Mata Grande, Alagoas, Brazil Genealogy

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

History
The fertile land mountain where the village was formed, gave name to the municipality of Mata Grande. The settlement of the village core that gave rise to the current city of Mata Grande began in 1791. With a deed of donation, João Gonçalves Teixeira and his wife Maria Luiza, donated a part of the land, called Cumbe, located in Matas de Santa Cruz, to build a chapel.

According to the writer Djalma Mendonça, Cumbe was the first denomination of those lands. According to the deeds, João Gonçalves Teixeira installed a cattle farm located where the city of Mata Grande is today. The deeds of 1808 document Mata do Pau Grande, as a parish of Nossa Senhora da Saúde de Tacaratú. It changed its name to Mata Grande in 1835, when the district of Penedo was annexed. On March 18, 1837, by provincial resolution nº 18, Mata Grande was elevated to the category of town and parish. Mata Grande lost its prerogatives as a village, by Law nº 43, of May 4, 1846, being incorporated into Traipu. Six years later, through Law 197 of July 28, 1852, it acquired the prerogatives again. It took the name of Paulo Afonso by Law No. 516, of April 30, 1870. Law No. 328, of June 5, 1902, raised the category of the city, keeping the name of Paulo Afonso. On May 25, 1929, it was renamed Mata Grande with full emancipation on March 18, 1902.

Former Names:
 * Cumbe
 * Mata do Pau Grande
 * Paulo Afonso

Local Offices
Ofício de registro civil das pessoas naturais e tabelionato de notas Cartório de Maria Praç. Cel. José Malta de Sá, 87 Centro Mata Grande Mata Grande CEP: 57540-000 Alagoas Telephone: (0xx82) 3642-1171 Email: registrocivilenotas.matagrande.al@hotmail.com

Other Institutions
Biblioteca Pública Municipal Floriano Peixoto Rua Ubaldo Malta, 107 -Centro Telephone: (82) 3642-1122 E-mail: semedmg@gmail.com

Prefeitura Municipal de Mata Grande R. Ubaldo Malta, 107 – Centro CEP: 57540-000 Tel.: (82) 3642-1105 Fax: (82) 3642-1112 Email: pmatagrande.al@ig.com.br Website: http://www.matagrande.al.cnm.org.br/portal1/intro.asp?iIdMun=100127053