Death Records. I found death records the most difficult to read - easier as time went on. There is wonderful information in these records. It is the best source of information as to the social standing and wealth of a person in a village. These records often state that a person left a will. Until about the early 1800s people were buried in the church...not in coffins; lime helped for faster decomposition. In many of the earlier records the exact location of burial was given : in front of the pulpit, on the gospel side near the gate of the chapel of St. Joseph, etc. One of my ancestors was buried in the grave of his grandmother, Catarina Jacome. This was interesting. Her death record states that she was poor, and buried in the grave of her ancestors..and yet she had a rather large funeral. Lots of masses, etc. She died in 1617. Now her husband was wealthy, had orange groves, etc, and when he died his two sons were executors of his will, and he was buried near the pulpit. I wonder if these two were separated. .I've tried to find out about orange groves around Santa Barbara, Terceira. This in the late 1500-1600 period. Nothing The death records give us a social idea of the parish...from the noble class to the very poor. We can learn something about the status of our ancestors. Such as "he was wrapped in a sheet, as he had no proper clothes for burial" Often the record will note the amount paid for the burial, "such as 120 Reis paid for burial ". "Or he made no testament for being very poor and was buried gratis." And then something like the following: My ancestor, Joana Gonsalves, died on 16 Sept 1730, in Sao Bento, Terceira, and was buried in her brother's private grave, next to the screen on the Epistle side. Her brother, Manuel Simoes in his will , had provided 50,000 reis for the costs of his funeral. Also interesting in the death records is to read: Emilia Vieira left her terca to her daughter , Joanna Sousa. So one wonders where this terca came from - what morgado? From what I remember about morgados is that this is an entailment, and that one who inherited the morgado could leave a third to a cousin, sister, etc. I noted several of my ancestors (women) who left terca's to their daughters. I am not a good enough genealogist to figure out from what morgado that terca came from. Maybe it is not possible. So remember, it isn't only baptism and marriage records. Learn to read the death records.
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