Brazil, São Paulo, City of Franca, Miscellaneous Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Brazil São Paulo

What is in the Collection?
This collection includes various municipal records from the city archive of Franca dated between 1891 and 1960. Original records are kept by the Historical Archives (Capitão Hipólito Antônio Pinheiro) in the city of Franca.

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

Record Categories
This collection includes the following record groups:


 * Burial registers
 * Death certificates
 * Alien registration cards
 * Marriage banns

Collection Contents
The information in each record varies by year.

Death certificates usually contain the following:


 * Name, gender, and age of deceased (keep in mind that death records for women may be filed under their married name)
 * Date and place of death
 * Marital status/name of spouse
 * Names of parents
 * Date and place of burial
 * Profession
 * Residence
 * Cause of death

Alien registration cards generally contain the following:


 * Name of immigrant
 * Immigrant’s country of origin
 * Birth date and place

Civil marriage banns may contain:


 * Names and ages of bride and groom
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Birthplaces of groom and bride
 * Names and ages of groom’s parents
 * Names and ages of bride’s parents
 * Who performed the marriage
 * Names of witnesses

How Do I Search the Collection?
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.

See the sections below for tips and uses for searching and finding the record of your ancestor in this collection and using the information in the record.

If you are unable to find a record for your ancestor in this collection, see the corresponding section below.

To search by image: To browse the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page

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.

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. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

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


 * Portuguese Genealogical Word List
 * Brazil Language and Languages

What Do I Do Next?
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

Tips to Keep in Mind
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, Now What?
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

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