São José do Brejo do Cruz, Paraíba, Brazil Genealogy

Guide to Municipality of São José do Brejo do Cruz ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, church records, parish registers, and civil registration.

History
Its history began in the second half of the 19th century, approximately in 1862. Its territory was part of the empire of Major João Batista (Pai Joãozinho). The first house built in São José was that of Major Sabino who died on 10-20-1913, leaving his home for his son, Plácido Francisco, the second owner of São José. With the death of Plácido, on 17-02-1931, his son Mário Valdemar Saraiva Leão became the owner of São José, who donated the land to the patron saint São José. Through this noble gesture, the village began. On September 5, 1936, the mayor of Brejo do Cruz, Antônio Olímpio Maia, created the São José fair, which took place in the shade of the cajaraneira in front of the large house on the farm. This cajaraneira was planted by the head patriarch, Major Sabino Benício Saraiva Leão Castelo Branco, where today, despite being centenary, it continues to bear fruit. Also on the same day, a mass is celebrated in the main house by Monsignor Antônio Anacleto, when the foundation stone of the church is laid, whose construction began in January 1937 and was completed in the 1940s. Mário Saraiva, in addition to donating the land for the church, paid all the expenses for its construction. He also donated all the land for public buildings, with the exception of Grupo Escolar Olívia Saraiva Maia, simply because the governor at the time was Dr. Osvaldo Trigueiro, who insisted on buying the land to build the work. In addition, donated land for the construction of the houses that started the village. In 1947, a group of students led by José Genário Saraiva took the initiative to present plays both in the village of São José and in other neighboring communities. Only at the beginning of 2007, under the administration of Mayor Maria da Natividade Saraiva Maia, the municipal theater João Fernandes de Oliveira was built and installed, whose patron is José Genário Saraiva, who died on 21-01-1986, who bequeathed his name to the group city ​​theater. Between 1949 and 1952, the slaughterhouse, butcher shop and cemetery were built. Only in 1953 was the public market built. In 1982, electricity arrived in the district. The district was created with the name of São José, on December 22, 1961, subordinated to the municipality of Brejo do Cruz. On December 31, 1963, the district of São José appears in the municipality of Brejo do Cruz. Elevated to the category of municipality with the name of São José do Brejo da Cruz, April 29, 1994, separated from Brejo do Cruz.Headquarters in the former district of São José, current São José do Brejo do Cruz.

Local Offices
Cartório de Registro Civil Rua Francisco de Paula Saldanha, 125 Centro São José do Brejo do Cruz PB 58893-000 Telephone: (83) 3446-1005

Online Resources

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

Local Churches
Paróquia de São Sebastião Rua Cônego José Viana, s/n Centro São José do Brejo do Cruz PB 58893-000