Portugal, Braga, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Records
Registros Paroquiais da Igreja Católica, Arquidiocese de Braga, Portugal.

Record Description
The records included in this collection are those of baptisms, marriages, and burial/deaths from parishes in the in the Diocese of Braga, Portugal.

This collection of church records includes the years 1530-1911.

These parish records have been preserved relatively well. Some of the older registers appear to have some physical damage; 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 text of the records is in Portuguese. Earlier records were handwritten in narrative style, but newer records are handwritten in formatted registers.

For a list of records by localities and dates currently published in this collection, select the Browse.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the data and images published on FamilySearch.org Historical Records. It may include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.

Record Content
The key genealogical facts found in most birth records are:


 * Date and place of the event
 * Name of child
 * Date of birth and gender
 * Legitimacy
 * Parents’ names, their residence and/or place of origin
 * Names of witnesses or godparents’ names

The key genealogical facts found in most marriage records are:


 * Date and place of the event
 * Names of the bride and groom
 * Civil status (widowed, single, divorce) 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

The key genealogical facts found in most death/burial records are:


 * 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
 * Sometimes parents' names and that of children if any left behind
 * Sometime if the deceased left a testament (will)
 * Place of burial (cemetery)

How to Use the Records
When browsing this collection it is helpful to know the following: • The place where the event occurred • The name and surname of the person • The approximate date of the event • The name of the parents or spouse To search this collection select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the Distrito where you ancestors lived ⇒Select the appropriate Município ⇒Select the appropriate Freguesia ⇒Select the appropriate Paróquia ⇒Select the record type, and you should see images of those records.

When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family.

For example:


 * Use the marriage date and place as the basis for compiling a new family group or for verifying existing information.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each partner to find a couple's birth records and parents' names.
 * Continue to search the marriage records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives of the bride and groom who may have married in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.

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.

For records after 1911, it is suggested that you research both the civil registry and the church records to verify information.

If you are unable to find the ancestors you are looking for, look for civil registrations, especially in later years.

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Related Websites

 * Dioceses of Portugal
 * Anuario Católico – Lista das paróquias
 * Arquidiocese de Braga

Related Wiki Articles

 * Portugal
 * Portugal Catholic Church Records

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
"Portugal, Braga, Catholic Church Records 1530-1911", digital images "FamilySearch" https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-16386-37412-56?cc=1913410&amp;wc=MMM7-NKK:738657976 : accessed 2 Aug 2012), Portugal, Braga, Catholic Church Records 1530-1911 &gt; Braga &gt; Braga &gt; Se &gt; Santa Maria Maior &gt; baptismos 1683-1750 &gt; image 130 0f 770; Joseph Correa, baptized 22 March 1706; citing various parish archives throughout the Diocese of Braga. Registros paroquiais. Arquivo Distrital de Braga, Portugal.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.