Portugal, Coimbra Testaments - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Records
Testamentos de Coimbra, Portugal

Record Description
This collection of notary public wills includes the years 1801-1935.

This collection contains testaments created in the presence of notaries and housed at the Coimbra University Archive (Arquivo da Universidade de Coimbra). Additional images will be published as they become available. These records are handwritten in Portuguese and in narrative style. Additional images will be published as they become available.

A testament is a document that sets forth a person's wishes for the disposition of their property after death. Testaments (wills) in Portugal are written and kept by a notary public. A person wanting to leave a will after death goes to a notary public anywhere in Portugal and, after presenting legal identification, can start composing his will with the help of the notary public. The notary agency keeps the original document and a copy is given to the testator. The testator may also register a will in the Conservatória dos Registros Centrais (Central Conservatory of Records) in Lisbon. This entity keeps an index of registered wills and the place where it was written and kept.

For a list of records by dates currently published in this collection, select the Browselink from the collection landing page.

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
Testaments (wills) usually contain the following information:


 * Name of notary public
 * Date and place issued
 * Name of testator
 * Place of residence and sometimes place of origin
 * Age or date of birth
 * Spouse’s name and age or birth date
 * Names of heirs and their ages or birth date and place of residence

How to Use the Records
To search the collection image by image, ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the appropriate "Volume number and Years" 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. Keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

Testaments were created in chronological order in a book kept by the notary public. If you have an approximate date of death for your ancestor, you may search the wills by date. Information in wills can help to find out the type of life or type of individual the ancestor was, can also give information not found in other records.

When browsing this collection it is helpful to know the following:


 * The place where the event occurred
 * The name and surname of the person
 * The approximate date of the event
 * The name of the parents or spouse

Related Websites

 * Instituto dos registros e do notariado
 * Sucessões na Europa

Related Wiki Articles

 * Portugal
 * Portugal Notary Records

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
Citations for individual image records are available for this collection. Browse through images in this collection and click on the "Show Citation" box: Portugal, Coimbra, Testaments, 1801-1935

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: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.