Brazil, Minas Gerais, Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection consists of births, marriages, deaths, and indexes created by various civil registration offices in the state of Minas Gerais. Some of these images have been indexed and are searchable as part of this collection. Additional indexed records will be published as they become available.

Reading These Records
These records are written in Portuguese. For help reading these records see Portuguese Genealogical Word List and Brazil Language and Languages.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Birth Record
 * Registration date and place
 * Informant's relationship and gender
 * Date, time, and place of birth
 * Name of the child
 * Gender of child
 * Legitimacy
 * Parents' names
 * Parents' civil status and residence
 * Mother's occupation and place of origin
 * Names of maternal grandparents
 * Father's occupation and place of origin
 * Names of paternal grandparents
 * Names of witnesses
 * Names, residence, and occupation of the parents

Marriage Record
 * Date, place, and time of marriage
 * Names of bride and groom
 * Birthplaces of bride and groom
 * Bride and groom's age, civil status, and occupation
 * Groom's parents' names
 * Birthplace of groom's parents
 * Bride's parents' names
 * Birthplace of bride's parents
 * Names of witnesses

Death Record
 * Date and place of registration
 * Registrant's name
 * Date, place, and time of death
 * Name and age of deceased
 * Gender of deceased
 * Deceased's marital status and name of spouse
 * Deceased's origin and residence
 * Legitimacy
 * Cause of death
 * Names of deceased's parents and their residence
 * Names of witnesses
 * Burial place

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * Approximate date of the event

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 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
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each spouse to find a couple's birth records and parents' names
 * The birth and/or age may also help you find the family in the Brazil Census
 * Compile the marriage entries for every person who has the same surname as the bride or groom; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * A boundary change could have occurred and the record of your ancestor is now in a neighboring town or city. Search the records and indexes of neighboring cities, provinces, and regions
 * Brazil Church Records are also a good substitute when civil records of births, marriages, and deaths cannot be found or are unavailable
 * Check for variants of given names, surnames, and place names. Transcription errors could occur in any handwritten record; also, it was not uncommon for an individual to be listed under a nickname or an abbreviation of their name
 * Your ancestor may have immigrated to another country. Search the records of nearby areas or Brazil Emigration and Immigration records

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Brazil.
 * 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.