The Cape Verde Islands are officially known as Republica de Cabo Verde. The capital is Praia. The islands lie in the Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal. Cape Verde consists of two island groups, the Barlavento and the Sotavento. The Barlavento group consists of Santo Antao, Sao Vicente, Santa Luzia, Sal, Boa Vista, and Sao Nicolau….
The First Portuguese In Hawaii: John Eliot de Castro
Statistics show that the Portuguese were in Hawaii as early as 1794. Most likely these early settlers were members of whaling expeditions. They left the seafaring life to retire on Hawaiian soil. Unfortunately, their names have been lost over time. There are no records to tell their tales. The First Known Recorded Portuguese Person In…
The One They Left Behind: Children Left Behind In The Azores and Madeira
You may have come across this in your research. A family migrates to Hawaii. They have 7 children before they left, but only 6 arrive in Hawaii. Did one child die prior to migration? The answer may be as simple as making sure someone in the family survives. An Uncertain Voyage to Hawaii For immigrants…
Trade You A Maria For An Ermelinda
If you have been researching your Portuguese family tree for any amount of time, you’ve notice that they weren’t very creative with their names. Antonio, Maria, Jose, Joao, Manoel, and Rosa fill out most 1800s genealogies. A Standard List of Given Names How many Maria’s can one family have? Did a mother ever revolt and…
In Praise of Sao Miguel
Sao Miguel was the second island in the Azorean archipelago to be discovered by the courageous and curious Portuguese. Known as the “Green Island” (Ilha Verde), it is a quaint and charming gem in the seas of the mid-Atlantic Ocean. It is the proud home of the capital of the Autonomous Region of the Azores,…