Portugal, Lamego, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This is a collection of church records from parishes in the Diocese of Lamego for the years 1529-1963. It includes baptisms, marriages, and deaths or burials. These parish records have been preserved relatively well. Some of the older registers may have some physical damage due to natural causes; therefore, some data may be difficult to read or some even may be lost. However, in general, they are in good condition for extracting genealogical information.

The original parish records were kept in the parish archive under the custody of the priest and a duplicate register was regularly sent to the diocesan archive where the records were centralized and kept at a higher state of preservation. These records are written in Portuguese. Earlier records were handwritten in narrative style, but newer records were handwritten in formatted registers.

Catholic Church parish records are a reliable source for doing genealogical research in Lamego, Portugal, before 1911, when the civil registration was implemented. For records after 1911, it is suggested that you research both the civil registry and the church records to verify information.

Parish priests performed the ordinances for baptisms, marriages, deaths, and burials, and the other holy sacraments in the jurisdiction of their assigned parish or parishes. All the original parish records were kept in the parish archive under the custody of the priest. However, a duplicate of these registers was regularly sent to the diocesan archive where the records were centralized and kept at a higher state of preservation.

Catholic Church parish registers were created to record the church sacraments of baptism, marriage, death, burial, and other ordinances performed on parishioners by an authorized priest in his area of jurisdiction.

Reading These Records
These records are in Portuguese. For help reading them see:
 * Portuguese Genealogical Word List
 * Portuguese Letter-writing Guide

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Baptism
 * Date and place of baptism
 * Child's name and gender
 * Child's date and place of birth
 * Parents’ names and origin
 * Names of paternal grandparents
 * Names of Maternal grandparents
 * Names of godparents

Marriage
 * Date and place of the event
 * Names of the bride and groom
 * Civil statuses (widowed, single, divorced) of bride and groom at time of the event
 * Place of origin and/or residence of bride and groom
 * Names of parents
 * Names of witnesses

Death or burial
 * Place and date of death
 * Name of the deceased
 * Civil status of deceased person at time of death
 * Civil status and name of spouse, if married at time of death
 * Cause of death
 * Names of living parents and children
 * If the deceased left a testament (will)
 * Place of burial (cemetery)

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * Approximate date of the event

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Make sure to fully transcribe and cite the record entry for future reference
 * Use the information to find more. For instance, use the age listed in the record to estimate a year of birth, if that is yet undetermined
 * Compile information for every person who has the same surname as your ancestor; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Check for variant spellings of the names
 * Portugal’s emigration rate is one of the highest in the world. Check Portugal Emigration and Immigration for more information
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. In addition, local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records
 * Search the records of nearby localities (or military unties, counties, parishes, etc.)
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family
 * For records after 1911, it is suggested that you research both the civil registry and the church records to verify information

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Use the estimated age to calculate a birth date
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

Portugal, Diocese de Lamego Registros da Igreja Católica (Registros Históricos do FamilySearch)