This archive is not involved with genealogical research, its primary
function is to issue certificates of vital events to those
inquirers providing an exact parish and date. Request written
[English or Portuguese] confirmation of fee structure prior to
requesting actual service. The Arquivo Regional de Madeira stores Funchal parish records prior to 1893 and rural [outside Funchal area] parish records prior to 1885. Events recorded after the dates noted above can be found
in the county Conservatorias do Registo Civil of the eleven
counties [concelhos] of Madeira and of the smaller island of
Porto Santo
Listed below are the towns and parishes that make up each concelho located on the islands of Madeira and Porto Santo...
Town/Parish: Arco da Calheta/Sao Braz; Calheta/Espirito Santo; Estreito da Calheta/ Nossa Senhora da Grace; Faja da Ovelha/Sao Joao Baptista; Jardim do Mar/Nossa Senhora do Rosario; Paul do Mar/Santo Amaro; Ponta do Pargo/Sao Pedro; Prazeres/Nossa Senhora das Neves
Town/Parish: Camara de Lobos/Sao Sebastiao; Curral das Freiras/Nossa Senhora do Livramento; Estreito de Camara de Lobos/Nossa Senhora da Graca; Quinta Grande/Nossa Senhora dos Remedios
Town/Parish: Monte/Nossa Senhora de Conceicao; Santa Luzia/Santa Luzia; Santa Maria Maior/Nossa Senhora do Socorro; Santo Antonio/Santo Antonio; Sao Goncalo/Sao Goncalo de Amarante; Sao Martinho/Sao Martinho; Sao Pedro/Sao Pedro e Sao Paulo; Sao Roque/Sao Roque; Funchal/Se (cathedral)
Town/Parish: Machico/Nossa Senhora da Conceicao; Canical/Sao Sebastiao; Porto da Cruz/Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe
Town/Parish: Ponta do Sol/Nossa Senhora da Luz; Canhas/Nossa Senhora da Piedade; Madalena do Mar/Santa Maria Madalena
Town/Parish: Achadas da Cruz/Nossa Senhora do Livramento; Porto do Moniz/ Nossa Senhora da Conceicao; Ribeira da Janela/Nossa Senhora da Encarnacao; Seixal/Santo Antao
Town/Parish: Campanario/Sao Braz; Ribeira Brava/Sao Bento; Serra d'Agua/Nossa Senhora da Ajuda; Tabua/Santissima Trindade
Town/Parish: Santa Cruz/Divino Salvador; Santo Antonio da Serra/Santo Antonio; Agua de Pena/Santa Beatriz; Camacha/Sao Lourenco; Gaula/Nossa Senhora da Luz; Canico/Santo Antonio
Town/Parish: Santana/Santa Ana; Arco de Sao Jorge/Sao Jose; Faial/Nossa Senhora da Piedade; Sao Jorge/Sao Jorge; Sao Roque do Faial/Sao Roque
Town/Parish: Sao Vicente/Sao Vicente; Ponta Delgada/Senhor Bom Jesus; Boaventura/Santa Quiteria
NOTE: If an address is not noted above, address envelope with the name of the concelho/ 9000 Funchal Madeira Portugal ie: Conservatorias do Registo Civil Concelho da Calheta 9000 Funchal Madeira Portugal...all mail is routed through the main post office in Funchal, this also includes mail for the island of Porto Santo...
After the 1497 expulsion of the Jews from Portugal, many of our Portuguese ancestors formed communities outside their native lands. Sephardic House makes available publications referencing the history and cities that these people lived in.
Family History Centers (FHC) is a valuable source of information. Their facilities are open to the general public, with no membership requirements. Madeira Records can be found under "Topic List" PORTUGAL,MADEIRA, topics include: Church directories, church records, civil registration, description and travel, description and travel guide books, emigration and immigration, genealogy,history, maps, nobility, peridoicals and social life and customs. Microfilm of records can be ordered and viewed at the centers, (FHC) there is a charge for ordering film. Many centers have microfilms/fiche on site of Madeira records. Film #1183626, item #5, titled "Registo Genealogico De Familias Que Passaram A Madeira" (genealogical register of families that passed/settled in Madeira) lists many surnames, though written in Portuguese, with the help of a Portuguese-English Dictionary, one can find interesting info about early (as early as mid-1400s) settlers. Publications/booklets are also available on microfilm, ie. "Genealogical Word List, Portuguese" and "Basic Portuguese Paleography"
Refer to your local directory assistance for the address and phone number of the nearest FHC facility or contact the Salt Lake City, Utah, Genealogical Center at 1-801-240-2584.
THE AMERICAN-PORTUGUESE HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY, INC., P.O. Box 644, Taunton,Ma.,U.S.A. 02780-0644,Attn: Ms.Cecilia Rose
PORTUGUESE ANCESTRY,1155 Santa Ana, Seaside, Ca.,U.S.A. Attn: Ms. Rosemarie Capodicci.
Quarterly newsletter and an annual surname roster are included in the price of membership...Write for membership requirements and fee.
PORTUGUESE HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL SOCIETY, P.O. Box 161990, Sacramento,Ca.,95816 though not directly involved with genealogy, this society was organized to preserve Portuguese history, hertiage and culture in northern California. Their quarterly newsletter is very well written as well as informative
"Insight Guides, MADEIRA" Houghton Mifflin Company, 2 Park Street, Boston,Ma 02108 U.S.A
"The Portuguese,the land and it's people" by Marion Kaplan, Penguin Books, 375 Hudson Street,New York, New York,10014, U.S.A
"Portugal, Garden of Europe" by Julia Wilkinson, Passpoet Books, Lincolnwood, Illinois, U.S.A.
"Cadogan Guides Portugal" by David J.J.Evans, The Globe Pequot Press, Chester, Conn.06412, U.S.A.
"Portuguese Immigrants The Centennial Story of the Portuguese Union of the State of California" by Carlos Almeida, Supreme Council of U.P.E.C., 1120 East 14th.Street, San Leandro, Ca. 94577. U.S.A
"Portuguese Pioneers of the Sacramento Area " by Lionel Holmes, 6430 Surfside Way, Sacramento, Ca 95831, U.S.A.
"The Cross and the Pear Tree A Sephardic Journey" by Victor Perera (Perreira/Pereir ) Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. Publisher ISBN 0-394-58351-5
"In Search of Your European Roots" by Angus Baxter Genealogical Publishing Co. Inc. Baltimore, Maryland ISBN 0-8063-1114-2
For those of us, that do not speak, read nor write Portuguese, I have found "The Random House-Portuguese-English-English-Portuguese Dictionary" to be a necessary companion.
The English Bookshop Rua daCarreira 43, 9000 Funchal Madeira Portugal
Livaria Esperanca Rua dosFerreiros 119, 9000 Funchal Madeira Portugal
TAP AIR PORTUGAL, 521-5th. Avenue, New York, NY 10017, (tel 800-221-7370) upon request will supply wonderful travel brochures, a great tool for learning more about Madeira and Mainland Portugal.
The Bureau of Portuguese Tourism, 590 5th. Ave. New York, New York, 10036 (tel 1-800-Portugal) upon written or phone request will furnish informational booklets and maps at no charge
National Tourist Office, Secretaria Regional doTurismo, Avenida Arriaga 18, 9000 Funchal, Madeira, Portugal.
Learning about the history, heritage and culture of Madeira will only enhance ones overall understanding of ones ancestrial background, and along the way one may find an ancestor or two...Don't wait, begin your "Journey of Discovery" today...
A special thank you to Luis de Sousa Mello, genealogist and historian for contributing the concelho postal addresses as well as information on parish records stored in the Arquivo Regional de Madeira. Mr. Mello was the Director of the Arquivo Regional de Madeira, until his recent retirement.