Torres Novas, Santarém, Portugal Genealogy

This is a historical and genealogical guide to the municipality of Torres Novas.

History

 * Torres Novas is a municipality in the District of Santarém in Portugal.
 * Torres Novas was settled as early as the Paelothic era.
 * Following the 12th century the territory was known as Turris began to develop into its actural limits, with the expulsion of the Moors by 1148.
 * The municipality was issued the foral on 1 October 1190 by King Sancho.
 * In 1304 the lands of Torres Novas passed into the possessions of Queen Leonor of Aragon.
 * Isabel of Avis was the donatário at the first half of the 15th century, receiving a new foral, during the reign of Manuel I of Portugal in 1510.
 * Torres Novas is divided into 10 civil parishes.
 * The population of Torres Novas is roughly 36,700 people.

Online Records
After 100 years, all civil registration records are sent to the municipality's district office.

To view online civil registration records, visit Santarém Civil Registration.

Contact a Civil Registration Office
The following is a list of civil registration offices within the municipality.

Conservatória do Registo Civil de Torres Novas R. 25 Abril Pal 2350-774 Torres Novas PORTUGAL Phone: 249812719 Email: [mailto:crc.torres-novas@dgrn.mj.pt crc.torres-novas@dgrn.mj.pt]

Communicate your request in Portuguese whenever possible. For writing a letter or email in Portuguese, use the translated questions and phrases in this Portuguese Letter-writing Guide.

Online Records
In 1910, the Portuguese government transferred all birth, marriage, and death records from all the country's parishes to the district offices. These records are now in either District or National archives. Many of these records have been digitized and can be viewed at the District Archive's website or on FamilySearch.

To view online records, visit Santarém Church Records.

Contact a Parish
If you are seeking church records created more recently than 1910, it is possible to obtain them by writing to the parish where the record was created. Writing to a parish is not always a reliable way to obtain information, because officials may or may not respond.

Conferência Episcopal Portuguesa lists websites for the 20 Dioceses of Portugal. Once on the Diocesan website, use the listing of parishes (paróquias) to locate contact information for the parish in question.

Communicate your request in Portuguese whenever possible. For writing a letter or email in Portuguese, use the translated questions and phrases in this Portuguese Letter-writing Guide.

Cemeteries
Cemeteries did not become popular in Portugal until the late nineteenth century. Prior to this, individuals were buried in their parish church cemetery, and their bones were later removed to an unmarked burial place.

Family History Centers
Leiria Portugal Family History Center Rua Henrique Sommer 24 LEIRIA 2410-107 PORTUGAL Phone: +351 44-823-617 Email: [mailto:PT_Leiria@familyhistorymail.org PT_Leiria@familyhistorymail.org] Website: Leiria Portugal Family History Center