Congo, Paraíba, Brazil Genealogy

Guide to Municipality of Congo ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, church records, parish registers, and civil registration.

History
The first buildings in the current city were a chapel and a house built in 1836 by an old black man, known by the nickname of ?Congo? who, according to some historians, would have been a slave and of congloesian origin, hence the origin of the toponym. The small temple and the hovel were built on a portion of land donated by Captain José Rodrigues Correia who since 1830 had established a cattle farm together with his wife D. Emerenciana Campos de Jesus in the region of the municipality. For some time the municipality was called Santa Ana do Cariri, later returning to its original name. The village was elevated to the category of district by Law nº 480, of November 17, 1871 and its current mother church was built in 1947. The economic development, social and political movement of the municipality was promoted by Colonel Francisco Lourenço da Costa, Sr. Zeferino Alves Feitosa and Colonel Francisco Travassos, in addition to the Campos family. In 1911, the municipality of São João do Cariri, the district of Santana do Congo. On November 15, 1938, the district of Santana do Congo was renamed simply Congo. Elevated to the category of municipality with the name of Congo, on April 24, 1959, separated from São João do Cariri.

Local Offices
Cartório de Registro Civil das Pessoas Naturais Rua Abelardo Pereira, s/n Centro Congo Paraíba 58535-000 Telephone: (83) 3359-1055 E-mail: vicentecartorio@neocart.com.br

Online Resources

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

Local Churches
Paróquia de São Pedro Rua Dep. Álvaro Gaudêncio, s/n Centro Congo Paraíba 58535-000 Telephone: (83) 3359-1118