Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Civil Registration and Miscellaneous Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes wills, land records, election records, naturalizations, and other records from 1820-1958 for various cities in the state of Rio de Janeiro. This collection also includes any of the above records as well as some birth, marriage, and death records that had been notarized by the state of Rio de Janeiro.

This collection contains records from the notary offices of Rio de Janeiro. Records published in the collection Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Civil Registration come from the civil registration offices of Rio de Janeiro.

See Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records for more information on civil registration in Brazil.

Reading These Records
These records are written in Portuguese. For help reading these records see Portuguese Genealogical Word List and Brazil Language and Languages.

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

Wills
 * Name of deceased
 * Deceased’s residence
 * Date the will was released and read
 * Names of deceased’s relatives to whom he gave inheritance
 * Relationship of each individual named to the deceased
 * Name of executor

Land
 * Name of land owner
 * Address/location of owner/land

Election
 * Name of voter
 * Address of voter
 * Civil status
 * Age
 * Marital status
 * Occupation
 * Birth date and/or place

Naturalization
 * Name of immigrant
 * Date and place of birth
 * Date and place of application
 * Marital status/spouse’s name
 * Address
 * Number of years in Brazil
 * Occupation and industry
 * Civil/citizen status in country of origin
 * Parents’ names
 * Date of arrival to Brazil

How Do I Search the Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * Approximate date of the event

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?

 * Using the date a will was released, look backward in time for the death record
 * Use the information in naturalization records to find passenger lists and other records from your ancestor’s homeland
 * Use the marriage date and place as the basis for compiling a new family group or for verifying existing information
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each partner to find a couple's birth records and parents'names
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records Brazil Census
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.
 * The name of a marriage officiator is a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county. However, ministers may have reported marriages performed in other counties
 * Compile the marriage entries for every person who has the same surname as the bride or groom; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual
 * Use the marital status to identify previous marriages
 * Witnesses often were relatives of the parents

To learn more about using the information in civil records, view this lesson for free: – English

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

 * The person may be recorded with an abbreviated or variant form of his name
 * Try searching by surname only

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

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.