Brazil, Land Grant Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
Registro de Sesmarias no Brasil.

Record Description
This Collection includes records from 1714-1888.

The collection includes administrative documents surrounding the concession and confirmation of land grants (sesmarias) during the colonial and early-national periods. The records also include personal information such as names, birth dates, and places of origin, for some of Brazil's earliest immigrants who settled in what would become the states of Alagoas, Bahia, Ceará, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, Pará, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, São Paulo, and Sergipe. These records are currently housed in the National Archives in Rio de Janeiro.

Record Content
Land grant records may contain the following information:


 * Full name
 * Family members
 * Residence
 * Dates of important life events

How to Use the Record
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.

Search the Collection
To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒ Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒ Select the "_____________" category ⇒ Select the "_____________" category ⇒ Select the "_____________" category which takes you to the images

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.

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

Related Websites

 * Arquivo Nacional do Rio de Janeiro

Related Wiki Articles

 * Brazil Land and Property

Citations for this Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection Citation:

Image Citation