Serra Branca, Paraíba, Brazil Genealogy

Guide to Municipality of Serra Branca ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, church records, parish registers, and civil registration.

History
THE CARiri REGION was inhabited by Cariri Indians, skilled potters. Close to Campina Grande, which began as a commercial village and a road for drovers, it attracted inhabitants from other places interested in acquiring fertile land. The first cattle ranch, established around 1820, was named Jericho. In 1825 José Pequeno arrived and founded a property on the banks of the Porção River, with the aim of protecting himself from the great droughts. Shortly thereafter, Francisco Aprígio de Vasconcelos Brandão, setting up his property, bought land from the heirs of Souza Leão, perhaps one of the first residents of the place.

Coming from Recife, in 1877, Antero da Cunha Torreão, established himself as a merchant and owner of the Melada farm. With him came Francisco José Limeira who, in 1889, donated land for the construction of the chapel. In 1943, the toponym was changed to Itamorotinga - in Tupi: pedra-mó-toda-branca, or simply, white stone, an allusion to the Jatobá mountain range.

In 1911, the district of Serra Branca appears in the municipality of São João do Cariri. On December 31, 1943, the Serra Branca district was renamed Itamorotinga. By act of the transitional constitutional provisions of this State enacted on June 11, 1947, the Serra Branca district ex-Itamorotinga becomes the seat of the municipality. Elevated to the category of municipality with the name of Serra Branca, on April 27, 1959, dismembered from São João do Cariri.

Local Offices
Serviço Registral das Pessoas Naturais Rua Cel. Manoel Gaudêncio, 23 Serra Branca PB 58580-000 Telephone: (83) 9633-2048 E-mail: nibemaracaja@hotmail.com

Cartório do Registro Civil de Sucuru Rua do Sol, s/n Centro Serra Branca PB 58580-000 Telephone: (83) 9935-7572

'''Cartório Costa Brito Rua Laurentino A. T. Sarinho, s/n Vila Santa Luzia do Cariri Serra Branca PB 58582-000 Telephone: (83) 9963-4451 E-mail: cartoricostabrito@hotmail.com

Online Resources

 * Brazil, Paraíba, Catholic Church Records, 1731-2013 no Registros Históricos do FamilySearch

Local Churches
PARÓQUIA DE NOSSA SENHORA DA CONCEIÇÃO – 1932 Rua Joaquim de Andrade Gaião, 111 Centro 58580-000 Serra Branca PB Telephone: (83) 3354-2211 / (83) 3354-2240