Jose Luis,

About "hija natural" or "hijo natural" I've always known that it 
meant a child born out of wedlock not that the child has no father.
I've seen baptisms records of "hijos naturales" where both parents 
are listed.

Identifying the gender that corresponds to a particular name can be 
tricky and there's not a single answer that applies to every case.  
We would have to take a look at the actual manuscript film to 
decide.  A rule of thumb is that the father's name is always listed 
first.

Regarding the use of "Y" versus "I" in names such as Ysabel or 
Ysidro, you have to realize that back in the old days there were no 
standard grammar rules and whatever rules there were I think the 
priests applied them at their own discretion.  The older the 
documents you look at the wider variability you will find in their 
caligraphy/script.

Victor

--- In ranchos@yahoogroups.com, zendean <usa20@e...> wrote:
>  
> Fellow searchers;
>   I have encountered some thing strange in my extraction film. I 
know that "hija natural" means that the child has no father. But at 
times there is an man's name written in below the child's name in the 
bapised child list, but not in body of the narrative where the names 
of the parents is listed. In your experience, does this mean that the 
father was named , but does not acknowledge that child ? 
Additionally, I sometimes find names for the father listed 
as "Dolores" or "Maria Isvaldo" or "Yldlesterialde Isabel". Is that a 
name for a man ? I have never met a man named Dolores but at times a 
woman is named Juan Jesus. Is there a better formula than if the name 
ends in "o"= boy or "a"=girl ? The child is either "Hija" or Hijo". 
the times that I have trouble is when the name is not clear and the 
parish father puts "hn" or "hl", in those cases I can't tell the 
gender.  
> Also, at times the parent is listed as "Jesus Montenegro or Juan 
Eliso Montenegro". Do you know if that may be the name of a father 
who took the baby to be baptised and didn't name the mother ?  
>  Also, Some fathers write Ysabel and Ysidro . I wonder if a 
Capital "I" was written to look like  a "Y" when is  a capital in 
script/caligraphy or if it spelled that way in Gualtamala.  Just 
asking my friends here in the site.
> 
> Thank you,
> 
> Jose Luis macias
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Victor Villarreal <vela_este@y...>
> Sent: Jun 22, 2005 8:11 AM
> To: ranchos@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [ranchos] Re: Question mark
> 
> Hello John,
> 
> Try the following instructions: 
> 
> "Click Start, Settings, Control Panel, Regional and
> Language Options. Click the Language(s) tab. In Win
> XP, click Details, then Add. Choose an Input language
> (English United States) and a Keyboard Layout
> (International English). Use Apply to finish the
> process; the Windows installation CD may be needed."
> 
> Read the instructions on how to switch or select keyboard layouts.  
> You can select also which one you prefer as the default layout.
> 
> Let us know if you need any other help!
> 
> Victor
> 
> 
> --- In ranchos@yahoogroups.com, "John Gonzalez" <1gnzlz@v...> wrote:
> > Hi:
> > 
> > I don't know what version of Windows other people are using.  I 
am 
> using Windows XP Home Edition and when I press the Alt+? I get 
> nothing, just a pleasent little sound. I tried both Alt keys.
> > I am sticking with Alt+168, it hasn't failed me yet!  As far as 
the 
> exclamation symbol is concerned, I just do it the old fashion way: 
> Shift +1. 
> > 
> > 
> > John Gonzalez  
> > 1gnzlz@v...
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  
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