Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil Genealogy

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

History
Usually the origin of Campina Grande is credited to the occupation by the Ariús Indians in the Campina Grande site, led by Teodósio de Oliveira Lêdo, Captain-General of Sertões, on December 1, 1697. However, some authors do not agree with this version, suggesting that the place was already populated (with the name of Campina Grande) when Teodósio arrived with the Ariús. The Captain-General would have, in this last version, consolidated the village (which was already populated) and its development, integrating the hinterland with the coast, taking into account that the geographical position of Campina Grande is privileged, being the passage of travelers from the west to the coast of Paraíba. In 1750, Campina Grande is elevated to the parish of Nossa Senhora dos Milagres. Subsequently, the Government of the Captaincy of Pernambuco proposes the creation of three villages in Cariri, Paraíba. In 1787, Antônio Felipe Soares de Andrade Preterades decided to honor the Queen of Portugal, D. Maria I, naming the place Vila Nova da Rainha, and establishing the first street in the urban core, with mud houses. The church built at the top of the hill gave rise to several houses in its surroundings, in what is currently the Cathedral of Campina Grande. Largo da Matriz, the street where the church was built, later became one of the most important streets in the city: Avenida Floriano Peixoto. The village's economy was supported by the Baroque fair, where several cattlemen and drovers passed. Thus, due to the commercial progress achieved, the village gradually evolved into a village. At the time of its emergence, few important villages existed in Paraíba, for example: Alhandra, Jacoca, Baía da Traição and Cabedelo, on the coast; Monte Mor, Taipu and Pilar, in the Várzea region; Boqueirão, in Cariri; and Piranhas and Piancó, in the Sertão. At the end of the 18th century, the Crown intended to create new villages in the province. At that time, the province of Paraíba was subject to that of Pernambuco, whose governor was Dom Tomás José de Melo. In 1787, the ombudsman of the province of Paraíba, Antônio F. Soares, asked the governor of Pernambuco to create three villages in the captaincy. Two of these villages the ouvidor would create in Caicó and Açu, where there were already settlements that, at that time, were part of the Captaincy of Paraíba. The other, intended to create in the Cariri region, which comprised part of what are now the Micro-regions of Cariri Oriental and Cariri Ocidental. Campina Grande and Milagres were the two parishes that were candidates to become villages in that region. Thus, in April 1790, Campina Grande was chosen by Ouvidor Brederodes to become a village, due to its cultivated lands producing more wealth and mainly due to its better location, being between the capital on the coast and the hinterland. On April 6th, Campina Grande was officially called Vila Nova da Rainha, in honor of Queen Dona Maria I. Despite the name change, locals continued to call the place Campina Grande, and only in official texts. and formal the name Vila Nova da Rainha was used. The Campina Grande jail was built in 1814, in Largo da Matriz (currently Avenida Floriano Peixoto). This building is now the Historical and Geographical Museum of Campina Grande. Thus, Campina Grande reached the category of village in 1790. The village then had a town hall, a registry office and a pillory. However, Vila Nova da Rainha did not arouse great interest in the province and was still growing very slowly: after the creation of the village eight years, it had just over one hundred houses with only three thousand inhabitants. The territory occupied by Campina Grande was quite comprehensive: it comprised Cariri (except for Serra do Teixeira), part of Agreste, part of Brejo, covering the villages of Fagundes, Boqueirão, Cabaceiras, Milagres, Timbaúba do Gurjão, Alagoa Nova, Marinho, and others, totaling a territory of more than 900 km². In 1852 the population of the village was already 17,900 people. But in 1856, an epidemic killed about 1550 people of the place, decreasing almost 10% of its population, reaching the bodies that ran out of space to be buried in churches. In 1888, Campina Grande had about four thousand inhabitants and was perhaps the most populous and prosperous town in the interior of Paraíba. The main road that connected the Paraíba and Rio Grande sertões in the north to the cities of Paraíba and Recife passed through there. The branch of the Great Western of Brazil Railway Company - today Rede Ferroviária do Nordeste -, opened in 1907, the electric lighting in 1919 and the water supply service in 1939 were decisive factors in the surge of local progress. District was founded on December 1, 1697, with the name of Campina Grande, by the Provision of 1769. In 1750, Campina Grande is elevated to the parish of Nossa Senhora dos Milagres. Subsequently, the Government of the Captaincy of Pernambuco proposes the creation of three villages in Cariri, Paraíba. In 1787, Antônio Felipe Soares de Andrade Preterades decided to pay homage to the Queen of Portugal, D. Maria I, naming the place Vila Nova da Rainha, and establishing the first street in the urban core, with mud houses. Elevated to the category of village with the name of Vila Nova da Rainha, by order of the government on August 25, 1788. Elevated to the status of city and seat of the municipality with the name of Campina Grande, October 11, 1864.

Local Offices
Cartório de Registro Civil de Pessoas Naturais Avenida Floriano Peixoto, 813 Campina Grande PB Centro 58101-065 Telephone: (83) 3321-4598

Cartório de Registro Civil Praça Clementino Procópio, 119 Centro 58400-292 Campina Grande PB Telephone: (83) 3321-5200 E-mail: marcelinodealmeida@gmail.com

Cartório Único de São José da Mata Rua João Miguel Leão, s/n São José da Mata Campina Grande PB 58441-000 Telephone: (83) 3314-1233 E-mail: cartórios.j.damata@hotmail.com

Cartório de Registro Civil de José Pinheiro Rua Fernandes Vieira, 482 José Pinheiro Campina Grande PB 58407-490 Telephone: (83) 3341-8065 E-mail: cartoriojosepinheiro@hotmail.com

Cartório do Registro Civil Avenida Severino Cabral, 5885 Santa Terezinha Campina Grande PB 58101-185 Telephone: (83) 9971-6264

Galante Cartório de Notas e Documentos Rua do Comércio, 216 Campina Grande PB Centro 58100-000 Telephone: (83) 9305-9130

Ofício de Registro Civil Rua do Grupo, 23 Campina Grande PB Catolé 58108-000 Telephone: (83) 3349-1023

Ofício do Registro Civil das Pessoas Naturais Avenida Rio Branco, 1146 Prata 58400-575 Campina Grande PB Telephone: (83) 3341-8562 E-mail: cartoriobodocongo@gmail.com

Online Resources

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

Local Churches
PARÓQUIA DE NOSSA SENHORA DA CONCEIÇÃO 1769 CATEDRAL DIOCESAN Av. Floriano Peixoto, S/N Centro Campina Grande PB 58400-165 Telephone: (83) 3321-3140  E-mail: catedralcg@gmail.com

PARÓQUIA DA SAGRADA FAMÍLIA 1999 Rua Otávio Batista Cabral, S/N Conjunto Rocha Cavalcante Campina Grande PB 58423-215 Telephone: (83) 3339-7330 E-mail: secretariasagradafamilia.cg@hotmail.com

PARÓQUIA DA SANTISSIMA TRINDADE 2009 Rua João Quirino, S/N Catolé Campina Grande PB 58410-370 Telephone: (83) 3337-7473 E-mail: secretaria@santissimatrindade.org

PARÓQUIA DE NOSSA SENHORA DAS GRAÇAS 1951 Rua Amazonas, 590 Liberdade Campina Grande PB 58414-280 Telephone: (83) 3322-6861

PARÓQUIA DE NOSSA SENHORA DE FÁTIMA 1991 Rua Ana Azevedo, S/N Palmeira Campina Grande PB 58401-093 Telephone: (83) 3321-0799

PARÓQUIA DE NOSSA SENHORA DO PERPÉTUO SOCORRO 1952 Rua Aprígio Veloso, 1369 Bodocongó Campina Grande PB 58430-380 Telephone: (83) 3333-1640 E-mail: perpetuosocorro_bodocongo@hotmail.com

PARÓQUIA DE NOSSA SENHORA DO ROSÁRIO 1940 Rua Nilo Peçanha, S/N Prata Campina Grande PB 58400-515 Telephone: (83) 3321-3445 / Fax: (83) 3342-4613 E-mail: rosario@rosario.org.br Website: https://www.rosario.org.br

PARÓQUIA DE SANTA ROSA DE LIMA 2009 Rua do Sol, 1367 Santa Rosa Campina Grande PB 58416-540 Telephone: (83) 3341-4574 E-mail: par.rosadelima@hotmail

PARÓQUIA DE SANTO ANTÔNIObr> 1962 Rua Santo Antônio, S/N Santo Antônio Campina Grande PB 58406-025 Telephone: (83) 3321-2574 E-mail: paroquiasantoantoniocg@gmail.com

PARÓQUIA DE SÃO CRISTÓVÃO 1960 Rua Delmiro Gouveia, S/N Centenário Campina Grande PB 58428-016 Telephone: (83) 3341-5584

PARÓQUIA DE SÃO FRANCISCO DE ASSIS 1952 Rua São Francisco, 195 Conceição Campina Grande PB 58401-279 Telephone: (83) 3341-5429 E-mail: paroquiasaofranciscocg@yahoo.com

PARÓQUIA DE SÃO JOSÉ 1951 Rua Campos Sales, 623 José Pinheiro Campina Grande PB 58407-450 '''Telephone: (83) 3322-2970 E-mail: psaojosecg@yahoo.com.br

PARÓQUIA DO SAGRADO CORAÇÃO DE JESUS 1961 Rua Luiz Sodré Filho, 685 Catolé Campina Grande PB 58410-480 Telephone: (83) 3337-1032

Cemeteries
Cemitério Campo Santo Parque da Paz Av. Asis Chateaubriand, 5460 Velame Campina Grande PB 58418-800 Telephone: (83) 3331-4300

Cemitério Nossa Senhora do Carmo R. Olegário Maciel, s/n Monte Santo Campina Grande PB 58400-745 Telephone: (83) 98819-5672

Other Institutions
Prefeitura Municipal Campina Grande R. Nossa Senhora de Lourdes, 85 Jardim Tavares Campina Grande Paraíba 58400-058 Telephone: (83) 3310-6713