Doug, I just wanted to clarify my comments about "Dom & Dona." Basically, I used the terms in the *metaphorical* sense, just to provide an example of the point I was trying to make. Now, I've done enough research to know that those titles didn't go as "package deal," but, I also know that seldom, if ever, did a shoemaker get elevated to the rank of Capitao, over a period of seven years - especially, in a world where royalty and nobility ruled, and, where most everyone else was relegated to peasantry. As for that nobility, none of it rubbed off on me, either - although, I too, am descended from persons of title. As for my eyesight, it is was it is. It was a shock when my eye doctor first broke the news, last year, but I'm lucky, at least, that I still have one eye that has been able to become the workhorse for two. If I didn't have the experience that I have researching these old documents, I probably wouldn't be able to decipher anything. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On Tuesday, April 29, 2014 2:17:22 AM UTC-4, Doug da Rocha Holmes wrote: > > Hi Dano, > > I just wanted to mention that I have many ancestors who were capitao, > alferes, sargento and one tenente, plus another ajudante, not one of them > whose wife was called "Dona." Mine are from Pico and Terceira - mostly Pico > for my military ancestors. I do know they were "from old and noble > families" or some such wording in priest applications. I guess they just > didn't get that higher level treatment for some reason. > > Come to think of it, I even have some Capitao-mor ancestors or sons of my > ancestors and still their wives were not "dona." > > But you are right in most cases that on other islands we would see "dona" > for their wives. I guess it's just a quirk on Pico, but "dona" was > certainly found on Pico. I have one single ancestors with "dona" and she > was the wife of an administrator of a "vinculo" so I guess that finally was > enough to qualify. But her mother was not a "dona." It came from her > husband, yet his mother was not "dona" either! > > Since my only comment was about the use of this word, I changed the > subject. > > By the way, your comment about your failing eye sight came as a surprise, > since you still show no sign of it preventing you from reading the records > well. Impressive, but sorry to hear about that. > > Doug da Rocha Holmes > Sacramento, California > Pico & Terceira Genealogist > 916-550-1618 > www.dholmes.com > > > -------- Original Message -------- > Subject: [AZORES-Genealogy] Re: Marriage and Death Record help > From: Dano <[email protected] <javascript:>> > > The obito is not for your Francisco, as he seems to have acquired a new > surname, and the high level military title of Captain, not even a full > eight years after his marriage, when his occupation was "shoemaker." People > just did not rise from artisan/craftsmen to the class of Captain "ever." > Only those of the privileged (noble) class could expect any such > appointment, and I don't see any Dom or Dona title for any of the people > mentioned. > > >
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