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A friend of a friend has just learnt that her father isn't who she thought he was. It has transpired, that her biological father was from Tenerife. He would probably be in his 60s or 70s by now. She knows his name.

I would like advice/help please on how a) we could find out if he is still alive and b) are there any accessible records? Anyone living on the Island or in Spain may be able to help.

Gerry :-)

you could try the free Mormon website - www.familysearch.org - easy to use and covers most of the globe

There are various on line phone books, but 'Spain' is a large country.

What does the person actually want to know? If he's after contact, imagine the upheaval it would cause the birth father's family, especially if he isn't aware of the child's existence.

https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Spain_Civil_Registration_-_Vital_Records
Tells you about BMD Certs. It seems you need to have certain info to start with.
Juan Fernandez probably won't get him very far but 'from Barcelona' might limit the number of results.
Suggest he reads up on Spanish naming patterns as they are different to Anglo-Saxon ones.

http://www.cyndislist.com/ is a good portal for FH sites + there are various Anglo-Spanish FH groups he could join.

Gerry...Although the person named may have been from the Island of Tenerife it may not be the case he is still living there....
Searching for and through Spanish Records is not for the faint hearted but on the plus side when you find what you are looking for you do hit the jackpot as it gives you the whole family history .

Thank you for your thoughts and suggestions. I know its a bit of a goose chase but have got to try.

The friend of a friend is 50 years old and has only just found out she has been "living a lie".

Gerry

Gerry. Another thing to bear in mind is where the relationship took place if it was in other than Tenerife then it may be worthwhile looking at that area first.

Thank you Eringobragh