Brejo dos Santos, Paraíba, Brazil Genealogy

Guide to Municipality of Brejo dos Santos ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, church records, parish registers, and civil registration.

History
The colonization, or even foundation, coincides with that of Catolé do Rocha (1774), by Lieutenant Colonel Francisco da Rocha Oliveira, a descendant of Rocha Pita and grandson of a sister of the sertanista Teodósio de Oliveira Ledo. The brothers Antônio and José Paixão were the first inhabitants and pioneers in the construction of Brejo dos Santos. On the banks of the Riacho do Sabão, the first residences were built and agriculture and breeding began. Located on a plateau made up of red land, suitable for agriculture, the place attracted the attention of farmers from other regions who settled there, acquiring new land and exploring new agricultural areas. The water, however, leaves much to be desired in terms of quality and given its salinity. The water came from other sources. The nucleus was named Brejo dos Cavalos, as there were, in the vicinity of the city, on the banks of the Riacho do Sabão, where today is the public dam, a very wet area, with permanent and abundant water, which was known as brejo or abrejado, where there was always vegetation or green pasture and where the animals of the region, mainly the horses, came in years of drought to kill hunger and thirst. Hence when any allusion to the place was made, they said "Lá no Brejo dos Cavalos". It was enough for the name to be adopted until the change to Brejo dos Santos, a name suggested by the then vicar of Catolé do Rocha, Fr. Oriel Fernades. The first buildings were rustic (taipa), but pioneers in the urbanization of the city. With the passage of time, it had its more accelerated expansion, but coherent with the modern optics. So much so that Brejo dos Santos doesn't have those old-style mansions today, because it already followed or obeyed in its construction a layout according to the time and evolution. With the participation of residents from all over the region, a fair was started that gradually grew. It was a trellis or rustic shed. At the same time a movement was outlined in favor of building a church, with popular acceptance. The church was completed in 1938, being dedicated to the Sagrada Familia, patron saint of the place. Its first mass was celebrated by the priest of Catolé do Rocha, Joaquim Ferreira de Assis. The Evangelical Congregational Church was installed in the municipality in 1928. The evangelical pastor, Henry Briauldt, of English nationality, worked, in a certain way, for the progress of the place. The Protestant religion has a large number of adherents in the municipality. During the years from 1937 to 1939, the two religious forces of the place had divergences, This disagreement even generated violence, after some time peace reigned again. Two cotton processing industries were installed in the village, one on the Buenos Aires site, belonging to Pedro de Araújo Barreto and the other on the Pilar site, belonging to João Pinheiro Dantas. They were small industries called "bolandeiras" or "locomotives", or even steam cotton ginning. Although rudimentary, they had an effective participation in the formation of the city and in the development of the municipality. Shortly afterwards, these small industries were extinguished, giving way to larger ones, of the kind, in the neighboring city of Catolé do Rocha. From the 1960s to the 1970s, another industry emerged, also of cotton processing, larger, more modern, but even so, it was not able to survive for long. after some time later peace reigned again. District created with the name of Brejo dos Santos, on December 20, 1961, subordinated to the municipality of Catolé do Rocha. Elevated to the category of municipality with the name of Brejo dos Santos, on June 3, 1965, separated from Catolé do Rocha.

Local Offices
Cartório do Registro Civil Rua Apolonio Pereira, 68 Centro Brejo dos Santos Paraíba 5880-000 '''Telephone: (83) 3440-1052

Online Resources

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

Local Churches
Paróquia Sagrada Família Rua Apolônio Pereira, s/n Centro Brejo dos Santos Paraíba 5880-000 Telephone: (83) 3440-1121