For those who are newer to Portuguese genealogy, you have many more resources now that those of us who started 20 years ago. Twenty years ago, it took me 4 years and 25 documents to find the freguesia (village) on Sao Miguel. All letter writing and phone calls. No databases on the Internet to help.
The 25th document I asked for was from St. John the Baptist in New Bedford. I had my dad go to the Riverside County (California) courts and get his grandma's naturalization paperwork (24th document). I had him ask for "any and all" paperwork and I got the forms that they had to fill out for the 1st and 2nd papers (the process that an immigrant had to go through at the time to become a citizen). On the paperwork, she stated that she married in New Bedford, Connecticut. I double checked to be sure, and found there was no New Bedford in Connecticut. Then I got a phone book from New Bedford, Mass (probably a photocopy of the yellow pages for Catholic churches) and I got up early one morning in June and started calling all of them. I asked if they were around in 1905 (I did have their marriage date). The 2nd church said yes and put me on hold. The priest went and pulled the marriage book from 1905 and said that they were married there. He said he would make me a certificate and mail it to me, but I said I would be in New Bedford in 2 weeks and I would pick it up. (I was going to Sao Miguel to search all 70 freguesias for my immigrant ancestors. I was getting pretty desperate!) When I got to St. John the Baptist, the priest gave me the little half sheet that said he married her, by the priest on the date and the witnesses were A & B. I had heard a lecture (probably Rosemarie Capodicci) that said that the Catholic church marriage may have more info in it. So I started pestering the priest (nicely). I asked why he had a surname on the bride. He pulled the book and said that the book did not have her surname on it, he just typed that in because when I called I asked for the marriage of Manuel Mello and Gloria Correia (although he typed Maria da Gloria Correia on the certificate, the book only said Maria da Gloria). So I'm NOT getting an exact copy of what was in that book. He tries to put away the book and I ask if the relationship of the witnesses were mentioned. He looks and says no. Then the phone rings and he answered it. So I'm trying to read the big marriage book, upside down and it's in Latin (it was fill in the blank, so you could kind of tell what's a name and what's not). The priest is getting exasperated with me and closes the book so I can't read it and invade the privacy of my ancestors (WHAT?!?!?!? They're dead, how can I invade their privacy???) After he hung up the phone, I start in with another question. He looks at me and told me that he can read me what it says, but my eyes aren't allowed to see the book. He said it was in Latin, so he was translating. "Manuel de Mello, a native of Ribeira das Tainhas...." There it was. What I had been looking for. I didn't know whether to kick the priest in the shins or to kiss him (I opted for neither; I just profusely thanked him and gave him a donation for the church). I wrote the notes on the back of the certificate. A year or 2 later, I befriended another priest who was assigned there for a couple of years who did genealogy. The dispensation for their marriage was in the side margin in that book and the original priest didn't bother to tell me that. Mike, because your 1897 marriage is about 8 years before my marriage date at the same church, there is a chance that the format may be the same. They may have your freguesia. St John the Baptist is in the processes of closing. I don't know if they are still an active parish or not. Or if they are packing up their books. The address is 344 County Street, New Bedford, MA 02740-4895, phone: 508-992-7727. Ask (real nicely) whoever answers the phone if they will make a photocopy of the marriage book. If they say no, ask if they will type up exactly what it says in the marriage book (even if it's in Latin), as you need the village your ancestors were from. Tell them you are making a donation to their church (and please do it so they continue to do look ups for the rest of us genealogists). Good luck, Cheri Mello Listowner, Azores-Gen Researching: Vila Franca, Ponta Garca, Ribeira Quente, Ribeira das Tainhas, Achada -- To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. Follow the confirmation directions when they arrive. For more options, such as changing to List, Digest, Abridged, or No Mail (vacation) mode, log into your Google account and visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Azores. Click in the blue area on the right that says "Join this group" and it will take you to "Edit my membership."
