MyHeritage Releases Millions of Exclusive Historical Records from Pernambuco, Brazil
- By Talya
We are excited to announce the publication of 9.7 million records from the state of Pernambuco, Brazil from 3 record collections: Pernambuco Births, 1800–1920, Marriages, 1800–1960, and Deaths, 1820–2017. Pernambuco Births and Marriages are new collections to MyHeritage. Pernambuco Deaths was first published last year and is now updated with millions of new records. The collections are exclusive to MyHeritage and each contain beautiful scanned images of the original records alongside a detailed index. If your ancestors or relatives lived in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil during the 19th and 20th centuries, these collections can offer exciting details about them.
The State of Pernambuco constitutes a slice of land on the eastern side of Brazil, and its coastal capital, Recife, is one of the most important economic centers in the country. Pernambuco is steeped in tradition from the many cultures who impacted the region throughout its storied history.
Originally inhabited by indigenous Tupi-Guarani-speaking peoples, Pernambuco was colonized by the Portuguese in the early 16th century in order to source Pernambuco’s prized Brazilwood, a timber tree that was useful for making European dyes. In the 17th century, the Dutch arrived in Pernambuco, and though their rule lasted for only 24 years, it had a significant impact on the cultural and ethnic makeup of Pernambuco. It is believed that many inhabitants of its middle region, known as the agreste region, have some Dutch heritage.
The Pernambuco collections on MyHeritage feature a snapshot of Pernambuco history during a period of arguably its most dramatic political, economic and social transformations. The Pernambuco Revolt in 1817 was one of the first revolts in Brazil that challenged Portugese rule. After Brazil declared its independence from Portugal in 1822, two additional revolts centered around political and economic challenges plagued Pernambuco in the 1830s. By 1888, slavery was abolished, and with it began the fracture of Pernambuco’s centuries-old economic reliance on cotton and sugar plantations. Today, new industries and tourism have helped bring Pernambuco new hope and a better quality of life.
Here is more information about each of the collections.
Brazil, Pernambuco Births and Baptisms, 1800–1920
The 4.9 millions records in the collection originate from churches and city archives from the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. They include original birth certificates and baptismal registers as well as an index of birth certificates. The records span the years 1800 to 1920 and include the name of the child, gender, date of birth, and often other important details such as information on the father, the mother, and the baptism.
The year range in the collection title represents the years covered by the majority of the records. However, some records may be from earlier or later years.
Search Brazil, Pernambuco Births and Baptisms, 1800–1920
Brazil, Pernambuco Marriages, 1800–1960
These 1.9 million records originate from churches and city archives from the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. They include original marriage certificates as well as an index of marriage certificates. The records span the years 1800 to 1960 and include the name of the bride and groom, their date and place of birth, and frequently the couples’ parents’ names as well.
The year range in the collection title represents the years covered by the majority of the records. However, some records may be from earlier or later years.
Search Brazil, Pernambuco Marriages, 1800–1960
Brazil, Pernambuco Deaths, 1930-2017 (Update)
In March of 2020 we added this Pernambuco Death collection. This month, we’ve added 2.8 million more records to the existing collection, reaching a total of 6 million records. The collection includes cemeteries, churches, and city archives from the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. They include original death certificates as well as an index of death certificates. The records span the years 1930 to 2017 and may include the name of the deceased, gender, date of death, age at death, and often other important details such as information on the deceased’s spouse, father, mother, and children.
The year range in the collection title represents the years covered by the majority of the records. However, some records may be from earlier or later years.
The cemetery records are from the following cemeteries:
– Santo Amaro Cemetery
– Cemitério dos Ingleses
– Parque das Flores Cemetery
– Casa Amarela Cemetery
– Tejipió Cemetery
– Varzea Cemetery
Search Brazil, Pernambuco Deaths, 1930-2017
Sample Records
The birth record collection contains the birth record of Brazilian writer, Osman Lins da Costa, famous for his novels, short stories, and plays. His birth record includes his date of birth and his christening date as well as his father’s and mother’s full names.
The marriage collection contains the record of Paulo Freire and his marriage to Elza Maria Costa Oliveira. Paulo was a pioneer in the field of educational philosophy and contributed greatly to the field of critical pedagogy with his book, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, which remains one of the most popular books in the field of social science.The marriage record contains Paulo’s and Elza’s dates of birth and residences as well as the names of their parents.
The death collection includes the record of the famous Pernambuco artist, Vicente Murillo La Greca. Born and raised in Recife, La Greca left his hometown at age 18 to study art first in Rio de Janeiro and then later in Rome, Italy. Later in life, La Greca returned to Recife to help found an art museum.La Greca’s death record includes the date of his death, age at the time of death, and place of death. Our index contains these details and also infers an approximate birth date.
Summary
The Pernambuco collections can offer new leads and insights for those interested in learning more about their roots in Brazil.
Searching the collections on MyHeritage is free. To view these records or to save records to your family tree, you’ll need a Data or Complete subscription. If you have a family tree on MyHeritage, our Record Matching technology will notify you automatically if records from these collections match your relatives.
Enjoy the new collections!
Bob Witney
August 7, 2021
This is exciting. Any work being done to acquire records from Rio Grande Do Sul?