help transcribing marriage record

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themo...@aol.com

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Aug 17, 2026, 8:43:22 PM (5 days ago) Aug 17
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Looking at the record for Benedicto Antonio and Maria Delfina.  I'm having a hard time "reading" this record, i.e., making out the letters so I can try to use Google translate.  The handwriting isn't that bad but I'm struggling with it.  This is what I got and where I'm confused:

date:  8 September 1864
impediments?  yes?/no?  don't know what it is saying about that
Benedicto's information:  he is single, 36 years old then don't know what it says before 'filho pais nao sabido' baptized ???
I have other documents naming his parents so I don't know why they would not be named here.  Those documents also state that he is natural of Sao Roque dos Altares, Praia da Vitoria but that is not what this looks like to me.
Maria's information:  single, 29 years old, natural and baptized in parish of Nossa Senhora da Piedade, Ilha do Pico, legitimate daughter of Antonio Pereira da Souza and Maria Delfina  This all matches the other documents I have.
Witnesses:  Jose de Bettencourt (?) da Silveira Avila  ?? and Francisco da Roza, married

Thanks for any help and clarity.
Lisa

Bill Seidler

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Aug 18, 2026, 12:26:17 AM (5 days ago) Aug 18
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Date is correct.
It says they have no impediments canonical or civil.
It says he is single, 36 years old, trabalhador (worker), son of unknown parents, baptized in Santa Sé of this city.
I believe you have the information on her correct except that I see her age as 39 instead of 29.
Both are residents of a place (Lugar) called Achada in this parish of Sao Bento where they also satisfied their Lent obligations the past three years.
Witnesses were the Reverend Priest of this parish Jose de Bettencourt da Silveira e Avila who lives on Rua Guarita in the parish of Conceição; and Francisco de ?Sousa?, married, resident of Achada in this parish.

It certainly says the groom had unknown parents and was baptized at Sé.  If you have other information that he was born in Altares, can you share that?  By the way, Altares is in Angra's municipality, not in Praia da Vitoria.

I hope this helps,
Bill Seidler

Bill Seidler

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Aug 18, 2026, 12:37:33 AM (5 days ago) Aug 18
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https://culturacores.azores.gov.pt/biblioteca_digital/TER-AH-SE-B-1817-1828/TER-AH-SE-B-1817-1828_item1/index.html?page=122 (top left)

Here is a baptism for a foundling named Benedito 36 years before that marriage.  The margin note says his ama (wetnurse) was Maria Delfina, wife of Antonio Nunes Cota who lived in Altares.

themo...@aol.com

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Aug 18, 2026, 1:36:01 PM (4 days ago) Aug 18
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Bill, you did it again!  You nailed it!  The parents listed for Benedicto in the records I have were Antonio Nunes Cotta and Maria Delfina so safe to conclude that he was a foundling raised by them.

It looked to me like Se was after baptized (for Benedito) but it didn't make sense because of the records saying he was baptized in Altares.  Those records, baptisms of his children, list his parents as Antonio Nunes Cotta and Maria Delfina and say "Altares villa da Praia da Victoria".  See below baptisms.



Maria's age does look like 39 but her baptism was 1833.  I could use some help with that record also.  They are in poor condition and again the handwriting is very difficult for me to read.  I don't even see the full date.


Maria, legitimate daughter of Antonio Pereira da Silva and Maria Delfina _____?_____  (assume it says freguesia) Piedade do Ponte ?__tres__ of Lajes do Pico island of Pico; neto paterno Manuel ? ? da Silva (?) and ? Maria, neto materna Antonio Pereira Valim and Rita Maria

My entire paternal family is from Piedade, Lajes do Pico and I have not seen that "Ponte..." in any other records so not only can I not make out the words it is confusing to me.
I VERY MUCH appreciate all your help.

Lisa
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Bill Seidler

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Aug 18, 2026, 9:31:42 PM (4 days ago) Aug 18
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When Benedito and Maria Delfina married, the information was based on Benedito's baptism which took place in Sé.  Perhaps sometime after that, other documents established that his caretakers were his parents and his actual birth was in Altares before he was taken to the roda at the Sé Cathedral.  I am no expert at finding such documents if they exist.  It is interesting that on their children's baptisms they all name the paternal grandparents as the same couple Benedito was given to to raise.  Who knows?  They may be his natural parents after all.

About Maria Delfina's baptsim, after her mother's name it say n.es (naturais) freg.es (fregueses) desta igreja da N. S. (Nossa Senhora) da Piedade [natives and parishioners of this parish].  As for the "Ponta", it looks like Ponta Tres which I cannot find any reference for.  There is a place in Piedade called Ponta da Ilha (also know as Ponta de Piedade) which is the eastern tip of the island.  In any case, it is just a place (lugar) within Piedade that starts with Ponta.  She was born 19 Mar 1833 and baptized on 8 April.  (I am assuming 19 March because something unreadable is written at the end of the first page.  I think "deza" rather than "vinte" because I think I see a faint "d".  The rest on the next page is clear.

In a bit of synchronicity, Benedito's wife, mother-in-law, and wetnurse (who was possibly his mother) were all named Maria Delfina.

I saw on CITCEM that they had a daughter Josefa born on Pico in 1871 https://culturacores.azores.gov.pt/biblioteca_digital/PIC-LJ-PIEDADE-B-1865-1874/PIC-LJ-PIEDADE-B-1865-1874_item1/index.html?page=105 and you showed that they had Joaquim back on Terceira (Fontinhas) in 1875.  I guess they moved around a lot.

Philippe GARNIER

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Aug 19, 2026, 7:12:02 AM (3 days ago) Aug 19
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Hi Lisa,

I found :
1 - No Benedito batizado na Sé during 1822-1833 : (1864 - 36 = 1828)
2 - Antônio Nunes Cota and Maria Delfina married in Biscoitos  june 1810 (fl 76v) ; Antônio From Biscoitos and Maria from Altares.
They have no childrene in Biscoitos or Altares 1810-1815. Perhaps in other parish ?
3 - Is it possible Benedito was legimitate after his casamento ? Never seen.
4 - Why in the batism of children Benedito is son of   Antônio Nunes Cota and Maria Delfina ? Perhaps, Benedito was exposto na Sé and "dado a crear" to Maria Delfina.

In definitive I think it's better that Benedito is son of unknown parents.

Abs

Philippe Garnier
Paris - France



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themo...@aol.com

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Aug 19, 2026, 12:32:28 PM (3 days ago) Aug 19
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Thank you both for your assistance.  I understand now that Benedito was an exposto and that Antonio Nunes Cota and Maria Delfina cared for him.  Since he named them as his parents on his children's baptims, my conclusion is that whether or not they became his legal parents, he was very close to them.
Thanks again,
Lisa

Philippe GARNIER

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Aug 19, 2026, 5:47:59 PM (3 days ago) Aug 19
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Yes Lisa, 

It is common for the Camara to raise a child on a couple without children.
And during the baptisms, Benedito is over 40 years old. It is likely that the priest knew he was living with Antonio and Maria Delfina.

Abs

Philippe GARNIER
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