Portugal Civil Registration

In 1910 a revolution of the people rejected the royal family, abolished all titles of the nobility, wrote a constitution, and passed new laws. One of the new laws required citizens to report all births, marriages and deaths to the local Civil Register (Registro Civil).

Birth records
will provide:


 * given name of the child
 * gender
 * legitimacy or otherwise
 * date of birth
 * date of christening
 * if this is the first child in that family to be given that name
 * names of the father and mother
 * birthplace of each parent
 * names and birthplaces of the paternal and maternal grandparents
 * names of godparents
 * names of witnesses
 * name of the priest that performed the christening

Marriage records
will provide:


 * names of the bride and groom
 * marital status of the bride and groom
 * if previously married the name or names of the previous spouses
 * birthplaces of the bride and groom
 * ages of the bride and groom
 * names of the parents of the bride and groom
 * birthplace of each parent
 * names of the witnesses name of the priest performing the wedding ceremony