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Smith - with Portuguese links (previously Da Seymour, Da Silva, Da Simas?)

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Smith - with Portuguese links (previously Da Seymour, Da Silva, Da Simas?)

Posted: 19 Feb 2015 4:14PM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Smith, Silva, Simas, Christian, Martin, Seymour
Looking for anyone with any info or connections to the following family:

Anthony/Antonio Smith born in Portugal. Surname said to be Da Seymour which may have been anglicised from Da Silva, Da Simas etc. Was a whaler who jumped ship in Auckland/North of Auckland, New Zealand anytime before 1855. Only possible death match I could find was an Antonio Smith, Portuguese seaman who died 1866 in Auckland age 42 (so born circa 1824) (informant on certificate: Antonio Martin) no family info given on the certificate. Info passed down was that he jumped ship with brothers who changed their names to Brown and Jones.

Anthony/Antonio had a son Michael Smith birth registered as Feb 1856 on the North Shore (informant on certificate: John Nolan, Farmer, North Shore, Uncle). Michael's mother is said to be Maori and no marriage registered for Anthony/Antonio to anybody. On Michael's birth certificate his mother is given as Margaret nee Seymour, on his death certificate his mother is given as Nellie Kati. It is believed Antonio feared being deported as he was 'illegal' so kept a low profile and that he also took his son soon after he was born and left his Maori wife. I believe he registered his son's birth after he he left his wife and listed any name as the mother as he had to legal means to keep him in New Zealand.

Anthony/Antonio has no other records to be found for naturalising, working as a seaman, nothing in paperspast. So feels like I've come to a dead end!!

After his son Michael's birth registration, Michael appears in a newspaper article as working as a farm hand in Matakana in 1872. Michael Smith married Elizabeth Baker in 1878 on Kawau Island where he was said to be working. The witnesses on the certificate are: James Smith, Farm Servant, Kawau Island and Manuel Christian, Farmer, Matakana.
Michael Smith died in 1930 as an 'old settler' of the Omaha area having spent most of his life there. He used the name Michael Anthony Smith on his marriage and death certificates.

If Michael was looked after by his father alone, as believed, then he may have been orphaned when his father died in 1866. I've noticed Michael Smith also pops up in the Matakana area around the same time as the Christian and Martin families settled there.

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