Hi, Karen. I recently determined that there are da Silvas in my family from Graciosa. My da Silvas were illegitimate children, but the name I have for their father was Manuel de Sousa da Silva. I don't know if we was married with another family--haven't gotten that far. My da Silvas were from Luz or Alto do Sul.
I recommend starting with the folks you know and finding a birth record. The records for Gracios are not yet available on line. If you are having trouble, contact Joao Ventura--reasonably priced and very quick. I was able to add three generations of my family with the information he was able to find on birth records. The birth records he found for my da Silva boys (born 1892) included parents names and both paternal and maternal grandparents. Joao advised me that women didn't typically receive last names during this time period. They had a first name and a middle name with religious significance. It is likely that Margarida is a middle name only. If you find your gr grandfather's birth certificate, you will likely find Augusta's parents names. Good luck!! Laura -- 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."
