"Levi Anthony" 1848, Fayal

Ethan Anthony

unread,

Mar 8, 2021, 12:02:54 AM3/8/21

to Azores Genealogy

Hello,

I'm looking for help finding information of my great-great Grandfather, who's name was Levi Anthony. He came from the island of Faial in 1862 to Maine, where my family resides today. Although I can find information from censuses and other documents that show he was from Faial, I cannot find anything prior to his immigration. His Father's name was John Anthony, but both names could be a spinoff of the original names from before they immigrated. I am hoping someone might have some information on the last name Anthony from around that area, or maybe someone has heard of my ancestors, or can point me in the right direction. I have been looking for some way to get information on my family before immigration for quite some time now but have had no luck, hopefully this is a good place to start. Thanks,

Ethan Anthony

Cheri Mello

unread,

Mar 8, 2021, 12:09:45 AM3/8/21

to Azores Genealogy

Hi Ethan,

Anthony is Antonio. The father would be Joao (João António if you use diacritics). Levi isn't a Portuguese name (that I'm aware of). Maybe someone else has an idea.

11 of the 13 freguesias (villages) were indexed by students at the University at Minho and published by CITCEM-GHP (it's a really long acronym). Many mistakes exist and many babies who were abandoned at birth are not listed. Scroll down to Faial, click the first freguesia, then the curvy arrow, then the next screen you'll see the British flag (about the 6th one or so) to make the page go into English. I'd search for just Levi.

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

Good luck,

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

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Azores Genealogy" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to azores+un...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/azores/80682f18-34e2-427a-8345-4ecd1c95701dn%40googlegroups.com.

Ângela Loura

unread,

Mar 8, 2021, 12:36:32 PM3/8/21

to azo...@googlegroups.com

Also include the spelling Levy in your research.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/azores/CAKUUw_GHfOZ-E6Lw%3Dc%2B3oeS3TNF%3DLwZQF8BXzCvDUPN_Q_JPEQ%40mail.gmail.com.

Ethan Anthony

unread,

Mar 8, 2021, 3:24:53 PM3/8/21

to azo...@googlegroups.com

Okay thank you all, I'll give it a shot. Does anyone know of any genealogists I could hire who specialize in azorian heritage?

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/azores/CAHSkNFe3noqMHi7mW98k_RXLh82-b28DFrT4h-1nj38cCCkVgw%40mail.gmail.com

Cheri Mello

unread,

Mar 8, 2021, 3:26:57 PM3/8/21

to Azores Genealogy

Ethan,

There's a link for researchers for hire on the Azores GenWeb here:

http://www.worldgenweb.org/azrwgw/researchers-available-for.html

Not all will take your case if you do not yet have the freguesia (village). Be sure to let them know you do not yet have it.

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

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/azores/CAGfj-UBekwcn4WspmuPSQGk6YcQ_zL6P2Adr%2Bs36ooBHAq5nRg%40mail.gmail.com.

Becky Mendonca

unread,

Mar 8, 2021, 4:26:44 PM3/8/21

to azo...@googlegroups.com

Hi Ethan,

I'll try to help. Email me

azbu...@gmail.com

Becky

--

bsei.azo...@gmail.com

unread,

Mar 8, 2021, 5:24:59 PM3/8/21

to Azores Genealogy

Someone entered a profile for him on Familysearch.org giving birth information as 18 Jun 1847 on Faial da Terra, Povoacao, Sao Miguel Island. They cite his 1869 naturalization record which only gives the place as "Fayal, Portugal" which could be Faial da Terra on Sao Miguel Island or anywhere on the Island of Faial. You might want to keep both options open unless you know for sure it is the Island of Faial.

Bill Seidler

Cheryl Lawrence Wilson

unread,

Mar 8, 2021, 5:37:27 PM3/8/21

to azo...@googlegroups.com

Also, take a DNA test if you haven't yet! It will open many doors. Ancestry is on sale right now for $59.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/azores/99a0bd22-ed95-48f5-b9b0-9323acc31d90n%40googlegroups.com.

Cheri Mello

unread,

Mar 8, 2021, 6:21:05 PM3/8/21

to Azores Genealogy

I don't trust FamilySearch stuff. Those trees are crowd sourced and many who decide to do their family tree one day have no idea at all what they are doing.

When working with ACTUAL RECORDS, it's very clear that Faial da Terra on Sao Miguel island is very different than Faial island itself. I called up the naturalization and it states Fayal (sic), Portugal, referring to the island. Those naturalizations in that time period do not give the city. It's pretty good that it gave the island and wasn't more vague, as in Western Islands, Portugal.

If Ethan (or better yet, his father or paternal grandparents if they are alive) DNA tested, it would either show Sao Miguel or the central island group. FTDNA is also having a sale too for $49. Fishing in every pond (DNA testing company) is important in the case. I can tell the Faial people apart from the Sao Miguel people. If Ethan does not chose FTDNA, but transfers later, he'll have to contact me. If he choses that route, that is. f

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

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/azores/99a0bd22-ed95-48f5-b9b0-9323acc31d90n%40googlegroups.com.

Cheri Mello

unread,

Mar 8, 2021, 6:29:17 PM3/8/21

to Azores Genealogy

On the 1920 he states "Fayal Isles" which would be Faial the island. The 1900, 1910, and 1920 state he came to America in 1859 and 1862. And I'd bet money that his first wife's name was Anna Bettencourt.

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

Ethan Anthony

unread,

Mar 8, 2021, 7:27:47 PM3/8/21

to azo...@googlegroups.com

Hey there,

Thank you all for your help this is great. My Paternal grandfather is still alive, I could probably get a DNA test ordered and have him do it. I do have an ancestry DNA test somewhere that I haven't done yet, so maybe that would show something. I will look into FTDNA for another test. I have seen his first wife referred to as Betsy Bennett, and also Annie B Bennett, not sure which is her actual name. Also, John Anthony was supposedly a merchant who died at sea, my dad has his sea chest that was brought back on the ship after he died. My grandfather told me that he once found an obituary for Levi in someones attic and it said that he was born on a ship headed to England from the Azores, and so technically he was born there, but I haven't found anything to prove this. There was also talk of his original name being Antone Levi, but my grandfather told me that was disproved, and I have found no record of this either. I have lots of stories! Still looking for that one key piece to get info on my family from overseas.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/azores/CAKUUw_GK9y1PP2z1DwrwzqN_UL_eyAs7k2eryzojC8Q1jq8G0Q%40mail.gmail.com.

Cheri Mello

unread,

Mar 8, 2021, 7:46:34 PM3/8/21

to Azores Genealogy

Ethan,

Have your grandfather do the Ancestry DNA test. He is the closer generation to Levi Anthony. Then mail it in. Order an FTDNA test. I'll email you off list about that. After the results come in, you'll transfer your FTDNA results to My Heritage, as they use the same testing chip. Ancestry's chip is slightly different.

Levi had 2 wives. The first was an Anna. Lyford's death lists her name as Annie Bennett and that's all the room that they had on the line. She was Portuguese. Bennett is not Portuguese and it's probably Bettencourt and the "court" part wasn't clearly understood or they ran out of room and chopped it off. His 2nd wife was and Ada, born in Maine. He's married to Annie on the 1880 and to Ada on the 1900 and the 1900 asks for the number of years of marriage and it says 8. That means Levi and Ada married in 1892. A later census has Levi listed as M2, meaning married twice. The suggest records that Ancestry points you to are just that. Suggested. Take a look and weigh the evidence. Ancestry doesn't understand Portuguese, so if Bettencourt was indeed truncated, then it's going to suggest every Anna Bennett under the sun. Or just change her name to Anna Betsey because they found a record with that name.

You need to get yourself a read genealogy program and enter every single documentation you can for your ancestor. Here are two that are free and if you prefer one, you can purchase it to unlock more program features.

Legacy Family Tree: www.legacyfamilytree.com. The Standard Edition is free.

RootsMagic: www.rootsmagic.com/essentials. Their Essentials is free.

Once you get your ancestor and both of his wives entered and all his kids, then you are ready to start researching Faial. Here's a how-to guide on the Azores GenWeb. Part of it won't apply because you have an earlier immigrant ancestor. Everything you can get your hands on (and you'll have to make phone calls and possibly email some places for information) you need to do. http://www.worldgenweb.org/azrwgw/research-aids-a---l/finding-your-portuguese/

Good luck,

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

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/azores/CAGfj-UA8tEy92-cqrwL8B7QiJJKB6ZJDHfsueWyJi39kGcRpEg%40mail.gmail.com.

Margaret Vicente

unread,

Mar 9, 2021, 12:15:27 AM3/9/21

to azo...@googlegroups.com

Hello Ethan,

With reference to the name Levi, I did a little poking around and found an Ancestry ship’s manifest that lists someone by the name of Levia Antonio. Unfortunately the port of Departure was that of Sao Miguel, and there are no passports lists available for this time period. The transcribed first name on the manifest, is a corruption of “LUCIO” which may have ended up as Levia >> Levi. I can also tell you the name Lucio can be found throughout the Island of Faial.