A Guide to the Bexar Archives Name Index

Scope and Contents

Tips for finding people Standardization of place names

"See" refers to the standard entry for that person or subject.

"See also" refers to a similar name or to situations where identities have yet to be determined by the translator.

[] Material in brackets in the translator's comments, rather than alternative readings.

() Material in parentheses includes optional or variant readings from the original manuscripts. Clarifications also appear in parentheses.

PD Printed Documents, which should be listed first in a series.

Vol. 57 lists the soldiers on pp. 62-65 with pages having decimal points (i.e., 65.2). A name found with such a listing is obviously in the military.

Vol. 92 has a thorough list of the inhabitants, their ages, occupations, and family connections.

Names with variant spellings have the citations under the standardized spelling with cross-references from the variants. Watch for these: B-V-U; C-Z-S; I-Y; PH-F; L-U; CH-QU; TH-T; G-J-X; and doubled consonants. (de) means that the name appears both with and without this preposition.

Large habitations are usually filed by the proper name, followed by the type of populated area, e.g., San Antonio de Béxar, villa of; not Villa of San Antonio de Béxar.

Smaller habitations usually place the type first, e.g., Hacienda de Montoya; not, Montoya, hacienda of.

Presidios, missions, and colleges are filed distinct-from towns and villas.

Notes: Place names followed by (Mares) are those places named by José Mares on his expedition from Santa Fe to San Antonio de Béxar in 1787.

Detailed Description of the Collection