Portugal, Portalegre, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection will include records from 1859 to 1911. It is a collection of baptisms, marriages, and deaths from parishes in the District of Portalegre. A few of the baptismal records date back to the early 1600's.

Parishes in the District of Portalegre are part of the Portalegre-Castelo Branco Diocese. Each parish priest kept the original register in the parish archive and a duplicate copy was later sent to the Diocesan Archive to keep the records centralized and kept at a higher state of preservation. However, this collection of records is now housed at the Portalegre District Archive.

Image Visibility
Whenever possible, FamilySearch makes images available for all users. However, ultimate rights to view images on our website are granted by the record custodians. The Portugal, Portalegre, Catholic Church Records collection is available to the Family History Library, FamilySearch Centers, and to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The images can be viewed at a FamilySearch Center near you.

For additional information about image restrictions, please see the Restrictions for Viewing Images in FamilySearch Historical Record Collections page.

Reading These Records
For help reading these Portuguese records see the following guides:


 * Portuguese Genealogical Word List
 * Portuguese Letter-writing Guide
 * Learning Center Resources:

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

Baptism Records
 * Date and place of baptism
 * Child's name and gender
 * Child's date and place of birth
 * Father name, occupation and origin
 * Mother's maiden name and origin
 * Names of paternal grandparents
 * Names of maternal grandparents
 * Names of godparents, their civil status and occupation
 * Sometimes, a spouse's name appears in the margin
 * Sometimes, a death date appears in the margin

Marriage Records
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Names of the bride and groom
 * Groom's age, civil status, occupation and origin
 * Names of groom's parents
 * Bride's age, civil status and origin
 * Names of bride's parents
 * Names of witnesses

Death Records
 * Date and place of death
 * Name, age and gender of deceased
 * Marital status, occupation and origin of deceased
 * Parents' names and their origin if deceased is a minor child
 * Name of spouse, if married
 * Sometimes, a note if there is a testament (will)
 * Burial information

How Do I Search This Collection?
You can search the index or view the images or both. Before using this collection it is helpful to know:
 * Your ancestor's given name and surname
 * Identifying information such as residence
 * Estimated marriage or birth year

View The Images
View images in this collection by visiting the:
 * 1) Select District
 * 2) Select Municipality
 * 3) Select Civil Parish
 * 4) Select Parish
 * 5) Select Record Type and Years to view the images.

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; see the section Citing this Collection for assistance. Save or print a copy of the image
 * 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

New information is constantly being indexed, microfilmed or updated. Periodically check back and see if your ancestor’s records have been added. You can see if the area you’ve been looking in has been recently updated by going to Historical Records Collections and notice the asterisk for recently added or updated records.

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Portugal.
 * Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

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.