This is from an Azores government council report on emigration. Eric Edgar
"The great migration of Portuguese settlers from Madeira, the Azores and the Portuguese mainland to Hawaii was during the years 1878 to 1913. The story is of epic proportions, involving the movement across two oceans of more than twenty thousand people. Although the great migration of Portuguese to Hawaii began in 1878, a small number of Portuguese were present in the Hawaiian Islands as early as 1787. Little is known about these early Portuguese residents. They came to Hawaii as whalers and other seamen who took to the land for one reason or another while their ships were harbored in the Islands. The first Portuguese identified by name was João Elliot de Castro who arrived in Hawaii about 1814 and served on the personal staff of King Kamehameha the Great. The early Portuguese became recognized for their hard work and thrift. They generally purchased land as soon as they were financially able. Some became cattle ranchers and dairymen, and others engaged in various agricultural pursuits. Their numbers increased gradually during the Nineteenth Century until, on the eve of the great migration, there were over four hundred Portuguese in the Hawaiian Kingdom. The Portuguese migration to Hawaii was fueled by poor economic conditions in the mother country, and particularly in Madeira. The production and export of fine wines had been for many years the mainstay of the Madeiran economy. During the 1850’s, however, the vineyards were laid waste by a blight that crippled the wine industry for decades. Unemployment and hunger followed the destruction of the vineyards. As conditions worsened, Madeirans looked for a better way of life in Brazil, the United States and Hawaii. During this same period, the Kingdom of Hawaii was in need of laborers for her sugar plantations. The large scale cultivation of sugar depended upon a continuous supply of inexpensive labor. The demand for plantation workers increased after Hawaii concluded a Reciprocity Treaty with the United States in 1876, which facilitated the exportation of Hawaiian sugar. The dramatic decline of the Hawaiian population had caused planters and government officials to look abroad for suitable immigrants to work the land and increase the population of the Kingdom. Several thousand Chinese emigrated to Hawaii during the 1860’s and 1870’s. Yet the Chinese seldom brought their families, and distinct cultural differences between the Chinese and other residents of Hawaii caused many of the latter to demand an end to the large scale importation of workers from China. In 1876, Mr. Jacintho Pereira, a Portuguese citizen and proprietor of a successful dry goods store in Honolulu, came forward with an interesting idea. Pereira suggested that the Hawaiian government investigate the possibility of solving Hawaii’s labor and population problems by encouraging the immigration of Portuguese from Madeira. The government contacted Dr. William Hillebrand who was living at that time in Funchal. Hillbrand acted as Hawaii’s agent, and carried out all of the details required to place the first contingent of Portuguese immigrants aboard the Priscilla." Portuguese Settlers to Hawaii, 1878-1913 1. September 30, 1878 Ship Priscilla (German bark) arrived 116 days out from Funchal, Madeira, with 80 men, 40 women, 60 children. Total 180. (Portuguese consular documents indicate approximately 120 passengers). 2. August 23, 1879 Ship Ravenscrag (British) arrived 123 days out from Madeira with 133 men, 110 women, 176 children. Total 419. 3. January 24, 1880 Ship High Flyer (British bark) arrived 99 days out from St. Michael, Azores, with 109 men, 81 women, 147 children. Total 337. 4. May 2, 1881 Ship High Flyer (British bark) arrived 130 days out from St. Michael, Azores, with 173 men, 66 women, 113 children. Total 352. 5. August 25, 1881 Ship Suffolk (British bark) arrived 102 days out from St. Michael, Azores, with 206 men, 100 women, 182 children. 6. March 27, 1882 Ship Earl Delhausie (British bark) arrived 113 days out from St. Michael, Azores, with 94 men, 82 women, 146 children. Total 322. 7. June 8, 1882 Steamship Monarch (British) arrived 57 days out from St. Michael, Azores, with 202 men, 197 women, 458 children. Total 857. 8. September 15, 1882 Steamship Hansa (British) arrived 70 days out from Azores, with 307 men, 286 women, 584 children. Total 1177. 9. May 4, 1883 Steamship Abergeldie (British) arrived 62 days out from Azores, with 264 men, 190 women, 484 children. Total 938 . 10. July 9, 1883 Steamship Hankow (British) arrived 66 days out from St. Michael, Azores, & Madeira with 427 men, 317 women, 718 children. Total 1462. 11. November 1, 1883 Steamship Bell Rock (British) arrived 99 days out from Azores, with 109 men, 81 women,147 children. Total 337 . 12. June 13, 1884 Steamship City of Paris (British) arrived 74 days out from Madeira & St. Michael, Azores, with 295 men, 199 women, 330 children. Total 824. 13. October 3, 1884 Steamship Bordeaux (French) arrived 72 days out from Madeira, with 273 men, 173 women, 262 children. Total 708. 14. January 19, 1885 Ship Daca (British) arrived 114 days out from Madeira, with 63 men, 50 women, 165 children. Total 278. 15. March 4, 1886 Ship Stirlingshire (British) arrived 112 days out from Madeira, with 157 men, 107 women, 203 children. Total 467. 16. September 23, 1886 Ship Amana (British) arrived 142 days out from Madeira, with 146 men, 116 women, 239 children. Total 501. 17. April 13, 1888 Bark Thomas Bell (British) arrived 156 days out from Madeira, with 117 men, 62 women, 163 children. Total 342. 18. April 4, 1895 Steamship Braunfels (German) arrived 68 days out from Ponta Delgada, Azores, with 274 men, 124 women, 259 children. Total 657. 40 19. September 13, 1899 Steamship Victoria (British) arrived 67 days out from Madeira, with 215 men, 56 women, 72 children. Total 343. 20. December 24, 1900 Steamship Warrimo from Vancouver with 60 men, 14 women, 18 children. Total 92. 21. December 1, 1906 Steamship Suveric from Montevideo, with 459 men, 283 women, 582 children. Total 1324. 22. April 26, 1907 Steamship Heliopolis (Spanish) from Fayal, Azores & Malaga, with 608 men, 554 women, 1084 children. Total 2246. 23. June 27, 1907 Steamship Kumeric from Funchal, Madeira, with 333 men, 306 women, 457 children. Total 1114. 24. December 12, 1909 Steamship Swanley from Madeira and Azores, with 337 men, 221 women, 310 children. Total 868. 25. April 13, 1911 Steamship Osteric from Madeira and continent, with 547 men, 373 women, 531 children. Total 1451. 26. December 3, 1911 Steamship Willesden from Azores and continent, with 639 men, 400 women, 758 children. Total 1797. 27. April 16, 1912 Steamship Harpalien from Azores and continent, with 496 men, 328 women, 626 children. Total 1450. 28. March 30, 1913 Steamship Willesden from Islands and continent, with 491 men, 377 women, 440 children. Total 1308. 29. June 4, 1913 Steamship Ascot from Islands and continent, with 424 men, 327 women, 532 children. Total 1283. On Sat, Dec 14, 2013 at 1:05 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: > I can confirm there was heavy emigration from Madeira to Hawaii. Maybe > even equal to that of Sao Miguel. > > Doug da Rocha Holmes > Sacramento, California > Pico & Terceira Genealogist > 916-550-1618 > www.dholmes.com > > > -------- Original Message -------- > > It is my understanding that the Hawaiians recruited heavily from both the > Azores and Madeira. The ship to Hawaii left from Funchal, Madeira and > Ponta Delgada on Sao Miguel. That's why there's more S.Miguel people to > Hawaii than the other 8 Azores islands. As for how much from Madeira > versus the Azores, I don't know. Hope someone else does. > > > Cheri Mello > > -- > For 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." > --- > 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 [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/azores. > -- For 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." --- 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 [email protected]. 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