Thank you for everyone's input. I think I may have my dad tested with the Family finder DNA. It is very confusing and not alot is know about this side of the family and what is know is just here say. Where is the best place to search for birth records? I have quite a few names which he has used. He seems to have arrived in NZ as Jose de Simas or Jose Francisco de Simas and then he has used Jose Leal De Simas and also Jose Silva De Simas ( this is not in any official documents that I have come across, just here say again). He passed away in NZ as Jose Leal De Simas. Also it is quite possible he was born in Porto in Northern Portugal and moved to somewhere in the Azores. I have also heard that his parent own a vineyard. Is there anywhere in particular that I could search for records for Porto?
Thanks everyone. I really appreciate all the help. Amy On Tuesday, January 8, 2013 9:43:25 PM UTC+13, [email protected] wrote: > > Hi All, > > I am searching for information and I am hoping someone here may be > able to help me. > > My great great great grandfather came from Portugal. The region is > unknown at present but could be somewhere around the Porto district or > Azores region (this is second hand information from a relative). I > think he was born approx 1814 - 1822 (Although family think it could > be as late as 1836 but this doesn't match age on documents I have) and > left Portugal on a whaling ship in which he jumped off in Australia. I > think I have narrowed down the whaling ship to Jeannette which sailed > from New Bedford in 1842 and he was listed as a boy (what does this > mean?). He lived in Australia for a while then sailed on the Oliver > Lang to New Zealand where I believed he changed his name from Jose > Francisco de Simas to either Jose Leal de Simas or Jose Silva de > Simas. I believe the Silva to be his mothers maiden name. > > I am seeking any information about his life but particularly > information about his younger days. I dont have names for his parents > or an exact location of his birth but would love to find this > information out. > > Anyone out there that can help me : > > Thanks > Amy > -- 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."
