Cape Verde Church Records

For information about records for non-Christian religions in Cape Verde, go to the Religious Records page.

How to Find the Records
The original church records of Cape Verde can be found at the National Archive and the Roman Catholic Diocesan Archive.

Online Resources and Websites

 * 1787-1957 - at FamilySearch — index and images (records in Portuguese)

Historical Background
Cape Verde was discovered and colonized by Portugal in the 1400s. Because of this, the church records found in Cape Verde are Catholic church records, the official religion of Portugal. Mandated by the Council of Trent in the 16th century, church records are the primary genealogical source for Cape Verde; church records were kept from the 1600s onward. 60% of the population can be found in church records in the early periods; 95% of the population can be found in these records during the 19th century.

The primary genealogical research use for church records is to uniquely identify individuals and link generations.

Information Recorded in the Records
Baptism records usually list:
 * Name of child
 * Name of parents
 * Birth date and place of child
 * Names of grandparents (occasionally)

Marriage records usually list:
 * Name of groom
 * Name of bride
 * Marriage date and place
 * Name of parents (occasionally)

Death records usually list:
 * Name of deceased
 * Death date and place
 * Residence
 * Age
 * Names of family members or relatives