Record Stating Adultery from Sao Miguel

[Richard Francis Pimentel]

I thought I should share this record as I have only seen a few others with this situation.

https://culturacores.azores.gov.pt/biblioteca_digital/SMG-RG-RIBEIRINHA-B-1847-1852/SMG-RG-RIBEIRINHA-B-1847-1852_item1/index.html?page=160

Maria page 159 (right side)

This is what I see: “Maria filha adulteria de Antonia Jacinta a residente nesta lugar Ribeirinha Freagu…. Da Pario… Igeria de Nosa Senhora da Estrell da Villa de Ribeiria Grande, Casada com Francisco Carriaro …zente natural da Igeria Apostolo de Sam Pedro da Ribeira Seca da dita Villa, neta paterna pai ingnito e materna de Manuel Jose da Silva e de Claudina de Jesus, nasco os venti dois dias de mes d Abril de Mil oito centos cincuenta e hum annos, foi baptizma emo s Trinta dias de dito “ 

Maria daughter of adultery of Antonia Jacinta. The father is not named but it appears to give the name of her husband as Francisco Carriaro, I cannot make out the word after Carriaro.

If I am reading it out correctly she is living in Riberinha and her husband is in Ribeira Seca.

Any thoughts or comments on this record?

Rick

Researching, Riberia Grande, Riberinha, Achada Grande,  Bretanha, and Ponta Delgada,  Sao Miguel, Acores

[Cheri Mello]

I have seen one too. This one says that the mother, Antonia, is married to Francisco, who is absent (auzente). Both are natives of Ribeirinha. I don't know where you are reading Ribeira Seca.

The one I have is for Antonio, #57, top left. It's from 1880.

https://culturacores.azores.gov.pt/biblioteca_digital/SMG-VF-PONTAGARCA-B-1870-1880/SMG-VF-PONTAGARCA-B-1870-1880_item1/index.html?page=527

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

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[Richard Francis Pimentel]

 Ribeira Seca is on the 7th Line.  Line 6 reads   natural da Igeria Apostolo de Sam Pedro. Seca is scrunched up and small.

The record you show doesn't name her husband but names the other party where mine names her husband but she is not telling who the other party is. Your record also says that both parties are natives and parishioners in that parish.

Rick

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[Cheri Mello]

I think the adultery cases were few and far between so the content varies.

I'm reading that Francisco Carreiro, absent, native of the church of the Apostle of Sao Pedro of Ribeira Seca, of this vila. It does say "natural" and not "moradores" (sp) for resides. So Francisco is absent. Who knows for how long. 

Thank goodness the sun came out. I can now read the record.

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

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[Richard Francis Pimentel]

You could make a soap opera out of these cases.

Rick

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[Carlos Melo]

Hi Rick,

Riding on your coattails, I have another record to share, but this was not a case of adultery; instead, this was a case of a man who was unwilling to recognise the paternity due to alleged adultery and who was refusing to get married if I understood correctly. This must have been a huge scandal in Ponta Delgada back in the day because it involved "noble families" according to the priest. This is the longest baptism record I've found so far (attached to this email). I could write a screenplay for a prestige drama out of this record alone. 

I can transcribe and translate the full text if anyone would like to learn more about this affair, but basically Manuel da Camara was refusing to acknowledge the paternity of Manuel, son of D. Isabel Eston even though everyone knew that they were a couple ("... como constatemente se diz por ai estar esposado com ela...."). That is quite something to write down on a baptism record, trust me, especially in 1711. 

Cheers,

Carlos

[Richard Francis Pimentel]

Carlos,  your record takes the cake. These days all questions of paternity are resolved with a simple DNA test. Thanks for sharing.

Rick 

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[Bill Seidler]

I used Google Gemini to read and translate Carlos' record.  According to this AI, the father, Manuel da Camara, said the baby was his and that he intended to marry Isabel.  The priest Ambrosio do Rego refused to baptize the child as the son of Manuel since they weren't married.  Another priest, the Cura of Feteiras (I think) Padre Mateus Godinho, agreed to baptize the child and acknowledge the father.  The father, Manuel da Camara insisted that the baptism be witnessed by many notable people so the child's parentage could not be questioned in the future.

A very interesting record indeed.

Bill Seidler

[Carlos Melo]

Hi Bill,

I am sorry, but this is an inaccurate translation. 

Just to clarify, I will transcribe the text as a native Portuguese speaker and scientific translator with over 15 years of experience:

Excerpt 1: The text clearly states that the mother, not the father, had the child baptised as Manuel da Camara's son.

"Manoel filho de Dona Isabel Eston natural da freguesia de S. Pedro desta cidade e freguesa desta Matriz de S. Sebastiao e de Manoel da Camara desta freguesia como constantemente se diz por estar esposado com ela e a dita mãe por filho dele o mandou bautizar com muitas testemunhas nobres que foram presentes (...)"

"Manoel, son of D. Isabel Eston, born in the parish of S. Pedro of this city and congregant of this Mother Church of S. Sebastiao, and of Manoel da Camara of this parish, who is betrothed* to her, as is consistently reported, and said mother had him baptised as his son in the presence of many noble witnesses..."

*Please note that "esposados" e "esposos" meant "bethroded" in 18th century Portuguese, unlike the current meaning of husband and wife (esposos) in modern Portuguese.

Excerpt 2: The father did not contest the paternity judicially but asked the priest not to baptise the child as his son:

"... e o dito esposo nao impugnou judicialmente, somente no dia antecedente do baptismo vai dizer a mim Ambrosio do Rego, cura desta freguesia, perante algumas pessoas que estavam presentes, que não baptizassem por seu filho..."

Translation: "and the said betrothed man did not contest it judicially, but on the day before the baptism [he] told me, Ambrósio do Rego, curate of this parish, in the presence of other people who were there, not to baptize [the child] as his son..." . (there is a technical translation issue at the end of this section regarding the use of subjunctive, but this is the most idiomatic translation based on the context of this excerpt; alternatively: "...  that the child not be baptised as his son"

Excerpt 3: The priest and other parishioners did not believe Manuel da Camara and they knew that he did not want to marry her

"..., cuja razão não nos pareceu concludente, aos paracos desta Matriz, assim por ser sua esposa mulher nobre e muito recolhida como por se dizer constantemente de proximo que nao queria casar com ela..."

Translation: "..., whose reason did not appear to us, the parish priests of this Mother Church, to be conclusive, both because her betrothed is a noble and secluded** woman and because he did not want to marry her as is consistently reported [by people] in his inner circle ...

Notes:

**Secluded is the translation of "recolhida", which encodes behavioural restraint, meaning that she lived under close family or household supervision, did not circulate freely in public or male company, was protected from suspicion of sexual impropriety and conformed to ideals of female honor (honra feminina). In canon law, this mattered enormously in paternity disputes.

"assim por... como por..." translates into "both because...and because..."

So, while this is just a first draft our rough translation, I wanted to make clear that Manuel da Camara had no intention to marry Isabel Eston despite being betrothed to her, which is why he asked the priest not to baptize the child as his.

This is the problem with AI translations...

Cheers,

Carlos

  

[Bill Seidler]

Thank you Carlos.  You've made it very clear.

Bill Seidler

[Richard Francis Pimentel]

Carlos this is the most clear explanation of a translation I have seen. I, As a non-speaker of Portuguese you have helped me personally understand and appreciate this record. Thank You.

Rick

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[Carlos Melo]

Hi Bill and Rick,

Thank you for your feedback. I'll gladly translate records whenever I find some time. It's the least I can do to repay my debt to everyone who has kindly helped a rookie like me get my feet on the ground in the last few months.  

Now, the question is: did Manuel da Camara and Isabel Eston end up getting married?

I have no idea, but while my ancestors are mostly from S. Jose, I am currently researching my Miranda line from Matriz, so I am bound to come across their marriage record; or not...

Stay tuned!

Cheers,

Carlos