Jacaraú, Paraíba, Brazil Genealogy

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

History
In the beginning, the pioneers came with the objective of seeking in this region, a fruit well known by the name of JARACATIÁ (Tupi Yarakati'a), that is, a plant of the caricaceae family (Jacaratia spinosa), papaya-do-mato, which could be known as the Jaracatiá region. This fact may have led to the origin of the utopia of the name Jacaraú, as it is predominantly of origin known by the indigenous people of Jaracatiá. As the population thought that with the extinction of the papaya trees there was no more sense to keep that name in the village, because of this natural fact, they thought it better to change it to Jacaraú, current name. According to information from several residents of this city and other neighboring cities, Vila do Jacaré, as Vila de Jacaraú was known, would have several reasons why the pioneers who passed through here – and others who stayed here, always in a more objective and even a little prejudiced way -, sought to unlink any indigenous names of the village or city, showing the total lack of respect that these "pioneers" had with the civilizations that already lived in this region, before the black and the colonial period. white, considered civilized, where they only brought destruction, that is, genocide, for those who actually owned this region. There was a pond in the center of the village that became well known due to the fact that there are many alligators in it. Therefore, its first name was Vila do Jacaré. The place was a support point or inn for drovers who demanded from Mananguape in Paraíba, to Nova Cruz in Rio Grande do Norte. The stop was due to the good water of the Lagoon and the only existing source in the dry periods. Once, they say - children who were bathing in the lagoon were surprised by a huge alligator and would have exclaimed: Look at Jacareú, a term that later came to be called JACARAÚ or more precisely: Lagoa do Jacaraú. Later, the region received the name of simply: Jacareú, toponym that is consecrated until today. Its first inhabitants or those responsible for the formation of the population nucleus were Joaquim Braz, Antônio Fernandes, the largest landowner at the time, Antônio Cané, Pedro Mandu and Luiz Tenório or Antônio Felipe dos Santos. None of them exist anymore. The old inn of drovers was transformed into a hamlet and took the form of a village to the size of today. The region received the name of simply: Jacareú, toponym that is consecrated until today. 1908 - District created with the name of Jacaraú, on December 21 1961 - Elevated to the category of municipality the name of Jacaraú, on December 1st, separated from Mamanguape. Old Denominations: Alligator Village, Jacarau Lagoon

Local Offices
Cartórios de Registro Civil, Notas e similares Rua Presidente João Pessoa, s/n Bairro Centro Jacaraú PB 58280-000 Telephone: (83) 3295-1012 E-mail: marisadecastroa@bol.com.br

Tabelionato de notas e anexos Rua Presidente João Pessoa, 32 Centro Jacaraú PB 58278000 Telephone: (83) 3295-1014 E-mail: zilda@hotmail.com

Online Resources

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

Local Churches
Paróquia NOSSA SENHORA DA CONCEIÇÃO (1948) Rua São João, 11 Centro Jacaraú PB 58278-000 '''Telephone: (83) 3295-1117

Localities
Districts: Timbó, Retiro

Other Institutions
Prefeitura Municipal de Jacaraú Rua Augusto Luna, 45 Centro Jacaraú PB 58278-000 Telephone: (83) 3295-1892 Website: https://jacarau.pb.gov.br