Welcome to the MVPGP (Martha's Vineyard Portuguese Genealogy Project) Queries Board.

Are you researching a Portuguese family with Martha's Vineyard connections (including families who came to Martha's Vineyard from the Azores, Cape Verde, or Madeira?) Post your questions here!

Although Portuguese immigrants are documented on Martha's Vineyard as early as the late 1700s, the majority of the Portuguese immigrants who settled on the island of Martha's Vineyard (in Dukes County, Mass.) arrived during the second half of the 19th century and the first part of the 20th century. Some lived first in New Bedford, Fall River, Providence, Boston, and other maritime communities in southern New England before eventually settling on the island.

Some common Martha's Vineyard - Portuguese Surnames include: Alley, Alwardt, Amaral, Andrade, Andrews, Araujo, Baptiste, BenDavid, Bernard, Bettencourt, Borges, Burgess, Campos, Canha, Cecelio, Comancho, Combra, Correia, Correira, Correllus, Costa, Cournoyer, Coutinho, DaCosta, DaRosa, DaSilva, DeBettencourt, DeCosta, DeFrates, DeSilva, DePriest, Devine, Dias, Duart, Duarte, Enos, Estrella, Ferreira, Ferro, Figueiredo, Fortes, Francis, Frank, Frates, Fullin, Golart, Gonsalves, Goulart, Jardin, Joseph, King, Lima, Lopes, Maciel, Madeiras, Madeiros, Marshall, Maseda, Medeiros, Mello, Mendez, Metell, Moreis, Nunes, Oliver, Oliveria, Pacheco, Pachico, Paiva, Perry, Peters, Ponte, Prada, Rebello, Rezendes, Rogers, Rose, Salvadore, Santos, Searle, Sequeira, Serpa, Silva, Silvia, Swartz, Sylva, Sylvia, Thomas, Vieira, Viera, and Vieria (among many, many others!)

We maintain a website at http://www.vineyard.net/vineyard/history/mvpgp/
and we also maintain a mailing list. (To subscribe to the MVPGP mailing list, just email the word "subscribe" to
MA-MVPGP-L-request@rootsweb.com .)

Good luck with your research!

Chris

I found the 10/31/1930 Vineyard Gazette obituary of John H. King, formerly of Edgartown, who died in Somerville on 24 Oct 1930 at his sister's home (Mrs. George H. Hayes.)

He had fought in France in WWI as a member of the 13th US Artillery, where he was badly gassed, and his health gradually failed afterwards. He spent his last two years at the US Veteran's Hospital in Togus, ME.

He was born in Edgartown, the son of Joseph and Frances King. (His father drowned "many years ago.")

He had a son, John H. King Jr., who was 8 in 1930.
His mother, Mrs. Frances King DeFrates, was living in Edgartown.
His siblings in 1930 were:
Mrs. George H. Hayes of Somerville
Joseph King Jr. of Nantucket
Mrs. Caroline Kelley of Elwood City, PA
Lester DeFrates of Providence
Mrs. Kenneth Powell of Elwood City, PA
Anthony DeFrates of Methuen
Manuel F. DeFrates of Edgartown

I bet the 1900 census of Edgartown might be worth your while. (I don't have a copy, unfortunately.)

Hope that helps, a least a little...

CB

I am looking for information regarding my great-grandparents Anton DeFrates and Frances Serpa King DeFrates. Anton was born in Madiera. I don't know what year he immigrated. He was drowned off the shore of MV in a fishing accident in August of 1898. Frances was born in Faial, Azores in 1868. She probably immigrated in the late 1880s. Her first husband's name was Joseph King. He also drowned in a fishing accident in 1893. She had four children with him: Mae (Hayes), Joseph, John and Caroline (Kelly, Nichols.) She then married Anton DeFrates and had four more children: Mary (Powell), Lester, Anton (my grandfather) and Manuel. Records indicate Frances' parents were Frances Serpa and Francis Silvia Serpa. Apparently she was from a family of 10 or 11, the youngest and the only girl.

There seems to be a New Bedford connection to Anton DeFrates, but I haven't yet figured it out. His parents may have been Joseph DeFrates and Mary Enos DeFrates.

The sponsors at the baptisms of three of Frances' children were: Joseph C. and Isabel Perry, Immanuel Vincent and Maria Enos, and Barbara Vincent. I'm thinking these might also be related in some way.

Any help anyone can give me would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely, Z. DeFrates

Most of my progenitors immigrated late 1800s-early 1900s from Sao Jorge and Pico Islands.

This probably isn't much help. But you mentioned that my Grandparents were sponsers to the baptism's. They were Joseph C. Burgess who married Isabelle Perry. Joseph came from the Azores and settled in N. Bedford. He took on the Burgess name from the farm that he worked on. He later moved to M.Vineyard where he married Isabelle. As far as I Know we are not related to any of the Kings or DeFrates. Maybe they were neighbors. I was surprised to see their name come up. Good luck in your search.

I am looking for info on a JOHN CHARLES BOR (maybe JUAN BORGES) born November 1908 in Portuguel or Rhode Island or Massachusetts or New York?. He married Eleanor Alexima ? BRUISMA born February 28, 1921 around 1944. JOHN CHARLES died in 1973. Family members remember that he was called into active duty because of his fluent Portuguese - also, will living in New York after marriage, was to have been a truck driver. Son of John Charles Bor would appreciate any info or assistance.

My Grandmother migrated from the island of Pico in 1903. She arrived through Ellis Island but lived most her life in Hayward, California. I had always thought her maiden name was Rose Viera, however, looking at my mom's birth certificate (1913) she stated her maiden name was Rosie Silva.

My grandmother is Adelaide Rosa Ferreira, her father was Manuel Ferriera (1884) and her mother was Maria (?)(1891), Manuel's father was Antonio Joao Ferreira and his mother was Rosa (?). Maria's father was Domingos Antonio Da Costa, and her mother was Francisca Da Silva. My grandmother married Gustave Edmond Held, and my father is Tony Ferreira Held.

Kevin Held
kevinheld@earthlink.net

I am looking for anyone who may have info on Jesse Enos circa.1881-1900 or more, who resided in Woods Hole MA. His wife was named Rose. They may have adopted my great-grandmother who bore their name on her marriage record and they were the witnesses. Her name was Marian Henrietta Enos, and her parents names were, Mary goulart of portugal, and Manuel Perry or Pereira of Portugal.I don't know if they all came here when Marian was born or if she was Adopted in Portugal, and the Enos family migrated to MA. If anyone has info on how I can find records on name changes or adoption records in Barnstable county please let me know Thank you ! :) PS. Marian was born in 1881, in the Western Islands. These maybe the azores.

I see the name Frates is listed in your Martha's Vineyard surnames. It is spelled as my maiden name and wondered how I could get more information about this particular name. Is there a web site or other way that I might access the information you have of this name?

Thank you for your time. Jean Frates Lambert