Portugal, Viseu, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Records
Registros Paroquiais da Igreja Católica da Diocese de Viseu, Portugal.

Record Description
This collection of church records includes the years 1523-1989.

The records included in this collection are those of baptisms, marriages, and burial/deaths from parishes in the in the Diocese of Viseu, 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. The text of the records is in Portuguese. Earlier records are handwritten in narrative style; newer records are handwritten in formatted registers.

Parish priests performed the ordinances for baptisms, marriages, deaths, and burials, and 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 priest. 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.

Catholic Church parish registers were created to record the church sacraments of baptism, marriage, death, burial, and other ordinances performed on parishioners by an authorized priest in his area of jurisdiction.

Catholic Church parish records are a reliable source for doing genealogical research in Viseu, 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.

For a list of records by localities and dates currently published in this collection, select the Browse.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
The key genealogical facts found in most birth records are:


 * Date and place of the event
 * Name of child
 * Date of birth and gender
 * Legitimacy
 * Parents’ names, residence, and/or places of origin
 * Names of witnesses or godparents’ names

The key genealogical facts found in most marriage records are:


 * Date and place of the event
 * Names of the bride and groom
 * Civil statuses (widowed, single, divorced) of bride and groom at time of the event
 * Place of origin and/or residence of bride and groom
 * Names of parents
 * Names of witnesses

The key genealogical facts found in most death/burial records are:


 * Place and date of death
 * Name of the deceased
 * Civil status of deceased person at time of death
 * Civil status and name of spouse, if married at time of death
 * Cause of death
 * Sometimes names of living parents and children
 * Sometimes if the deceased left a testament (will)
 * Place of burial (cemetery)

How to Use the Records
To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒ Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒ Select the "Nome do distrito" category ⇒ Select the "Nome do município" category ⇒ Select the "Nome da freguesia" category ⇒ Select the "Nome da paróquia" category ⇒ Select the "Tipo de registro e anos" category which takes you to the images.

Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.

Related Websites

 * Dioceses of Portugal
 * Anuario Católico – Lista das paróquias
 * Diocese de Viseu

Related Wiki Articles

 * Portugal Catholic Church Records
 * Portuguese Genealogical Word List

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 Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Examples for a Record Found in This Collection
"Portugal, Viseu, Catholic Church Records, 1523-1989," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org https : accessed 14 June 2012), Guarda &gt; Guarda &gt; Vela &gt; Nossa Senhora de Graca &gt; Batismos 1869-1877 &gt; Image 4 of 86; Domingo Gomes, born 14 January 1869; citing Catholic parishes. Portugal, Viseu, Catholic church records. Viseu District Archives, Portugal.