I am often reminded of one important rule of genealogy: go back over what you’ve found periodically because you never know when it will click. I don’t know how many times I’ve gone over research or looked at a photo that I’ve seen 20, 30 times without recognition. Then, the 31st time the light bulb…
Category: Portuguese Hawaiian Roots
What did that V stand for?
When searching through social security death records I noticed something peculiar. Many of my Portuguese Hawaiian male relatives born between 1880 and 1910 had middle initials. I found this peculiar because the Portuguese didn’t use middle names. What was even stranger was when I asked their close relatives about the middle initial. It seemed they…
Surname Saturday: de Braga of Maia, Ribeira Grande
Last week I finished my the Pacheco side of my family tree. This week I will start with the de Braga side. The de Braga’s were from Maia, Ribeira Grande, Sao Miguel Island, Azores. This is my Great Grandmother, Maria d’Espirito Santo (de Braga) Pacheco Smith’s side of the family. She was the wife of…
Friday Free Ebook: History of the Azores 1813
I came across this book today and thought that others might enjoy it. It is “History of the Azores: or Western Islands; containing an account of the government, laws, and religion, the manners, ceremonies, and character of the inhabitants; and demonstrating the importance of these islands to the British Empire”. Phew! I think the title…
Friday Free Ebook: Portuguese English Dictionary 1860
This week I’ve selection a Portuguese English dictionary as our Friday Free Ebook. In talking with different Portuguese genealogists, we sometimes lament that it would be nice to have a language dictionary from the era we are translating from. While modern dictionaries are helpful, they sometimes miss minor spelling differences and variations in definition. Being…