Help with Martin de Cunha family records from Faial

[Ken Foley]

Hello:

   I'm brand new to this forum and am admittedly out of my element, so please correct me if I'm doing this incorrectly. 

   I'm trying to find the birth record for my maternal grandfather, Antonio Martin de Cunha, born (I believe) 8/21/1881, on (I believe) Faial. I've hit a wall in my research and would love some input as to what I should try next. We're travelling to the Azores soon (my first time there) and I'd love to be armed with more family info.

    I got the birth date and island assumptions above from immigration, selective service, Social Security, and US and Rhode Island census records, but am not 100% sure of either. So far I have searched all the archived baptism records for all 13 parishes on Faial for an Antonio with parents Jose and Anna Martin de Cunha, starting in mid-August of 1881, through January, 1882 (assuming that they would have had him baptised by age 4 months). No luck.

   Question #1: Is that a proper assumption I am making as to baptism age?

   Antonio immigrated to the US at age 9, if my birth date is correct, on 5/21/1891 on the ship Vega with his parents, Jose de Cunha, born 1/1848, and Anna Martin de Cunha, born 5/1850. They were accompanied by five siblings, Marie 4/1877, Amelia (?Allinia? ...hard to read) 7/1885, Carlos 10/1883, Julius 9/1886, and Laura 10/1888.

It appears they went to Massachusetts and had two more children there: Bertina 7/1891, and George 4/1893. Antonio moved to Providence, RI, where my mother was born in 1914, and stayed there his whole life.

They were indeed a Catholic family so I would think that I should be able to find a baptism record. But I've had no luck with that.

Question #2: Is my time better spent extending my search past January, 1882, or should I perhaps go on the assumption that the 1891 year is incorrect and try searching from August, 1890, instead?

Thanks for any advice you may have.

-Ken Foley-

   

[Cheri Mello]

Hi Ken F,

1) Yes, 4 months after birth is reasonable for a baptism. Generally, it seems *most* were baptized within 1-2 weeks.

1.5) This wasn't a question, but between your two questions, you posting about the ship Vega. Is this a ship list that you saw on Ancestry or FamilySearch regarding their arrival to America?

2) I think there's a typo in the year in question 2. You jumped decades.

If you can answer my question 1.5 and verify it is indeed an American arrival record, you might be able to cross reference that to find the outbound, emigration list from the Azores. It will give you the freguesia (village) that they family was from.

Cheri Mello
Listowner, Azores-Gen
Researching: São Miguel island: Vila Franca, Ponta Garca, Ribeira Quente, Ribeira das Tainhas, Achada

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[Cheri Mello]

Hi Ken F,

OK, I found the inbound, American passenger list, so that answers question 1.5. I went to page 1 of that list and it did not list the date it sailed from Faial.

I poked around some more and found a U.S. Passport for the American born son, George M. Cunha. On that application, he states he is the son of Jose Cunha who emigrated from Faial on 20 May 188_ (hard to read) and that his father, Jose, naturalized 22 Dec 1898 in the Circuit Court in Providence, RI.

Here are the Azorean, outbound, Passaportes. Go to Horta and pick the book for May 1891. I'd try to find as close to 21 May 1891 and work back in time, Yes, I know the ship didn't sail in 1 day, but you don't want to take some wild guess as to when he registered his family. I'd search back 2 to 4 months for him and his family registering for their Passaporte.

https://tombo.pt/d/acores#FAL

Good luck,

Cheri Mello
Listowner, Azores-Gen
Researching: São Miguel island: Vila Franca, Ponta Garca, Ribeira Quente, Ribeira das Tainhas, Achada

[Cheri Mello]

P.S. He seems to go by just the surname of Cunha, not the compounded name of Martin de Cunha.

Cheri Mello
Listowner, Azores-Gen
Researching: São Miguel island: Vila Franca, Ponta Garca, Ribeira Quente, Ribeira das Tainhas, Achada

[Cheri Mello]

Hi Ken F,

I found Carlos' baptism. It's number 62 on the left:

https://culturacores.azores.gov.pt/biblioteca_digital/FAL-HT-ANGUSTIAS-B-1883-1895/FAL-HT-ANGUSTIAS-B-1883-1895_item1/index.html?page=85

This record is from the parish of Angustias on Faial. It says Carlos was born on 19 Oct 1883 in Capelo, was baptized on 28 Oct 1885 (!!!) and was born to Jose Martins da Cunha (use this spelling for all things Portuguese) who is employed as "guarda fiscal" (so something to do with money; a native speaker will have to give you a better idea of what that means), who was baptized (Jose) in the Se (Cathedral) of Angra on Terceira, and the mother, Anna Margarida, housewife, was born in Santa Luzia in Angra. The parents were received (married) in Ponta Delgada, at the Sao Pedro church on Sao Miguel. The paternal grandparents were Joao Martins and Cerilia (could be Cecilia) Perpetua and maternal grands were Manuel de Barcellos and Anna Margarida.

You might have a problem with them moving around, so maybe your Antonio wasn't born in Faial. I'd chase around all his siblings, finding out whatever you can to try to make a timeline for his parents.

Cheri Mello
Listowner, Azores-Gen
Researching: São Miguel island: Vila Franca, Ponta Garca, Ribeira Quente, Ribeira das Tainhas, Achada

[Cheri Mello]

P.S. I found Carlos by using the CITCEM-GHP index here and typing in "jose cunha" until I found one married to an Anna and it fit. This index is missing a couple of freguesia.

http://www.ghp.ics.uminho.pt/genealogias.html

Cheri Mello
Listowner, Azores-Gen
Researching: São Miguel island: Vila Franca, Ponta Garca, Ribeira Quente, Ribeira das Tainhas, Achada

[Cheri Mello]

Here are the marriage books for the Sao Pedro church in Ponta Delgada on Sao Miguel. They are organized by year (yay)! I'd start with 1885 (Carlos' baptism date) and work my way back in time.

https://culturacores.azores.gov.pt/biblioteca_digital/SMG-PD-SAOJOSE-C-1880-1889/SMG-PD-SAOJOSE-C-1880-1889_item1/index.html?page=25

And the 1870s:

https://culturacores.azores.gov.pt/biblioteca_digital/SMG-PD-SAOJOSE-C-1870-1879/SMG-PD-SAOJOSE-C-1870-1879_item1/index.html?page=1

All of this can be found at tombo.pt  Click the British flag if you need to navigate in English. On the left side is the menu. Scroll down to Azores, then pick the island, then the council (Faial has only 1 council  - Horta).

Happy hunting,

Cheri Mello
Listowner, Azores-Gen
Researching: São Miguel island: Vila Franca, Ponta Garca, Ribeira Quente, Ribeira das Tainhas, Achada

[JR]

Good work, Cheri. Here is their marriage.

JR

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ancestors of Antonio Martins da Cunha


Generation No. 1

1.  Antonio Martins da Cunha, born Abt. 21 Aug 1881 in Angustias, Ilha de Faial, Azores.  He was the son of 2. Jose Martins da Cunha and 3. Ana Margarida.

Generation No. 2

2.  Jose Martins da Cunha, born Abt. 1848 in Se de Angra, Ilha Terceira.  He was the son of 4. Pais Incognitos.  He married 3. Ana Margarida 19 Jun 1871 in Sao Pedro de Ponta Delgada.
3.  Ana Margarida, born Abt. 1850 in Vila das Velas, Ilha Sao Jorge.  She was the daughter of 6. Manuel Barcelos and 7. Ana Margarida.

Marriage Notes for Jose Cunha and Ana:
https://culturacores.azores.gov.pt/biblioteca_digital/SMG-PD-SAOPEDRO-C-1870-1879/SMG-PD-SAOPEDRO-C-1870-1879_item1/index.html?page=38

Casamentos de Sao Pedro de Ponta Delgada, Ilha de Sao Miguel, Azores
19-June-1871, page 8 verso, record no-10, book, SMG-PD-SAOPEDRO-C-1870-1879.
[casarem] Jose Martins da Cunha e Anna Margarida;
ele de idade de 23 anos, solteiro, natural e baptizado na freguezia de Se, concelho de Cidade de Angra desta diocese e morador nesta freguezia de Apostolo de Sam Pedro, filho de Pais Incognitos, dada a criar, a Maria Jose mulher de Manoel Jose da Cunha da dita Cidade de Angra; e ela de idade de 22 dois anos, solteira, emprada no governo de sua caza (domestic), natural e baptizada na freguezia de Santa Luzia de mesma Cidade de Angra e moradora della referida e freguezia de Sam Pedro, filha de Manoel de Barcellos e de Anna Margarida natural de Villa das Vellas, Ilha de Sam Jorge cujo freguezia se ignora.

Margin note- certified, 19-June-1871, signed o Cura J. Botelho



Child of Jose Cunha and Ana is:
1 i. Antonio Martins da Cunha, born Abt. 21 Aug 1881 in Angustias, Ilha de Faial, Azores.


Generation No. 3

4.  Pais Incognitos

Child of Pais Incognitos is:
2 i. Jose Martins da Cunha, born Abt. 1848 in Se de Angra, Ilha Terceira; married Ana Margarida 19 Jun 1871 in Sao Pedro de Ponta Delgada.


6.  Manuel Barcelos, born in Vila das Velas, Ilha Sao Jorge.  He married 7. Ana Margarida.
7.  Ana Margarida, born in Vila das Velas, Ilha Sao Jorge.

Child of Manuel Barcelos and Ana is:
3 i. Ana Margarida, born Abt. 1850 in Vila das Velas, Ilha Sao Jorge; married Jose Martins da Cunha 19 Jun 1871 in Sao Pedro de Ponta Delgada.

[JR]

First a correction: the word in the previous post for the occupation of Anna Margarida, should be 'empregada no governo de sua caza', not emprada = employed as housewife

JR

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ancestors of Ana Margarida


Generation No. 1

1.  Ana Margarida, born 01 Jul 1850 in bap- Santa Luzia de Angra, Ilha Terceira.  She was the daughter of 2. Manuel Jose Barcelos Jr and 3. Ana Margarida de Bettencourt.  She married (1) Jose Martins da Cunha 19 Jun 1871 in Sao Pedro de Ponta Delgada.  He was born Abt. 1848 in Se de Angra, Ilha Terceira.  He was the son of Pais Incognitos.

Generation No. 2

2.  Manuel Jose Barcelos Jr, born 25 Jan 1811 in Matriz das Velas, Ilha Sao Jorge.  He was the son of 4. Manuel Inacio de Barcelos and 5. Ana Margarida de Bettencourt.  He married 3. Ana Margarida de Bettencourt 11 May 1840 in Matriz das Velas, Ilha Sao Jorge.
3.  Ana Margarida de Bettencourt, born 02 Apr 1815 in Matriz das Velas, Ilha Sao Jorge.  She was the daughter of 6. Jorge de Quadros Pacheco and 7. Clara Margarida de Bettencourt.

Child of Manuel Barcelos Jr and Ana Bettencourt is:
1 i. Ana Margarida, born 01 Jul 1850 in bap- Santa Luzia de Angra, Ilha Terceira; married Jose Martins da Cunha 19 Jun 1871 in Sao Pedro de Ponta Delgada.


Generation No. 3

4.  Manuel Inacio de Barcelos, born in Matriz das Velas, Ilha Sao Jorge.  He was the son of 8. Joao Inacio de Barcelos and 9. Isabel de Jesus.  He married 5. Ana Margarida de Bettencourt 23 Aug 1810 in Matriz das Velas, Ilha Sao Jorge.
5.  Ana Margarida de Bettencourt, born in NS do Rosario, Rosais, Ilha Sao Jorge; died Bef. 11 May 1840.  She was the daughter of 10. Manuel Silveira Borges and 11. Maria Santa.

Child of Manuel Barcelos and Ana Bettencourt is:
2 i. Manuel Jose Barcelos Jr, born 25 Jan 1811 in Matriz das Velas, Ilha Sao Jorge; married Ana Margarida de Bettencourt 11 May 1840 in Matriz das Velas, Ilha Sao Jorge.


6.  Jorge de Quadros Pacheco, born in Matriz das Velas, Ilha Sao Jorge; died Bef. 11 May 1840.  He was the son of 12. Francisco Pereira Gomes and 13. Francisca Inacia de Jesus.  He married 7. Clara Margarida de Bettencourt 23 Jul 1801 in Matriz das Velas, Ilha Sao Jorge.
7.  Clara Margarida de Bettencourt, born in Matriz das Velas, Ilha Sao Jorge; died Bef. 11 May 1840.  She was the daughter of 14. Joao Machado Miranda and 15. Margarida de Santo Antonio.

Child of Jorge Quadros Pacheco and Clara Bettencourt is:
3 i. Ana Margarida de Bettencourt, born 02 Apr 1815 in Matriz das Velas, Ilha Sao Jorge; married Manuel Jose Barcelos Jr 11 May 1840 in Matriz das Velas, Ilha Sao Jorge.


Generation No. 4

8.  Joao Inacio de Barcelos, born in Matriz das Velas, Ilha Sao Jorge.  He married 9. Isabel de Jesus 14 Jan 1787 in Matriz das Velas, Ilha Sao Jorge.
9.  Isabel de Jesus, born in Matriz das Velas, Ilha Sao Jorge.

Child of Joao Barcelos and Isabel is:
4 i. Manuel Inacio de Barcelos, born in Matriz das Velas, Ilha Sao Jorge; married Ana Margarida de Bettencourt 23 Aug 1810 in Matriz das Velas, Ilha Sao Jorge.


10.  Manuel Silveira Borges, born in NS do Rosario, Rosais, Ilha Sao Jorge.  He married 11. Maria Santa.
11.  Maria Santa, born in NS do Rosario, Rosais, Ilha Sao Jorge.

Child of Manuel Borges and Maria is:
5 i. Ana Margarida de Bettencourt, born in NS do Rosario, Rosais, Ilha Sao Jorge; died Bef. 11 May 1840; married Manuel Inacio de Barcelos 23 Aug 1810 in Matriz das Velas, Ilha Sao Jorge.


12.  Francisco Pereira Gomes, born in Matriz das Velas, Ilha Sao Jorge.  He married 13. Francisca Inacia de Jesus 30 Nov 1782 in Urzulina, Ilha Sao Jorge.
13.  Francisca Inacia de Jesus, born in Matriz das Velas, Ilha Sao Jorge.

Child of Francisco Gomes and Francisca is:
6 i. Jorge de Quadros Pacheco, born in Matriz das Velas, Ilha Sao Jorge; died Bef. 11 May 1840; married Clara Margarida de Bettencourt 23 Jul 1801 in Matriz das Velas, Ilha Sao Jorge.


14.  Joao Machado Miranda, born in Matriz das Velas, Ilha Sao Jorge; died Bef. 23 Jul 1801.  He married 15. Margarida de Santo Antonio 20 Jan 1765 in Matriz das Velas, Ilha Sao Jorge.
15.  Margarida de Santo Antonio, born in Matriz das Velas, Ilha Sao Jorge.

Child of Joao Miranda and Margarida is:
7 i. Clara Margarida de Bettencourt, born in Matriz das Velas, Ilha Sao Jorge; died Bef. 11 May 1840; married Jorge de Quadros Pacheco 23 Jul 1801 in Matriz das Velas, Ilha Sao Jorge.

[Bill Seidler]

Interesting.  Carlos has paternal grandparents named at his baptism in 1885 as Joao Martins and Cecelia Perpetua.  His father Jose Martins da Cunha was listed as a child of unknown parents at his marriage 14 years earlier.

Do you suppose there is a document to name Jose's parents between those events?

Bill Seidler

[Bill Seidler]

This exposto José baptized 2 Apr 1848 has an "Ama" whose name matches the person named that raised José in his 1871 marriage: Maria José, wife of Manuel (José) da Cunha.  Unfortunately there is nothing to tie him to José's marriage (other than name of Ama) or to the paternal grandparents of José's son Carlos.

https://culturacores.azores.gov.pt/biblioteca_digital/TER-AH-SE-B-1840-1855/TER-AH-SE-B-1840-1855_item1/index.html?page=177 (second on left)

Bill Seidler

[Cheri Mello]

Usually they list the parents in the baptism margin when the parents come forward, or it's recorded in a legitimization book.

Sounds like there's 2 Jose Cunha's married to 2 Anna Margaridas. This one is going to take work!

Cheri Mello
Listowner, Azores-Gen
Researching: São Miguel island: Vila Franca, Ponta Garca, Ribeira Quente, Ribeira das Tainhas, Achada

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[Bill Seidler]

The Jose Martins da Cunha marrying in São Pedro, Ponta Delgada, he is from Sé, Angra and Ana Margarida is from Santa Luzia, Angra, daughter of Manuel Barcelos and Ana Margarida.

The Jose Martins da Cunha, father of Carlos born on Faial, is also from Sé, Angra and married to Ana Margarida, and they married in São Pedro, Ponta Delgada like the above couple.  This Ana Margarida is also from Santa Luzia, Angra, and also daughter of Manuel Barcelos and Ana Margarida.  That would be too many coincidences.  José just has named parents on the later record.  Why?  I don't know where the information came from.  It would be interesting to see the baptisms of the other 6 children they had in 1891 to see if paternal grandparents are listed.

Here is their passporte entry which confirms that he is from Sé and father of Carlos in the baptism and that they sailed on the Vega:

https://culturacores.azores.gov.pt/biblioteca_digital/PASSAPORTES-FAL-1889-1908/PASSAPORTES-FAL-1889-1908_item1/index.html?page=31

Here is a transcript of the record from the São Jorge Genealogical Society https://saojorgegenealogy.org/

Numero 313; 6 de maio de 1891; Jose Martins da Cunha; casado; sua agencia; 43 anos; Angra da ilha Terceira; Estados Unidos da America; companhia: sua consorte Ana Margarida de Bettencourt; de 41 anos e 7 filhos; Amelia de 16 anos; Maria de 14; Elvira de 12; Antonio de 9; Carlos de 7; Julio de 4 e Laura de 2; Vega.

Bill Seidler

[JR]

I agree with Bill. Just the double name Martins da Cunha is rare enough that the probability is, these are the same people named in the marriage and who had Carlos and Antonio.

I already looked in a few places with no signs. Sao Pedro, no luck, Velas, no luck. Given that Anna Margarida was baptised in Santa Luzia, Terceira, perhaps that is where they settled for a while before a brief stay in Faial Island.

JR

[Ken Foley]

Once again, I am floored by you amazing people.  I can't tell you how much all your help means to me. I don't think I could have done this at all by myself. I will dig for the siblings' baptism records and see what I can find. Thank you so much, again. Ken F

Ken Foley

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[JR]

I finally reviewed the record of Carlos and found some interesting facts. I guess it pays to review and verify information.

Carlos, [baptizeu] 28-Oct-1885, nesta igreja de NS da Angustias, Horta, [Ilha de Faial, Azores], nasceu na freguesia do Capello deste Concelho as seis horas da manha do dia 19-Oct-1883, filho de Jose Martins da Cunha, empregado da Guarda Fiscal (guard), natural de freguesia de Se, da Angara do Heroismo, e de Anna Margarida, domestico, natural de Freguesia de Santa Luzia da Cidade da Angara, recebidos na freguesia de Sao Pedro da Cidade de Ponta Delgada do Ilha de Sao Miguel, moradores nesta freguesia de onde sao parochianos, neto paterno de Joao Martins e Cezilia Perpetua, e materno de Manoel de Barcellos e de Anna Margarida; padrinhos, Antonio Gualberto de Souza Brazil, casado empregado sa Alfandaga e madrinha NS de Angustias (por invocacao), tocou o baptizado Manoel Silveira Andrade.

The record says Carlos was baptised 28-Oct-1885, Angustias, but was born in Capelo, 19-Oct-1883. This could be just a slip by the priest, but if not, perhaps this family was in Capelo, Faial. Although it does say Jose and his wife are residents and parishioners of Angustias. It is also interesting that margin note states Carlos was inscripted into military service in 1903. I found it even more interesting that many of male baptisms had 'auzente' in the margins. It seems someone went through the records looking for males, probably to conscript. This family did move around quite bit, given they married on Sao Miguel Island and then returned to Faial. If you went through all the villages of Faial, then perhaps, Antonio, like his brother Carlos, was baptised at a time way outside his birth date and you may need to expand your search periods.

JR

[Ken Foley]

Thanks for that, JR. I was thinking the same thing when I saw the over-2-year time lag between Carlos’ birth and baptism. Back to the books I guess...I’ll start with Angustias. Thanks for all your help with this...Ken.

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