Portugal, Setúbal, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
Registros Paroquiais da Igreja Católica de Setúbal, Portugal

Collection Time Period
This collection of Catholic Church parish records from Arrentela and Seixal in the municipality of Setubal covers the period of 1581 to 1910.

Record Description
The records included in this collection are those of baptisms, marriages, and deaths from the parishes of Nossa Senhora da Consolação (a patrimony building) in the city of Arrentela in Seixal, Setubal, Portugal and Nossa Senhora da Conceição in the city of Seixal in Seixal, Setubal, Portugal.

These parish records have been preserved relatively well. Some of the older registers appear to have some physical damage; therefore, some data may be difficult to read or some even may be lost. However, in general, they are in good condition for extracting genealogical information.

Record Content
The key genealogical facts found in baptismal records usually include:


 * Date and place of the event
 * Name of the person baptized
 * Gender and date of birth or age
 * If legitimate or illegitimate
 * Parents’ names and residence or places of origin
 * Names of the paternal and maternal grandparents
 * Names of the godparents

The key genealogical facts found in marriage records usually include:


 * Date and place of the event
 * Names of the bride and groom
 * Sometimes their civil statuses (widowed, single, divorced) at the time of the event
 * Places of origin or residence of the bride and groom
 * Parents’ names and their civil statuses
 * Names of the witnesses

The key genealogical facts found in deaths records usually include:


 * Place and date where the person died
 * Name of the deceased
 * Civil status and name of the spouse, if married at the time of death
 * Place of burial
 * Parents’ names
 * Cause of death

How to Use the Record
Some records have indexes at the end of the volume. Frequently, these indexes are arranged by the given name of the individual and sometimes use the Latin form of the name. Those volumes without indexes need to be searched chronologically for the individuals sought.

Begin your search by finding your ancestors in the index. Use the locator information in the index (such as page, entry, or certificate number) to locate your ancestors in the records. Compare the information in the record to what you already know about your ancestor to determine if this is the correct person. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination. Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur.

When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information about other people listed in the record. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors.

For example:


 * Use the baptism date and place to find the family in census records.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate civil and land records.
 * The father’s occupation can lead you to other types of records such as employment records or military records.
 * The parents' origin places can tell you former residences and can help to establish a migration pattern for the family.
 * Marriage date and place may help find their children.
 * Burial place may also help you know their migration pattern.

It is often helpful to extract the information on all children with the same parents. If the surname is unusual, you may want to compile baptism entries for every person of the same surname and sort them into families based on the names of the parents. Continue to search the baptism records to identify siblings, parents, and other relatives in the same or other generations who were born, married and died in the same place or nearby.

Keep in mind:


 * The information in church records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant.
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1800s.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from record to record.

Record History
Parish priests (pastors) recorded the baptisms, marriages, deaths, and burials; they administered the baptisms, witnessed the marriages and gave nuptial blessings, and administered the other holy sacraments in the jurisdiction of their assigned parish or parishes. All the original parish records were kept in the parish archive under the custody of the pastor. However, a duplicate of these registers was regularly sent to the diocesan archive where the records were centralized and kept at a higher state of preservation. It is unknown whether this collection is from the parish record or from the diocesan transcript.

Why the Record Was Created
These Catholic Church parish registers were created to record the church sacraments of baptism and matrimony and to record the sepultre of parishioners (death and burial). Other actions taken by the authorized priest in his area of jurisdiction, such as dedication of a church, may also be recorded.

Record Reliability
Catholic Church parish records are a reliable source for doing genealogical research in Setubal, Portugal, before 1911 when the civil registration was implemented. For records after 1911, it is suggested that you research both the civil registry and the church records to verify information.

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Related Wiki Articles
Portugal Catholic Church Records

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. 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.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the Wiki Article: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Examples of a Source Citation for a Record in This Collection
Please add sample citations to this article following the format guidelines in the wiki article listed above.

"England, Cheshire, school records, 1796-1950,” database, FamilySearch; 2009, from Great Britain, Board of Education. "School Records." Cheshire Record Office, Chester (England). FHL microfilm, 41 reels. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah."

Sources of Information for This Collection:
“Portugal, Setubal Catholic Church Records,” database, FamilySearch (http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html), 2010; from Archivo Distrital de Setúbal, Setúbal, Portugal. “Portugal, Setubal Catholic Church records”. Archivo Distrital de Setúbal, Setúbal, Portugal. FHL microfilm. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.

Instructions for creating these sources, including how to add information about individual archives is found in the wiki article: How to Create Source Citations For FamilySearch Historical Records Collections.