Portugal, Santarém, Catholic Church 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. The Portugal, Santarém, Catholic Church Records collection is available to the Family History Library, FamilySearch Centers, and to members of the supporting organization, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The images can be viewed at a FamilySearch Center near you.

Title in the Language of the Record
Portugal, Santarém, Registros Paroquiais

Record Description
This collection includes Catholic Church records created by parishes in the district of Santarém. These records include: baptisms, marriages, and deaths. These records are written in Portuguese. The records are housed at the Arquivo Distrital de Santarém.

Record Content
Baptism records may contain the following information:


 * Child’s name and gender
 * Date and place of baptism
 * Parents’ names and residence

Marriage records generally contain the following information:


 * Marriage date and place
 * Bride’s name, age, origin and residence
 * Groom’s name, age, origin, residence and occupation
 * Parents’ names
 * Witnesses’ names

Death records usually contain the following information:


 * Name of the deceased
 * Age, gender, origin and residence
 * Date and place of death
 * Witnesses’ names

Search the Collection
To browse the collection by image: ⇒Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒Select the "District" category ⇒Select the "Municipality" category ⇒Select the "Civil Parish" category ⇒Select the "Parish" category ⇒Select the "Record Type and Years" category which takes you to the images.

Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person 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.

Using the Information

 * Use the age to calculate a birth date.
 * Birth and marriage records usually give the parents’ names. Look for records of the parents.
 * The same parish may include records for siblings or other family members.

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.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who records in the same or nearby parishes.

Unable to Find your Ancestor?

 * 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 parishes.

Related Websites

 * Maps of Santarém
 * Histories of Santarém

Related Wiki Articles

 * Portugal
 * Santarem
 * Portugal Church Records

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information (often called citing 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.

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