Velas, Azores, Portugal Genealogy

This is a historical and genealogical guide to the municipality of Velas.

History

 * Population about 6,000.
 * Oldest settled community, settled about 1460.
 * April of 1580 earthquakes started and with aftershocks lasted 4 months and caused volcanic eruptions.
 * In 1588 there were several floods.
 * Crop failure in 1593.
 * In 1678 there was a famine.
 * September of 1708 an attack by the French lasted 5 days and houses and churches were burned and pillaged.
 * In December 1732 a flood killed five people.
 * In the Lisbon earthquake of 1755 caused a tsunami to reach the shores of Velas.
 * Another earthquake happened in 1757.
 * Velas has 6 civil parishes.

Online Records
After 100 years, all civil registration records are sent to the municipality's district office.

To view online civil registration records, visit Azores Civil Registration.

Contact a Civil Registration Office
The following is a list of civil registration offices within the municipality.

Conservatória do Registo Civil, Predial e Cartório Notarial de Velas R. St. André Pal Justiça 9800-537 Velas PORTUGAL Phone: 295412588 Email: [mailto:crcpncom.velas@dgrn.mj.pt crcpncom.velas@dgrn.mj.pt]

Communicate your request in Portuguese whenever possible. For writing a letter or email in Portuguese, use the translated questions and phrases in this Portuguese Letter-writing Guide.

Online Records
In 1910, the Portuguese government transferred all birth, marriage, and death records from all the country's parishes to the district offices. These records are now in either District or National archives. Many of these records have been digitized and can be viewed at the District Archive's website or on FamilySearch.

To view online records, visit Azores Church Records.

Contact a Parish
If you are seeking church records created more recently than 1910, it is possible to obtain them by writing to the parish where the record was created. Writing to a parish is not always a reliable way to obtain information, because officials may or may not respond.

Conferência Episcopal Portuguesa lists websites for the 20 Dioceses of Portugal. Once on the Diocesan website, use the listing of parishes (paróquias) to locate contact information for the parish in question.

Communicate your request in Portuguese whenever possible. For writing a letter or email in Portuguese, use the translated questions and phrases in this Portuguese Letter-writing Guide.

Cemeteries
Cemeteries did not become popular in Portugal until the late nineteenth century. Prior to this, individuals were buried in their parish church cemetery, and their bones were later removed to an unmarked burial place.

Cemeterio Publico Beira, Velas Municipality, Azores Region PORTUGAL Website: FindAGrave

Cemitério de Beira Beira, Velas Municipality, Azores Region PORTUGAL Website: FindAGrave

Cemitério de Urzelina Urzelina, Velas Municipality, Azores Region PORTUGAL Website: FindAGrave

Cemitério de Velas Velas, Velas Municipality, Azores Region PORTUGAL Website: FindAGrave

Family History Centers
Angra do Heroismo Portugal Family History Center Rua Prof Augusto Monjardino 45 ANGRA DO HEROISMO 9700-020 PORTUGAL Phone: +351 295-217-651 Email: [mailto:PT_AngraDoHeroismo@familyhistorymail.org PT_AngraDoHeroismo@familyhistorymail.org] Website: Angra do Heroismo Portugal Family History Center

Ponta Delgada Portugal Family History Center Avenida Antero de Quental 43 PONTA DELGADA 9500-160 PORTUGAL Phone: +351 962-6409 Email: [mailto:PT_PontaDelgada@familyhistorymail.org PT_PontaDelgada@familyhistorymail.org] Website: Ponta Delgada Portugal Family History Center