
Learn more...

Comments (14)

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

1000 characters remaining
Cancel Submit

Sort by Newest
Sort by Close.
  • Newest
  • Oldest
  • Likes
  1. LH
    Liz Hunt
    3 days ago

    I always enjoy webinars by Nefi. This one did not disappoint. I loved the story he shared about the couple that ran away together. I’m feeling inspired to look closer at my own family tree for marriage dispensations to see what clues I can glean from it. Thank you for a wonderful presentation.

    Reply
  2. WY
    Wanda Yanez
    3 days ago

    It is informative and interesting to learn that marriage dispensation records contain a great deal of gossip, as well as valuable family medical history.

    Reply
  3. DC
    Donna Chavarro
    3 days ago

    I do not have any family in Mexico that I know of…but I hope to use this info to help find ancestors in other countries in South America.

    Reply
  4. GH
    Gloria Hughes
    3 days ago

    Very interesting webinar, I will be checking out others

    Reply
  5. MK
    Mary Kelly
    3 days ago

    I had no idea there were so many records or how to find them!

    Reply
  6. VG
    Virgilio Garza Zambrano
    3 days ago

    Great Presentation, Nefi is always a guarantee

    Reply
  7. CG
    Colleen Greene
    3 days ago

    Excellent information, examples, and explanations.

    Reply
  8. RA
    RUBY ALEJANDRA GONZALEZ ROMERO
    3 days ago

    Everything worked perfectly

    Reply
Show all comments

Related Webinars

1:00:49
Places and Ethnicities
Mexican Immigration Records Through the Centuries
Nefi Arenas Salazar, AG®
154 views
CC
Mexican Immigration Records Through the Centuries
For the last 500 years, Mexico has been a crossroads of peoples, cultures and ethnicities. Starting in the XVI century, wave after wave of European, African and Asian people. Many records have been preserved which can help you discover your ancestor's movements. Explore the rich migratory history of Mexico from Passenger Lists to the Indies to XX century foreign registries.
Places and Ethnicities
Mexican Immigration Records Through the Centuries
CC
Nefi Arenas Salazar, AG®
154 views
For the last 500 years, Mexico has been a crossroads of peoples, cultures and ethnicities. Starting in the XVI century, wave after wave of European, African and Asian people. Many records have been preserved which can help you discover your ancestor's movements. Explore the rich migratory history of Mexico from Passenger Lists to the Indies to XX century foreign registries.
Fri, September 19 2025: 18:00 UTC
Register for free
1:26:12
Places and Ethnicities
Finding your Sephardic Jewish ancestors in Mexico
Nefi Arenas Salazar, AG®
212 views
CC
Finding your Sephardic Jewish ancestors in Mexico
Explore the hidden stories of Mexico’s colonial past and uncover the legacy of Sephardic Jews in New Spain. In this webinar, we’ll examine the types of documents—such as Inquisition records, church registries, and others —that reveal traces of Jewish ancestry. Learn the strategies used to build genealogical cases and prove ancestral connections to unlikely ancestors.
Places and Ethnicities
Finding your Sephardic Jewish ancestors in Mexico
CC
Nefi Arenas Salazar, AG®
212 views
Explore the hidden stories of Mexico’s colonial past and uncover the legacy of Sephardic Jews in New Spain. In this webinar, we’ll examine the types of documents—such as Inquisition records, church registries, and others —that reveal traces of Jewish ancestry. Learn the strategies used to build genealogical cases and prove ancestral connections to unlikely ancestors.
Fri, May 16 2025: 18:00 UTC
Register for free
1:27:36
Places and Ethnicities
Mexican Notarial Records: An Invaluable Source for Reconstructing the Past of Mexican Families
Nefi Arenas Salazar, AG®
319 views
CC
Mexican Notarial Records: An Invaluable Source for Reconstructing the Past of Mexican Families
Testaments, dowry letters, land sales, cattle leasing, power of attorney letters, and many other types of documents were created by public and royal scribes all over Mexico in the last five centuries. Notarial archives are rich in detail and history. Whenever they are available, they become an essential tool for genealogical research, adding depth to the lives of ancestors, or bridging gaps when church records have been lost. This conference is a basic outline of these records and where to find them both offline and online.
Places and Ethnicities
Mexican Notarial Records: An Invaluable Source for Reconstructing the Past of Mexican Families
CC
Nefi Arenas Salazar, AG®
319 views
Testaments, dowry letters, land sales, cattle leasing, power of attorney letters, and many other types of documents were created by public and royal scribes all over Mexico in the last five centuries. Notarial archives are rich in detail and history. Whenever they are available, they become an essential tool for genealogical research, adding depth to the lives of ancestors, or bridging gaps when church records have been lost. This conference is a basic outline of these records and where to find them both offline and online.
Fri, March 21 2025: 18:00 UTC
Register for free
1:24:14
Places and Ethnicities
The Mexican National Archive (AGN): A Resource for Genealogists
Nefi Arenas Salazar, AG®
319 views
CC
The Mexican National Archive (AGN): A Resource for Genealogists
Housed in an old prison, the Archivo General de la Nación (or AGN, General Archive of the Nation), is home for the historical memory of Mexico. Its origins date back to the late eighteenth century when a royal decree ordered the creation of an archive to preserve documentation from the Viceroyalty. Today, the documents at AGN are a genealogical treasure waiting to be discovered by a wider audience of researchers. In this presentation you will learn about how to navigate the archive, and some of the information you could find there.
Places and Ethnicities
The Mexican National Archive (AGN): A Resource for Genealogists
CC
Nefi Arenas Salazar, AG®
319 views
Housed in an old prison, the Archivo General de la Nación (or AGN, General Archive of the Nation), is home for the historical memory of Mexico. Its origins date back to the late eighteenth century when a royal decree ordered the creation of an archive to preserve documentation from the Viceroyalty. Today, the documents at AGN are a genealogical treasure waiting to be discovered by a wider audience of researchers. In this presentation you will learn about how to navigate the archive, and some of the information you could find there.
Fri, May 17 2024: 18:00 UTC
Register for free
1:03:59
Places and Ethnicities
University Archives in México: Manuscripts, Photos, and Theses, Oh my!
Lisa Medina
101 views
CC
University Archives in México: Manuscripts, Photos, and Theses, Oh my!
With original records and bibliographic resources, university archives are genealogical treasures. This presentation will include an introduction to common resources available at universities in Mexico, including original manuscripts, newspapers, historic photos, dissertations, etc., with examples from Universidad Autónoma de México, Colegio de Sonora, Universidad de Guadalajara, and many more.
Places and Ethnicities
University Archives in México: Manuscripts, Photos, and Theses, Oh my!
CC
Lisa Medina
101 views
With original records and bibliographic resources, university archives are genealogical treasures. This presentation will include an introduction to common resources available at universities in Mexico, including original manuscripts, newspapers, historic photos, dissertations, etc., with examples from Universidad Autónoma de México, Colegio de Sonora, Universidad de Guadalajara, and many more.
Fri, November 21 2025: 19:00 UTC
Register for free
1:09:56
Places and Ethnicities
El Registro Civil en México: La Clave para tu Historia Familiar
Arturo Cuéllar, AG
63 views
Spanish
El Registro Civil en México: La Clave para tu Historia Familiar
¿Has llegado a un "muro de ladrillo" en tu investigación familiar en México? El Registro Civil es, sin duda, la fuente documental más importante para romperlo. Establecido para registrar oficialmente los eventos vitales de la población, estos documentos son pilares fundamentales para construir tu árbol genealógico. En esta clase, aprenderás a navegar y utilizar de manera efectiva los registros civiles de México para trazar tu linaje.
Arturo Cuéllar
Places and Ethnicities
El Registro Civil en México: La Clave para tu Historia Familiar
Spanish
Arturo Cuéllar, AG
63 views
¿Has llegado a un "muro de ladrillo" en tu investigación familiar en México? El Registro Civil es, sin duda, la fuente documental más importante para romperlo. Establecido para registrar oficialmente los eventos vitales de la población, estos documentos son pilares fundamentales para construir tu árbol genealógico. En esta clase, aprenderás a navegar y utilizar de manera efectiva los registros civiles de México para trazar tu linaje.
Tue, September 23 2025: 14:00 UTC
Register for free
1:33:50
Places and Ethnicities
Strategies for Sorting Out and Documenting Mexican Names and Families
Colleen Robledo Greene, MLIS, FTxSGS
241 views
CC
Strategies for Sorting Out and Documenting Mexican Names and Families
This presentation demonstrates methods and tools for tackling two common predicaments when researching families of Mexican origin. First, distinguishing between people with the same names, living in the same place, at the same. And second, determining which compound given names and compound surnames to record in your source citations, online trees, and family narratives.
Places and Ethnicities
Strategies for Sorting Out and Documenting Mexican Names and Families
CC
Colleen Robledo Greene, MLIS, FTxSGS
241 views
This presentation demonstrates methods and tools for tackling two common predicaments when researching families of Mexican origin. First, distinguishing between people with the same names, living in the same place, at the same. And second, determining which compound given names and compound surnames to record in your source citations, online trees, and family narratives.
Fri, July 18 2025: 18:00 UTC
Register for free
1:05:13
Places and Ethnicities
Las Californias: Alta, Baja, and Beyond
Lisa Medina
195 views
CC
Las Californias: Alta, Baja, and Beyond
Learn about key records and repositories to support your research of eighteenth and nineteenth century ancestors from present-day California and nearby regions. We will also cover important historical events and context to help identify additional resources for your research.
Places and Ethnicities
Las Californias: Alta, Baja, and Beyond
CC
Lisa Medina
195 views
Learn about key records and repositories to support your research of eighteenth and nineteenth century ancestors from present-day California and nearby regions. We will also cover important historical events and context to help identify additional resources for your research.
Fri, January 17 2025: 19:00 UTC
Register for free
1:10:20
Methodology and SkillsPlaces and Ethnicities
Laws of the Indies: Spanish Colonial laws and the records they produced
Judy G. Russell, JD, CG®, CGL®, FU...
331 views
CC
Laws of the Indies: Spanish Colonial laws and the records they produced
From town planning to native relations, “Las Leyes de Las Indias” (Laws of the Indies) governed Spanish colonies of North America and beyond, and created unique records for research for anyone with ancestral ties to Spanish America.
Methodology and SkillsPlaces and Ethnicities
Laws of the Indies: Spanish Colonial laws and the records they produced
CC
Judy G. Russell, JD, CG®, CGL®, FUGA
331 views
From town planning to native relations, “Las Leyes de Las Indias” (Laws of the Indies) governed Spanish colonies of North America and beyond, and created unique records for research for anyone with ancestral ties to Spanish America.
Fri, November 15 2024: 19:00 UTC
Register for free