Puerto Rican genealogy typically entails the use of two main resources when it comes to Puerto Rican-produced vital records: (1) the Puerto Rican Civil Registry, and (2) Parish records from the Catholic church. However, as mentioned in various other posts in the past – there are definitely other records out there! I have written about census records, marriage dispensations, last wills and testaments, records related to slavery, and even prison records to mention a few! These other records are important as they supplement the civil and religious records that provide vital events for our ancestors.
Today, I want to focus on another resource that can include your Puerto Rican ancestors. This record set is known as the “applications for seaman’s protection certificate”.
What are the applications for seaman's protection certificates?
A description can be found online with this record set providing information about what kind of documents one can find. This is actually a record set that I did not intentionally go out looking for since it deals with more recent American records and since my family didn’t come to the United States until the 1970-80s I did not expect to find anyone close to me. However, I was able to find some cousins for whom a shaky green leaf appeared on their Ancestry profile providing a clue that they had one of these protection certificates issued to them.
So let’s take a look at the certificate for my 2nd cousin, 2 times removed – Gilberto Rivera Serra.
Gilberto Rivera Serra
Gilberto Rivera’s application stated that he was born in Toa Alta, Puerto Rico, on 1 August 1916. His last ship was the SS Caracas where he was employed as a utility man and this was his first protection certificate. The record was created on 7 December 1937. The application included his thumb print, a seal, and a photo of him (pictured above). Gilberto submitted his birth certificate as proof of his citizenship and two other certificates. A copy of his birth certificate was included which stated he was the legitimate son of Alberto Rivera Meléndez, married, a farmer, native of Toa Alta, resident of Quebrada Arenas, and Josefa Soto Serra, native of Corozal, resident of Toa Alta. It also mentioned that his paternal grandparents were Gumercindo Rivera Díaz and Valentina Marrero Nieves, both natives of Toa Alta and deceased, and his maternal grandparents were Juan Serra Montañez and Cesárea Soto López, native of “Solla” (likely Sóller), Spain, and Lares, married. It was interesting seeing a copy of the birth record from the Civil Registry that people could carry around.
A baptism record for Gilberto Rivera was also located in the parish of San Fernando in Toa Alta, Puerto Rico, confirming the information found on his birth record. Here, Gilberto was listed as Luis Gilberto Rivera who was born on 3 August 1917. It is important to note that he was baptized nine months after he was born.
Gilberto and I share a connection through our Rivera line in Toa Alta, his grandfather and my second-great-grandfather were brothers, both the sons of Pedro Rivera Román and Eusebia Díaz Pacheco. It is interesting to see a photo of him because I do not have many photos of my family members, especially those on my dad’s side of the family.
It is always important to diversify the record sets you use when conducting genealogical research since you never know what you will find! I had no idea this database existed until I got a leaf hint for Gilberto Rivera. It is possible that I have other distant cousins who also received one of these protection certificates while working on American ships – I just have to find them! Lastly, it provided me a photo of a distant cousin allowing me to have a better understand of the diversity in my family as well.
What uncommon secondary sources do you use in your research?
Cover Photo Source: Department of Commerce, Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation, “Puerto Rico > 010 – San Juan,” Application no. 1058, Gilberto Rivera; “U.S., Applications for Seaman’s Protection Certificates, 1916-1940,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/: accessed 19 January 2026).