Manuel Botelho obit translation

[Amy Smith]

I would be very grateful if someone would translate the top left certificate for Manuel Botelho.  I don't have much information since there are missing books for the years I need. So it is the end of the line but hoping to at least find the obits.  

Thank you so much.

Amy Sylvia

https://culturacores.azores.gov.pt/biblioteca_digital/SMG-PD-SANTOANTONIO-O-1625-1717/SMG-PD-SANTOANTONIO-O-1625-1717_master/SMG-PD-SANTOANTONIO-O-1625-1717_JPG/SMG-PD-SANTOANTONIO-O-1625-1717_0062.jpg

[George Sousa]

This is a long response so I'll try and answer Amy's question first.

The record states that Manoel Botelho Caiado (Cayado) was found dead (suicide by hanging) on April 19th, 1692, and was interred in the parish church of Santo Antonio.

Amy, you have pointed us to a very interesting and uncommon record. I tried to translate this record using the traditional method of writing what I see and started to draw a blank after the first couple of lines. I have been experimenting with OpenAI's ChatGPT in cases where I need to dig a bit deeper into less routinely-written records. I've had some successes and a lot of failures using the tool (and wasted a lot of time).

Many of you may already know this, but ChatGPT accepts snippets of images of two or three lines of text as input and tries to transcribe the words contained in the image. On the first try it usually does a terrible job, but once guided by your skills it can be quite useful. You can iterate your way to something that may resemble what was actually written. Since I’m not an expert in 17th-century Portuguese or 17th-century clerical formulas (beyond the basics), it’s difficult to guide ChatGPT. With that said, if you’re willing to invest some time, you may be surprised with the results.

I tried it on this record both to answer Amy’s question and to see how far I could get. ChatGPT can produce:

1. A Paleographic Transcription (faithful to the original manuscript)

2. A Modern Portuguese Transcription (normalized for readability)

3. An English Translation

Since I lack the expertise to do a critical analysis, it’s hard for me to gauge what ChatGPT (and I) got wrong, but I get the sense that most of what follows is correct.

English Translation of the record.

On the nineteenth day of April, sixteen hundred and ninety-two, Manoel Botelho Caiado was found dead in a gully near where he had his threshing floor. His death was unfortunate, for they found him hanged in a secluded place. Reporting the case to the Most Illustrious and Reverend Bishop Dom Frei Clemente Pereira, and since the state of his death was judged that of a good Christian, and his father being among the principal men of this place, and finally, as he had been erratic and disturbed in mind since the summer of that same year, I ordered the body to be taken to his church. The authorities that I cited were from the Summa Bartholomaei, page 86, numbers 32 and 33, and conforming myself with those same authors and other doctors who argue similarly, especially with that of the said Doctor, the said deceased was buried in this Church of Saint Anthony, in his own grave below the railings, beside the holy-water font at the back door on the south side.They performed for him the Office of Nine Lessons; forty-one Masses were ordered to be said for his soul; he was buried in the habit of Saint Francis; there was a large gathering of people. They did not accompany the body according to the dignity of his burial and the knowledge everyone had of his conduct. And, this being so, I made this entry with all this clarity, which I sign. 

"Modern Portuguese" transcription of the record.

Aos dezenove dias do mês de abril de mil seiscentos e noventa e dois, achou-se morto Manoel Botelho Caiado em um grotão que está junto de onde tinha a sua eira. A morte foi desastrada, porque o acharam enforcado em um ermo. Representando o caso ao ilustríssimo e reverendíssimo bispo Dom Frei Clemente Pereira, e sendo o estado de sua morte o de bom cristão, e seu pai sendo dos principais deste lugar, e finalmente, como ele andava variado e desassossegado do juízo desde o verão daquele ano, mandei o corpo à sua igreja. Os autores que lhe aleguei foram da Summa Bartholomaei, na página 86, números 32 e 33, e, conformando-me com os ditos autores e demais doutores que alegam, principalmente com o do dito doutor, sepultou-se o dito defunto nesta igreja de Santo António, em cova sua abaixo das grades, junto da pia de água-benta da porta traseira da banda do sul. Fizeram-lhe ofício de nove lições; mandaram dizer por sua alma quarenta e uma missas; foi enterrado no hábito de São Francisco; teve grande consenso de gente; não acompanharam o corpo conforme a qualidade de sua sepultura e o conhecimento que todos tinham de seus procedimentos. E, sendo isto assim, fiz este assento com toda esta clareza, que assino.

"Paleographic" transcription of the record.

Em os dezenove dias do mês de Abril de seiscentos noventa e dous, se achou morto Manoel Botelho Cayado em hum grotilhão que está junto donde tinha a sua eira; mas de sua morte dezestrada, porque o acharam enforcado em huma ermõ; e reprezentando o caso ao Ill.mo e R.mo Bispo D. Fr. Clemente Preira, e o estado de morte foy por bom Christão, e seu pai será dos principaes deste lugar, e finalmente como elle andava vário e assinado do juizo desde o verão da dita era, mandei o corpo à sua igreja, os authores que lhe alleguei, que foy o anno que Summa Bartholomaei, na página 86, números 32 e 33, e conformandome com o dos ditos Authores e mais DD. que allegam, principalmente com o do dito D. D., se enterrou o dito defunto nesta Igreja de S. Ant.o em cova sua abaixo das grades, junto da pia de água-benta da porta trazeira da banda do Sul; fizerão-lhe officio de nove lições; mandárão dizer por sua alma quarenta e huma missas; foi enterrado no hábito de S. Francisco; teve grande consenso de gente; não acompanharão o corpo conforme a qualidade de sua sepultura, e conhecimento que todos tinhão de seus procedimentos, e que, a ando isto constar, fiz este assento com toda esta clareza q. asigno.

Just to be clear I'm very uncertain about the section citing Summa Bartholomae. It's plausible that this section is correct. It is equally plausible that OpenAI is hallucinating this (making this up).

I recognize that this Group is not a place for academic debate (not to imply that you are incapable of it). I'm sure that there are professional Genealogists and Academics using tools such as ChatGPT. 

I’m curious if anyone else is using AI tools for genealogical research and how you are using them.

George

P.S.  If your response is AI-related, I suggest starting another thread to keep this one focused on Amy's question.

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[Mary Bordi]

That is very interesting! At least to me. Thank you for sharing. 

I have not tried using artificial intelligence for genealogy. But I may try experimenting with it now!

Mary

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Kindly,

Mary

[Amy Sylvia]

Thank you for the help with the certificate.  While I am still not sure if it is the correct person I am looking for it was a very interesting one.  

As for the chat gpt I am interested in playing around with it and seeing if it can give any help to those hard to translate certificates for me.

Thank you for explaining that option.

Amy

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 5, 2025, at 7:00 PM, Mary Bordi <busy...@gmail.com> wrote:

That is very interesting! At least to me. Thank you for sharing. 

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