Hello,

For the last few years, I've only been able to work on my "brick walls" * ... and mostly on my own family-tree (all from U.K.). But, I try to still work on my husband's family-tree - and those "brick walls."

One of the brick-walls is about trying to find out who Francisco MOURA or Francisco da MOURA was. He was reportedly born on Sao Miguel and probably ~1870. His widow and children who went to Massachusetts told that "Frank" was a "whaler." He seems to have died ~1905, and possibly he died at sea. ???

The family also told that they came from Sao Miguel, but Azorean researchers told me this year that they were not. Francisco somehow met .. Philomena da ROSA, who had been born in Horta ?, Faial / Fayal, ~1872. And, I'm told they married on Faial ~1890. And, I'm told all of their children were born there:

Manuel, b~1891, Elzira / Elsita, b1893, Ernesto "Bernardo," b~1895, Rosa, b~1898, and Carolina, b1905. They might have lost at least one baby or child.

I don't know if the family remained on Fayal, or moved to Sao Miguel. Researchers tell me the widow and children probably left from Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel.

I'm writing this morning to ask if anyone knows of a MOURA or da MOURA family on Sao Miguel, who had a son there ~1870.

Betty (near Lowell, MA, USA)

Board Administrator

(on Lists and Boards for 14 yrs.; now an Admin for 11 Lists and 5 Boards)


FYI: The widow, Mrs. Philomena MOURA, seems to have brought each of her daughters over to Massachusetts separately - from 1905 to 1910. And I believe her 2 sons, "Manny" and "Frank," married first, and then came over to MA. Daughter, "Elsie" married in Cambridge, MA, to Antone PACHECO. He had been born ~1885 in the village of Sao Roque, right beside Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel. ... We have no way of knowing whether Francisco MOURA and Joao PACHECO knew each other. Antone's parents were Joao "Joseph" PACHECO and Jacintha de Jesus COSTA.

Also, Manuel married Carolena "Cora" (unknown) probably on Faial. And, Ernesto Bernardo "Frank" married Anna "Annie" (unknown) probably on Faial. From Massachusetts ~1920, "Manny" and "Cora" MOURA moved to NYC and settled in Brooklyn, NY. There were other MOURA families there when they arrived. ... And, "Frank" and "Annie" MOURA from MA ~1920 moved to Oakland, CA (San Francisco Bay). There were other MOURA families there when they arrived.

(Researchers found mention that Frank and Annie MOURA returned to the Azores at retirement. And, they returned to CA to visit their family for the celebration of their 50th anniversary.)

I believe it was 1948 when Mrs. "Phoebe" MOURA passed in Cambridge, MA. We have no way of knowing whether her sons traveled to MA to attend her funeral.