Brazil, Piauí, Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Records
Registros civis do Estado de Piauí, Brasil.

Record Description
This collection of civil records includes the years 1890-2011 and contains digital images of civil registrations of birth, marriage, and death from civil registry offices (cartórios) in the Piauí State, Brazil. Regularly, the registration of civil records was created in books sequentially numerated preceded by a letter A, B, C or E, according to the type of registry as follows: “A” for births, “B” for Marriages and “B-Aux” for religious marriages with civil effect, “C” for death, and “E” for other type of registry. The civil records of birth, marriage, and deaths are usually listed in chronological order by the date of registration. The old registry books were handwritten in narrative style, but the newer and current registries are handwritten in formatted records. These civil records include a vast of reliable information for doing family history research after 1888. Additional images will be added to this published collection as they become available.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the data and images published on FamilySearch.org Historical Records. It may include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
Key genealogical facts found in birth records may include:


 * Name of parish
 * Name of person making the registration
 * Date, time, and place of birth
 * Name of the child
 * Color/race and sex of the child
 * Names, residence, and occupation of the parents
 * Names and residence of grandparents
 * Names of witnesses

Key genealogical facts found in marriage records may include:


 * Date, place, and time of marriage
 * Names of bride and groom
 * Bride and groom place of origin and residence
 * Parents’ names, residence, age, and civil status
 * Names, age, and residence of the witnesses

Key genealogical facts found in death records may include:


 * Date and place of registration
 * Name of person making the registration
 * Date, time, and place of death
 * Name of doctor and the cause of death
 * Name, sex, age, and race of the deceased
 * Name, residence, and occupation of parents
 * Burial place

How to Use the Record
To search the collection, select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the Município ⇒ Select the Cartório ⇒ Select the Tipo de Registro e Anos 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.

Begin your search by finding your ancestors in the index. Name indexes to births, marriages, and death make it possible to access a specific record quickly. Remember that these indexes may contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.

When searching the index 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

Use the locator information found in the index (such as page, entry, or certificate number) to locate your ancestors in the records. Compare the information in the record to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct person. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination.

When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family.

For example:


 * 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.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and land records.
 * Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records.
 * Use the parents’ birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.
 * The name of the 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.
 * Continue to search the marriage records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives of the bride and groom who may have married in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * Use the marriage number to identify previous marriages.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

Keep in mind:


 * The information in church records is usually reliable, depending upon the reliability of the informant.
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1800.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another.

If you are unable to find the ancestors you are looking for, try the following:


 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Check for a different index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities.

Related Websites

 * Cadastro de Serventias Públicas do Estado de Piauí
 * Certidões de Registro Civil
 * História do Registro Civil do Brasil
 * Cartórios e Tabeliães

Related Wiki Articles

 * Brazil Civil Registration- Vital Records
 * Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collection
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.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
"Brazil, Piaui, Civil Registration, 1890-2012," images, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org: accessed 17 May 2012), Esperantina &gt; Cartorio Dedeus C. Lages &gt; Obitos 2011 Mar-Out &gt; Image 10 of 68, Adelia Maria Duarte, died 11 April 2011; citing several Municipal Offices of the Civil Registry for the Natural People in the State of Piauí, Civil Registry, 1890-2011, Corregedor Geral da Justicia, Piauí, Brasil.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.