| The Madeira Islands, a volcanic archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, 400 miles west of Morocco, constitute the Madeira Autonomous Region of Portugal. Comprising of the inhabited islands of Madeira and Porto Santo and the uninhabited Desertas and Selvagens. 1989 est. population of 273,200.
FUNCHAL, the capital, and the largest town, is on Madeira.
Madeira is mountainous with a subtropical climate. Sugarcane and tropical fruits are grown. The island is famous for its wine, embroidery and wickerwork. It is also a popular resort. The island of Porto Santo is northeast of Madeira, and cultivates wheat, barley and grapes.
The islands were colonized in 1420 by Portuguese squires sponsored by Prince Henry the Navigator.
GOVERNMENT ARCHIVES/VITAL RECORDS
REGIONAL ARCHIVE OF MADEIRA
Arquivo Regional da Madeira
Rua da Mouraria 31
Palacio de Sao Pedro
9000 Funchal Madeira Portugal
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...
Concelho: CALHETA
9370 Calheta Madeira Portugal
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
Concelho: CAMARA DE LOBOS
9300 Camara de Lobos Madeira Portugal
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
Concelho: FUNCHAL
9000 Funchal Madeira Portugal
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)
Concelho: MACHICO
9200 Machico Madeira Portugal
Town/Parish: Machico/Nossa Senhora da Conceicao; Canical/Sao Sebastiao; Porto da
Cruz/Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe
Concelho: PONTA DO SOL
Town/Parish: Ponta do Sol/Nossa Senhora da Luz; Canhas/Nossa Senhora da Piedade; Madalena do Mar/Santa Maria Madalena
Concelho: PORTO MONIZ
9270 Porto Moniz Madeira Portugal
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
Concelho: RIBEIRA BRAVA
9350 Ribeira Brava Madeira Portugal
Town/Parish: Campanario/Sao Braz; Ribeira Brava/Sao Bento; Serra d'Agua/Nossa Senhora da Ajuda; Tabua/Santissima Trindade
Concelho: SANTA CRUZ
9100 Santa Cruz Madeira Portugal
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
Concelho: SANTANA
9230 Santana Madeira Portugal
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
Concelho: SAO VICENTE
9240 Sao Vicente Madeira Portugal
Town/Parish: Sao Vicente/Sao Vicente; Ponta Delgada/Senhor Bom Jesus; Boaventura/Santa Quiteria
ISLAND OF PORTO SANTO
Concelho: PORTO SANTO
9400 Porto Santo Madeira Portugal
Town/Parish: entire island/Nossa Senhora da Piedade
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...
WHEN REQUESTING INFO: State the following: Complete name, date of event, ie: birth, marriage,etc. the freguesia (parish/village/town), your name, address (if writing from the states, include U.S.A. as part of your return
address); state your relationship, keep request short and to the point, close with a "Thank you for your services", no need to enclose a SASE, (documents
vary in size, cost of return postage will be included in the fee)...If the amount of the fee is quoted in Portuguese escudos, contact a local bank for the exchange rate. A postal/bank money order or personal check in U.S. dollars is advisible, DO NOT SEND CASH.
GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH SOURCES
Bureau of Genealogical Research
Rua da Ponte Nova, #43
9000 Funchal,Madeira,Portugal
Attn: Senhor Luis deMello.
Senhor Mello will do research for those requesting his service, there is a charge, remember when requesting any service to INQUIRE about the charges PRIOR to soliciting the service
SEPHARDIC HOUSE
Institue for Researching and Promoting
Sephardic History and Culture
2112 Broadway
New York NY 10023, USA
Attn: Dr. Janice E.Ovadiah, Executive Director
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.
THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS
GENEALOGICAL DEPARTMENT
aka: MORMON CHURCH (LDS)
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.
HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL SOCIETIES
PORTUGUESE GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF HAWAII, 810 North Vineyard Blvd, Rm. #11, Honolulu, HI 96817. E-mail address: chism@hi.net. Maxine Abreu Chism. This society will do research for people whose ancestors left Madeira, Azores, and Continental Portugal
from 1878 - 1913. This society is small, but most dedicated towards helping anyone who
had Portuguese ancestors that migrated to Hawaii. 1998 Yearly Dues: $10.00 per person; $12.00 per family. Quartely newsletter, "A Nossa Heranca Portuguesa" "Our Portuguese Heritage" is a very informative and helpful tool for both the new and seasoned researcher.
Passport Documents; Arrival and Departure of Immigrants Passenger Lists for the Sandwich Islands (Hawaiian Islands)
that are available on film for viewing at your local Family History Center of the Mormon Church.
Madeira Portugal - Emigration and Immigration
Goverment Civil Archives - 1820-1935
[Film # 1161271] - List of passengers going to the Sandwich Islands (Hawaiian Islands): 1883-1884 - item 3-5; Emigration and Immigration of Passengers: 1820-1822 - item 6; Record of Passports:
1893-1894 - item 7; Passports to North America: 1926-1935 - item 8(disorganized); Document
references and passports: 1858-1871 - item 9(disorganized)...
[Film # 1161272 & 1161273] - Document reference and passports: 1857 - 1871 (disorganized)...
[Film # 1238543] - Document reference and passports: 1858 - 1862 (disorganized)...
[Film # 1161274] - Register of Passports: 1822-1830
[Film # 1161275] - Register of Passports: 1830-1874
[Film # 1161276] - Register of Passports: 1874-1905
[Film # 1161277] - Register of Passports: 1907-1908 - item 1; Passports to Hawaii: 1885-1886 - item 2 Civil Documents: - 1852-1881 - - item 2 - (disorganized)
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
PUBLICATIONS
"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
* "United Portuguese Presbyterian Church of Jacksonville IL" 1887-1900 by Wanda Warkins Allers and Eileen Lynch Gochanour * "The Gathering of the Portuguese - 4th Presbyterian Church of
Springfield IL" by Wanda
Warkins Allers and Eileen Lynch Gochanour * "Jacksonville IL Portuguese Presbyterian Church 1900-1903" by Wanda Warkins Allers and Eileen Lynch Gochanour. For more information on the three publications written by Wanda and Eileen please write to Mrs.Gochanour, 430 Monroe St., Thayer, MO 65791-1515
* "Familias da Madeira e Porto Santo" available from the FHL on fiche or film
* "Nobiliario Genealogico das Familias" available from FHL on film.
* Contributed by Cheri Mello GFSCheriM@aol.com
I have found "The Random House-Portuguese-English-English-Portuguese Dictionary" to be a necessary companion
. BOOKSTORE
The English Bookshop Rua daCarreira 43, 9000 Funchal Madeira Portugal
Livaria Esperanca Rua dosFerreiros 119, 9000 Funchal Madeira Portugal
MISC. HELPFUL INFO
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.
FOOTNOTE
compiled 26 June 1995
by Patricia J. Silva Corbera for America Online's Genealogy Forum.
copyright 1997 Patricia Julia Silva Corbera |
