Portugal, Beja, Civil Registration and Miscellaneous Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection will include various records housed at the Arquivo Distrital de Beja and dating from 1609 to 1950. These records include diocesan marriage files, marriages dispensations, marriage impediments, priest application files, registers of non-Catholic births, civil registration births, marriages, deaths, legitimization records, passport application files, passport registers, and censuses of military-age men.

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

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:
 * Person's Name
 * Date and place of event
 * Date and place of birth
 * Residence
 * Family members

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Your ancestor's given name and surname
 * Identifying information such as residence
 * Estimated marriage or birth year

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
 * If available, check the image for additional information
 * Analyze the entry to see if it provides additional clues to find other records of the person or their family
 * 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?

 * Try searching by surname only
 * The person may be recorded with an abbreviated or variant form of their name
 * Remember that spelling was generally not standardized until the early part of the 20th century
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family
 * Check the civil registration and church records to verify information

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

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

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, Beja, registro civil y registros varios (Registros históricos de FamilySearch) Portugal, Beja, Registros Diversos (Registros Históricos do FamilySearch)