Brazil, Rio Grande do Norte, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection will include baptism, marriage, and death records created by various Catholic parishes and diocese in the state of Rio Grande do Norte from 1788 to 1967.

Reading These Records
These records are written in Portuguese. For help reading them see:
 * Portuguese Genealogical Word List
 * Brazil Language and Languages

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The information in these records usually include the following:

Baptism
 * Date of baptism
 * Place of baptism
 * Name
 * Birth date
 * Place of birth
 * Legitimacy
 * Parents' names
 * Godparents' names

Marriage
 * Date of marriage
 * Place of marriage
 * Names of groom and bride
 * Groom's place of birth
 * Groom's age, baptism date, and residence
 * Groom's legitimacy
 * Groom's parents' names
 * Bride’s place of birth
 * Bride's age, baptism date, and residence
 * Bride’s legitimacy
 * Bride's parents' names
 * Witnesses' names

Death
 * Date and place of registration
 * Registrant's name
 * Date, place, and time of death
 * Name and age of deceased (keep in mind
 * that death records for women may be
 * filed under their married name)


 * Deceased's marital status/name of spouse
 * Deceased's origin and residence
 * Legitimacy
 * Cause of death
 * Names of deceased's parents
 * Residence of parents
 * Names of witnesses
 * Burial place

Collection Content
For additional details about these records and help using them see the wiki article: Brazil Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records.

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * Approximate date of the event

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
 * Check the image the index was taken from to see if there is additional information
 * Make sure to fully transcribe and cite the record entry for future reference
 * 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
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each spouse to find a couple's birth records and parents' names
 * The birth and/or age may also help you find the family in the Brazil Census
 * 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

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
 * Brazil Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records records are also a good substitute when birth, marriage, and death records can’t be found or are unavailable
 * Your ancestor might have immigrated to another country. Search the records of nearby areas Brazil Emigration and Immigration cannot be found or are unavailable
 * Check for variants of given names, surnames, and place names. Transcription errors could occur in any handwritten record; also, it was not uncommon for an individual be listed under a nickname or an abbreviation of their name

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in Brazil.
 * Brazil Record Finder
 * Brazil 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.

Brasil, Rio Grande do Norte, Registros da Igreja Católica (Registros Históricos do FamilySearch)