Portugal, Viana do Castelo, Miscellaneous Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Image Visibility
Whenever possible, FamilySearch makes images available for all users. However, ultimate rights to view images on our website are granted by the record custodians. Images for this collection are available at the Family History Library, FamilySearch Centers, and to members of the supporting organization—The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Images can be viewed at a FamilySearch Center near you.

Title in the Language of the Record
Portugal, Viana do Castelo, Registros Vários

Record Description
This collection includes civil registration records dating from 1636 to 1962 and housed at the Arquivo Distrital de Viana do Castelo, Portugal. Some types of civil registration records in this collection include passport registers, testaments, guardianships and inventories of minors and adults for inheritance distribution.

These records are written in Portuguese.

Record Content
Wills may contain the following information:


 * Names of Testator (the person who has died)
 * Executor (the person carrying out the will)
 * Heirs (the people who will receive the money or property of the Testator)
 * Heirs's birth dates, and places of residence
 * Testator’s birth date
 * Testator’s place of residence
 * Date and place where will was filed
 * Spouse’s name and birth date
 * Names of witnesses

Guardianships may contain the following information:


 * Names of guardian and ward

Passports may contain the following information:


 * Name, nationality, and gender of holder
 * Birth date of holder

How to Use the Record
This section provides information on how to search the collection, what to do with information once found, some tips on how to find records, and what to do if no record is found.

Search the Collection
To browse the collection by image: ⇒ Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the 'Municipality' category ⇒ Select the 'Record Type and Years' category

Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

When searching: As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor’s given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence and age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

For Help Reading These Records
These records are in Portuguese. For help reading the records, see the following resources:


 * Portuguese Genealogical Word List
 * Portuguese Letter-writing Guide
 * Learning Center Resources:
 * Portuguese Handwriting Lesson 1
 * Portuguese Handwriting Lesson 2
 * Portuguese Handwriting Lesson 3

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community.
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Check for variant spellings of the names.
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. In addition local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the records of nearby localities (or military units, counties, parishes, etc.).
 * Use the estimated age to calculate a birth date.

Related Websites

 * Maps of Viana do Castelo

Related Wiki Articles

 * Portugal
 * Viana do Castelo
 * Portugal Civil Registration

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. 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. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection citation:

Image citation: