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

What is in This Collection?
These miscellaneous records from the years 1816-1935 are housed at the Arquivo Distrital de Portalegre and the Arquivo da Câmara Municipal de Elvas, Portugal. This collection includes civil registration records of birth, legitimization, marriage, and death, passports registers, testaments, and deaths records from the Santa Casa da Misericórdia in Portalegre.

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, Viseu, 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.

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


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

Collection Content
The following information may be found in these records:

Birth records
 * Child’s name
 * Birth date
 * Child’s gender and race
 * Birth place
 * Parents’ names

Marriage
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Full name and age of groom
 * Full name and age of bride
 * Witnesses

Death
 * Name of deceased
 * Date and place of death
 * Age or date of birth of deceased

Passport
 * Name of person traveling
 * Age or date of birth
 * Place of origin
 * Residence
 * Occupation

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select District
 * 2) Select Municipality
 * 3) Select Record Type and Year Range 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
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church records
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent

I Can’t Find The Person I’m Looking For, What Now?
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.
 * 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.)

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.