Boa Vista, Paraíba, Brazil Genealogy

Guide to Municipality of Boa Vista ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, church records, parish registers, and civil registration.

History
Its foundation dates back to the end of the 17th century, when Teodósio de Oliveira Lêdo founded the Santa Rosa site, probably the first telluric cell on the Sertanejo plateau. Located on the banks of the river with the same name, about 8 leagues west of Campina Grande and 3 kilometers north of the current city of Boa Vista. Knowledge of the history of the Santa Rosa family not only shows the importance of the settlement, but also the socio-economic value of those urban centers. The Casa Grande in Santa Rosa, founded by Adriana, the last daughter of Teodósio, was of vital socio-economic importance for its residents, as it was from there that other branches emerged that gave rise to Boa Vista and Campina Grande. Very close to the city center is one of the first houses built in the countryside of Boa Vista. It is the ?Casa Grande?, ?daughter? or extension of the old Santa Rosa farm.

Casa Grande is a highlight of the historical archeology of Boa Vista not only because it was one of the first constructions in the region, but also because its first owner, Mr. José Gomes de Farias, together with his sons, actively participated in the movement that culminated in the elevation of Vila Nova da Rainha to the city of Campina Grande in 1864. One of José's sons, Antônio Gomes de Farias, exercised the Patriarchate of Casa Grande for long time. He was the creator of the construction of a chapel, donating for this a site on the hill bordering Casa Grande, the place where the chapel would be built took the name of Boa Vista de Santa Rosa, because of its elevated geographical situation and panoramic view, offered to the residents of Casa Grande. Antônio Gomes de Farias thus became the founder of Boa Vista de Santa Rosa. In 1819, work began on the construction of the chapel which would be invoked by the patron saint Bom Jesus dos Martírios, being completed in 1838 and from then on, it began to have a very considerable significance, thus influencing and contributing to the formation of the Vila de Boa Vista, especially when commemorative festivities began to be held for the region's patron saint, festivities these became traditional and are still held today. The process of forming the first houses and streets in Vila de Boa Vista began with the construction, next to the church, of two houses on the right side, the first being built to maintain the construction of the ?sacred temple?, in which the bricklayers and in the second lived three sisters. In this way, Boa Vista was building its urban space, and it was only in November 1887 that it was elevated to the status of District of Campina Grande. On this occasion, the names of several streets and squares were given to people who marked the history of Boa Vista, such as: Lindolfo Soares de Araújo, Severino Bezerra Cabral, Simão Pereira de Almeida, among others.

During almost the entire historical period in which Boa Vista belonged to Campina Grande, there is only an interval from 1918 to 1948 in official documents, when it was part of the municipality of Cabaceiras, changing its name at that time to Lêdo. Severino Bezerra Cabral, Simão Pereira de Almeida, among others.

In 1911, the district of Boa Vista appears in the municipality of Campina Grande. On December 31, 1943, the district of Boa Vista was renamed Lêdo. On June 11, 1947, the district of Lêdo returned to the municipality of Campina Grande. On October 25, 1948, the district of Lêdo was renamed Boa Vista. Elevated to the category of municipality with the name of Boa Vista., on April 29, 1994, separated from Campina Grande.

Local Offices
Cartório Registro Civil das Pessoas Naturais Rua Bom Jesus, 21A Centro Boa Vista PB 58123-000 Telephone: (83) 3313-1070 E-mail: elvirafariasbv@hotmail.com

Online Resources

 * Brazil, Paraíba, Catholic Church Records, 1731-2013 no Registros Históricos do FamilySearch

Local Churches
PARÓQUIA DO BOM JESUS DOS MARTÍRIOS 2010 Travessa Bom Jesus, S/N Centro Boa Vista PB 58123-000 Telephone: (83) 3313-1359