FIND YOUR PORTUGUESE ANCESTOR through TRANSCRIPTS, ABSTRACTS and TRANSLATIONS of HISTORICAL PORTUGUESE RECORDS




I am a Professional Genealogist, bilingual in Portuguese/English, an immigrant to the United States, and a proud American Citizen as much as I am of my ancestry. Besides my deep knowledge of the Portuguese language, I have a skill set for Paleography that runs in my genetics[1]. I am very detail oriented and work in-house, personally, not affiliated with any business, which is more cost-effective and trustworthy.

I can be reached at myportuguesegen at gmail.com  

I have been working with historical transcripts and translations of Portuguese records into English for more than ten years. When working on a project I give the best of my knowledge in paleography, the Portuguese language, its socio-history and peculiarities of each century.

Documents are an important component in our genealogical research as they can help us build our own family history. I ask you:

  • Do you have ancestors from a Portuguese language country?
  • Did you find manuscripts or books that contain your ancestor's name?
  • Do you know the content of a specific record you have in your hand?
  • Do you need any help transcribing or translating a Portuguese record?

If you said yes and need assistance with any of the above questions, do not hesitate to contact me. Language can become a barrier and affects an investigation when the content of a manuscript is not properly understood and translated.

You may be sure that I will be glad to answer any of your questions regarding Portuguese transcripts from records going back to the 1600's. I can also translate these same manuscripts into English. The transcript and translation of an original record will open new doors for your research and family history.

Last but not least, take a moment to read some of my clients' feedback at the bottom of this page. Through the years, I have built up a customer portfolio of very happy returning clients. I am so proud of the work I personally did for each of them. Customer reviews are important feedback to evaluate my work. I will do my best to bring your family history to the next level!

[1] Francisco Ferreira Drummond, my 3rd. great-grandfather, and a historian from Terceira Island, Azores, was also a Paleographer.  Through his history books about the Azores he not only brought to life many historical facts from medieval documents, but he also translated many of those manuscripts from Latin into the Portuguese language.

https://myportuguesegen.blogspot.com/2017/08/genealogical-translation.html

TRANSCRIPT | TRANSLATION | ABSTRACT


When I transcribe a manuscript all the elements of the text are kept exactly as they appear on the original document, including all the abbreviations. While doing an abstract, only the relevant information is provided, including dates, places and full names. 

I will use as an example the baptism record of my maternal 3rd grandmother Balbina, from Cabo da Praia, Terceira Island, in the Azores. The digital record is part of Biblioteca Pública and Arquivo Regional deAngra do Heroismo website.

If you are transcribing, it is very tricky if you do not know the original language. In earlier times, it was common to have intricate words besides different styles of writing in a document, as you can see below.


 

Below is the above document transcribed, the text is exactly as it appears on the original one, line by line, following the way the scribe wrote. Any notation between brackets is information I provide as an explanation for what was abbreviated on the original record. To make it easier following and reading the original record, I numbered the lines on the left side, each line corresponding to the same ones in the original document.

1             1829
2             Balbina, filha de João Jaquez e de sua mer.[mulher]
3             Maria do Carmo ella nal.[natural] da Villa de S. Se
4             bastião e ele nal.[natural] e ambos freguezes desta
5             Parochial de Sta. Catharina lugar do
6             Cabo da Praia desta Ilha 3a. nasceo em
7             os quinze dias do mez de Novembro do an-
8             no de mil oito centos e vinte nove. Foi Ba
9             tizada por mim Vicente Toste Coelho Vigro.[Vigario]
10           proprio desta da.[dita] Parochia, em os vinte
11           e dois dias do do.[dito] mez, e como logo lhe im
12           puz os Stos.[Santos] Oleos: foi Padrinho Franco.[Francisco]
13           Mdo. [Machado] cazado com Rita Ignacia nossos
14           Parochianos Era ut Supra.
15           Vigro  Vicente Toste Coelho


If you are looking for a translation, I have the same above document translated below. The text describes what is in the original record but do not attain to its original format of writing, line by line, as I have done above. Portuguese and English differ in many ways in structuring the grammar of sentences, but the result does not change its original content.

1829
Balbina, daughter of João Jacques and his wife Maria do Carmo. She [the mother] is a native of Vila de São Sebastião and he [the father] is a native of Santa Catarina Parish, Cabo da Praia, Terceira island, where both are parishioners. She [the child] was born on fifteen of November of eighteen twenty-nine years, and was baptized by myself, the Vicar Vicente Toste Coelho, Vicar from the same Parish, on the twenty-second of the same month and year. The Godfather was Francisco Machado, married to Rita Inácia, and both are our parishioners. The date is as above. [Signed by] the Vicar Vicente Toste Coelho.

If you want to learn more how to read old records and how to make transcripts, useful free resources are listed below:

UK National Archives Paleography Tutorial - UK National Archives

Spanish Paleography Tool - CUNY Dominican Studies Institute

Smithsonian Institution Archives Transcription Projects - Smithsonian Transcription Center


24 comments:

  1. Isabella - thanks again for the outstanding work you did in tracing and translating my Azorean lineage all the way back to the 1600's. Your knowledge of the history of the island and your facility with finding and translating birth and marriage records are fantastic. I have learned quite a bit from you and it has enhanced my genealogy research in invaluable ways! I highly recommend Isabella services.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dear Isabella,
    Thank you so much for your wonderful transcriptions and translations of three sixteenth century Portuguese texts that were pertinent for my thesis. Your service was invaluable in understanding the specific content of the documents. You have a wonderful skill set! Thank you again!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Boa tarde .... Caro Isabella,

    First off this is so AWESOME what you have done here, I applaud you!!! Wow, this all helped so much....I do have a question thou and I wanted to run it by you first in asking... I see that some of the records from Sao Roque, Ilha do pico only go to about 1901...where do you find the births after 1901, Deaths too. ? I'm desperately trying to find those, from my great uncle. Their last name was Avila Bettencourt, he may have dropped the Bettencourt though. He came to america with 4 of his 9 children, he went back though to take care of the rest, because the mother died sometime between 1918-1920. there was..1 boy and 4 girls and there was a set of twins in that too. I was so honored and proud to see the info you have put on here and I found the missing part to my grandfather, it's taken me over 34 year to complete that journey and I bless you for that so much, it just overcame me with emotions. I just wish I could find out what happen to the rest of my cousins from Eduardo Avila's side,my great uncle. Right now his only granddaughter that is left here in the states would be at peace knowing what happened to her uncle and aunts. If you could steer me in the right direction to get that info, I'd be so humbly honored. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Thank You again for all the awesome work you have done here, from one genealogists to another, Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello, I'm so glad that my blog is helping you with your genealogy and I hope I can continue improve it, people like you are those who pushes me to go ahead and continue doing this work. Regarding your question about São Roque, Pico island, I just looked at CCA and they are all online, until 1910, baptisms, marriages and death. After that period the civil registration took place on documenting those events. If you are having difficult to access them, let me know writing to my email at: myportuguesegen at gmail dot com and I will send you the links.
      Looking forward hearing from you.
      Isabella

      Delete
  4. Isabella is great. She has brought me further back on my ancestral research than I could have ever thought possible. Nobody in my family has ever had this information and I am grateful for it. I feel like each of these people (my ancestors) have been re-discovered by her and that they are now honored because of it. I feel like each of these people are my friends. I am where I am because of them.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Isabella,

    Thank you very much for your transcription and translation of my family's Sao Jorge baptism and marriage records. I was so excited to read the words written so long ago! It made my day!

    Your work was quick, and you care about what you do. I also liked the nice touch of the title page with the photograph.

    This is just the beginning! I hope to find many more records and have you transcribe and translate them.

    Thanks again.

    ReplyDelete
  6. M search is at a dead in with the first ancestor found as Manuel J Pimentel born 1851 married to Anna George. Evelyn Freitas, mother was Berniece E Rodriques.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello, if you need any help to proceed with your research, you can send me an email to
      myportuguesegen @ gmail dot com
      I will gladly help you.
      Isabella

      Delete
  7. Isabella,

    Thank you so much for your skillful and helpful translation of my ancestor's marriage record from the parish registers of Lages do Pico, Azores from the early 1800s. The information from the record was helpful to my research. I was especially happy with your attractive presentation of the document with the church photo along with the original Portuguese record together with the English. translation in a nicely laid out pdf.

    I would not hesitate to utilize your services again and I highly recommend your service to other researchers.

    Best,

    Tim Riley

    ReplyDelete
  8. Isabella,
    I cannot overemphasize how delighted I am with the work you have done on my wife's genealogy. You have been incredibly professional and very fast and fastidious in your work. That you have been able to find her Azores relatives back to the early 1700s on the island of Flores has been remarkable! I am not finished with having you research her family but I just wanted to take this opportunity to post on your blog so that I could highly recommend you to anyone searching for ancestors with Portuguese roots especially in the Azores! You get my highest recommendation!!
    Thanks,
    Pat

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Patrick, it is been a pleasure working with you and your family. Thank you so much for your support and incentive. Isabella

      Delete
  9. Isabella,
    Thank you so much for your work on my wife's Azores genealogy. Your work has been incredible. Finding her ancestors on Flores back to the early 1700s is amazing. I am not done with having you explore her roots there but I did want to post on your blog how satisfied I am with your work and to recommend you highly to anyone looking for help with Portuguese roots especially in the Azores! You are incredible. Your work is extremely professional and it is done quickly with great reports for each of the searches you do. I can't thank you enough!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Charmaine JardineFriday, 20 October, 2017

    Hi Isabella

    I found my ancestors from the 1800's birth and marriage certificates at the Madeira archives, as I do not speak Portuguese I dont have a clue what it says and would like to have it translated what is your rates please.

    Thank you
    Charmaine

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Charmaine, that's great you found some of your ancestors. I will be glad to help you. Please send me an email to myportuguesegen at gmail.com and I will forward my services folder. Thank you for contacting. Isabella

      Delete
  11. Isabella,

    I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your great work, courtesy and expertise. I got stuck on Ancestry in the late 1800’s and I knew I had to find someone who knew how to navigate the waters of the Azores. I am incredibly impressed by your ability to decipher the cryptic writings of the obscure documents you find and your ability to communicate with the people necessary to get these documents. I’m also impressed with your reports, as they are professional, concise and compelling. I keep re-reading them over and over. Now, we are back to the early 1700’s and I am waiting to hear back from the Portuguese Consulate - When I hear from them, we return to Pico to find out more. I look forward to working with you soon!

    Regards,

    Wayne Allen Kimes , NC

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wayne,

      I enjoy every research I do in family history! Every little bit piece of new information you got from my reports counts in double on my side. When I am able to interact with new people and search for their past families, like I did for you, I also have the opportunity to learn more from those who lived our own history in the Azores, and be grateful to their heritage and to be a part of it.

      Thank you for working with me.

      Isabella

      Delete
  12. Isabella,

    You have truly been a blessing. I am 4th generation US born and our family has lost all knowledge of our Portuguese culture and language. I was so overwhelmed when I first started my research. I accidently fell upon your blog and it inspired me to jump right in. You have been so willing to help me on all my questions which normally would have been road blocks. My research is just getting started but I wanted your readers to know how much you are appreciated!

    Patricia

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Patricia,

      It is a pleasure to have people like you looking forward to learn more about their own ancestors, the history they lived, where they lived, plus be engaged into learning their native language and decipher the old manuscripts that tells their story.

      I have to thank you for your kindness in posting a comment on my blog. Here is where I build my clientele. Endorsements like your is all I need! Thank you,

      Isabella

      Delete
  13. Hello, I have been researching my family tree in St Michaels for many years. I would like to request two death records from Ponta Delgada St Michaels. One is my great grandfather and the other is for my great grandmother. I know their names and their parents names. I also know they died somewhere between 1911 and 1920. Would you have any information to help me obtain these records? I would appreciate your help Thank you

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good morning, thank you for visiting my blog. I sure can help you obtaining the records if you have the correct names. Can you please send me an email to myportuguesegen at gmail.com? Include all the pertinent information and I will get back to you with cost. Regards, Isabella

      Delete
  14. I found your site and your work is wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Caroline, thank you for your kind comment! Let me know if you need any extra help. Best, Isabella

      Delete
  15. I am truly amazed at the report you provided about my 2x great grandfathers family from Sao Miguel. I had been researching for so long but came to a halt due to lack of knowledge of the language and where to begin looking for any more records. I jumped at the chance to have you help my family and myself gain the knowledge we were seeking. It meant the world to my dad especially since he was very close with his mom and her parents who died when he was a teenager. Thank you for this gift of knowledge you have given us!! I will definitely be a repeat customer!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Rachel. It is a pleasure to help you and your family with your ancestors.

      Delete

Thanks for visiting my My Portuguese Gen website. I wish you an exciting experience finding out more about your Portuguese ancestors in United States, Azores, Madeira, Portugal, Brazil through the resources I provide. They are so many and I try always to keep them updated.

If you want to share your thoughts about your experience here, or want to learn more about how to expand your Portuguese ancestry, you can leave me a message.

If you left a message and it does not show yet, be sure, it was received and soon will appear on the comments.

Again, thank you.

Isabella Baltar