Portugal, Madeira, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
Baptism, marriage, and death records created by various Catholic parishes and diocese in the state of Madeira.

Reading These Records
These records are in Portuguese. For help reading them see Portuguese Genealogical Word List and Portuguese Letter-writing Guide.

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

Birth
 * Child's name and gender
 * Child's date, time and place of birth
 * Date and place of baptism
 * Parents names, occupation and origin
 * Names of grandparents, occupation and origin
 * Godparents’ names

Marriage
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Groom's name and age
 * Groom's baptismal date and location
 * Groom's date and place of birth
 * Groom's civil status, occupation, and residence
 * Names of groom's parents and their origin
 * Bride's name and age
 * Bride's baptismal date and location
 * Bride's date and place of birth
 * Bride's civil status and residence
 * Names of bride's parents and their origin
 * Names of witnesses and their residence

Burial
 * Date and place of death
 * Name, age and gender of deceased
 * Civil status, residence and origin of deceased
 * Spouse's name if married
 * Parents' names and their origin if deceased is a minor
 * Burial information

Inventory
For a list of all the titles included in this Historical Records publication see Portugal, Madeira, Church Records - Inventory.

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 any new information to your records
 * If available, check the image for additional information
 * Analyze the entry to see if it provides additional clues to find other records of the person or their family

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

 * Try searching by surname only
 * The person may be recorded with an abbreviated or variant form of their name
 * Remember that spelling was generally not standardized until the early part of the 20th century

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in Portugal.
 * Portugal Record Finder
 * Portugal 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.