Portugal, Porto, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection of church records includes baptism, marriage, and burial records from the Catholic Diocese of Porto created at several parishes. It also includes an index of parish records for the city of Porto. These church records are housed at the Porto District Archives. The records cover the years 1535-1949. Parish priests performed the baptisms, marriages, deaths and/or burials, and other holy sacraments in their assigned parish or parishes. All the original parish records were kept in the parish archive; however, the older records were centralized in the archdiocesan archive. The records in our collection were acquired from the District Archive of Porto. The Catholic Church parish records are an excellent source for genealogical research in the District of Porto. These may also be the only records available before the implementation of the civil registration in 1911.

Reading These Records
These records are written in Portuguese. For help reading these records see:
 * Portuguese Genealogical Word List
 * Portuguese Letter-writing Guide

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

Baptisms Marriages
 * Date and place of baptism
 * Child's name and gender
 * Child's date, time and place of birth
 * Father's name, occupation, residence and origin
 * Mother's maiden name, residence and origin
 * Names of paternal grandparents
 * Names of maternal grandparents
 * Godparents names, their civil status, occupation and residence
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Names of the bride and groom
 * Groom's age, civil status, occupation, residence and origin
 * Names of groom's parents
 * Bride's age, civil status, occupation, residence and origin
 * Names of bride's parents
 * Names of witnesses, their occupation, civil status and residence

Deaths
 * Date and place of death
 * Name, age and gender of deceased
 * Legitimacy of deceased
 * Residence and origin of deceased
 * Civil status and name of spouse, if married
 * Names of parents if deceased is a minor
 * Parents' place of origin
 * Burial information

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Your ancestor's given name and surname
 * Identifying information such as residence
 * Estimated marriage or birth year

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
 * Make sure to fully transcribe and cite the record entry for future reference
 * 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
 * Compile information for every person who has the same surname as your ancestor; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community

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

 * Check for variant spellings of the names
 * Portugal’s emigration rate is one of the highest in the world. Check Portugal Emigration and Immigration for more information
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. In addition, local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records
 * Search the records of nearby localities (or military unties, counties, parishes, etc.)
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family
 * For records after 1911, it is suggested that you research both the civil registry and the church records to verify information

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

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

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.

Portugal, Porto, Registros da Igreja Católica (Registros Históricos do FamilySearch)