Brazil, Piauí, Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

BrazilPiauí

What is in the Collection?
This collection includes digital images of civil registrations of birth, marriage, and death from civil registry offices (cartórios) in the Piauí State, Brazil from 1875-2013.

The records are written in Portuguese; see the section "For Help Reading these Records" for access to translation helps.

Additional images will be added to this published collection as they become available.

Sample Images
Information in each record varies from year to year.

Birth records usually include the following information:


 * Name of parish
 * Name of person making the registration
 * Date and place of birth
 * Name of child
 * Parents' names
 * Paternal grandparents' names
 * Maternal grandparents' names
 * Names of witnesses

Marriage license records usually include the following information:


 * Date and place of marriage
 * Names of bride and groom
 * Declaring witnesses' names
 * Groom's birth date and place of birth
 * Groom's profession or occupation
 * Bride's name (maybe be a previous married name)
 * Witnesses' names

Death records usually include the following information:


 * Date and place of registration
 * Name of person making the registration
 * Date and place of death
 * Name of deceased
 * Age of deceased
 * Cause of death
 * Parents' names
 * Burial place

How Do I Search the Collection?
When searching: As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor's given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence, age, and family relationships.

Some record sets have indexes; these indexes were created at the end of the year. Copy errors could have been made in the index, so you want to find the actual record to verify the information is correct. Using the index is a helpful way to find the actual record.

View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page: To Browse the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒Select the "Municipality" category ⇒Select the "Civil Registration Office" category ⇒Select the "Record Type and Years" category which takes you to the images.

Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

For Help Reading These Records
These records are in Portuguese. For help reading the records, see the following wiki articles:


 * Portuguese Genealogical Word List
 * Brazil Language and Languages

What do I do Next?

 * 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.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records Brazil Census.
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.
 * The name of a marriage officiator is a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county. However, ministers may have reported marriages performed in other counties.
 * Compile the marriage entries for every person who has the same surname as the bride or groom; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Use the marital status to identify previous marriages.
 * Witnesses often were relatives of the parents.

To learn more about using the information in civil records, view this lesson for free: Brazil Beginning Research Series Lesson 2: Civil Registration Records - English

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?
When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

For death records, the information in records is usually reliable, but depends upon the knowledge of the informant.

Regarding marriage and death records, name changes, shortened names, or nicknames may have been used by your ancestors, so pay attention to other relationships (parents, spouse, siblings, children, etc.) that can confirm whether you have the right person/record.

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.

Continue to search the indexes and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have lived in the same area or a nearby area.

I Can't Find Who I'm Looking for, What Now?
A boundary change could have occurred and the record of you ancestor is now in a neighboring. Search the records and indexes of neighboring cities, provinces, and regions.

Church Records are also a good substitute when birth, marriage, and death records can’t be found or are unavailable.


 * Brazil Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Brazil Church Records

Or your ancestor immigrated to another country. Search the records of nearby areas or immigration/emigration records:

Brazil Emigration and Immigration

General Information about These Records
Regularly, the registration of civil records was created in books sequentially numerated preceded by a letter A, B, C or E, according to the type of registry as follows: “A” for births, “B” for Marriages and “B-Aux” for religious marriages with civil effect, “C” for death, and “E” for other type of registry. The records are usually listed in chronological order by the date of registration. The old registry books were handwritten in narrative style, but the newer and current registries are handwritten in formatted records. These civil records include a vast of reliable information for doing family history research after 1888.

Citing this Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation:

Image Citation

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.