If only my parents were still alive; if only I had listened
more carefully; if only I had asked these questions years ago.
I can not begin to tell you how many times, I have said "if only" during my Journey of Discovery quest in learning
about my Portuguese ancestry.
To this day, I still do not know the real reason for the migration
of my Maternal Grandparents. I can only guess their desire for what they
perceived to be a "better life" was the motivating factor. I often
think about what I would have done, had I been living during that
time frame. Would my decision be to stay or migrate?
Considering the factors involved in making such a critical decision may help
to answer the question that I posed above...let's attempt to walk
in the shoes of our ancestors...if it were up to you, would your
descendants be the first generation to be born on foreign soil?
Consider the following
leaving ones parents and siblings, possibly never to see them again
the possibility of leaving a spouse, and children behind
the endless paper work involved with preparing for the journey
church, government and military clearances
money needed to pay for the passage and to live on until work is found
personal possessions, what to bring, what to leave behind
the long ocean voyage in third class accommodations
the possibility of sickness, even death while en route
and what if, once the ship docks, a member of the family is not cleared to leave
where to settle and with whom
how and where to earn a living
the climate is so different
a new home, in a land where one does not speak, read nor write the language
and the list goes on...
I can only assume that these were some of the concerns faced by my
Maternal Grandparents when they decided to migrate to America in 1906
LIFE'S EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER
23 July 1900
Antonio da Silva Se, 19
Weds
Julia Augusta de Freitas, 17
Igreja do Espirito Santo
Calheta, Madeira, Portugal
15 July 1901
Daughter Maria is born [My Mother]
10 September 1903
Son Antonio is born
01 December 1905
Son Manuel is born
22 July 1906
The S.S.CANOPIC sails from Genoa,Italy bound for Boston
with stops in Naples, Italy; Funchal, Madeira and the
Azorean Island of Sao Miguel.
Antonio, Julia, daughter Maria and son Antonio are listed
on the passenger manifest. No mention is made of son Manuel
one can only guess, that due to his age, he was not listed,
or that he did not travel to America at this time
06 August 1906
The S.S.CANOPIC arrives in Boston harbor
Antonio and his family settle in Lowell, Massachusetts
09 November 1907
Son Alfredo is born in Lowell
07 February 1908
Alfredo, 3 months old, dies of congestive lung failure
22 January 1909
Son Francisco/Frank is born in Lowell
**UPDATE**
28 June 1913
Passport application for Manuel da Silva Se, age 8, dated June 28, 1913 obtained from the Archivo Regional da Madeira. Manuel's maternal uncle Antonio Joao Camara, is requesting a passport for Manuel in order to travel to the United States. This application now answers the question as to what happened to Manuel when his parents, Antonio and Julia traveled to the USA in 1906. I now need to establish the name of the ship he traveled on, plus the name of the Port of Entry and the ship's passenger manifest. It's very possible that Manuel traveled to the United State in the company of his cousin, Joao Evangelista da Silva Se, my father in September 1913. This mystery continues...
3 July 1913
Manuel da Silva Se, age 8, sails from Madeira on the S.S. Madonna, destination Lowell,MA.
At last this mystery has been solved
13 September 1913
Joao Evangelista da Silva Se [My Father] arrives in America
from Madeira, abroad the
S.S. CRETIC
Joao and Antonio are 1st cousins
Joao to marry Antonio's daughter Maria...June 5, 1915
28 February 1914
Julia dies of complications arising from a miscarriage
05 June 1915
Joao Evangelista da Silva Se
Weds
Maria Madelina da Silva Se
they are 1st cousins, one generation removed
03 October 1923
Manuel, son of Antonio and Julia is killed in a tragic
work related accident in Biddeford, Maine
He was 18 years old at the time of his death
12 January 1955
Antonio, age 74, dies of pneumonia in Lowell
04 November 1977
Antonio, son of Antonio and Julia dies of heart failure
in Livermore, California
30 March 1991
Maria Madelina, daughter of Antonio and Julia
wife of Joao Evangelista da Silva Se
and my Mother, dies 4 months short of her
90th birthday of heart failure and pneumonia
in Fremont, California
22 January 1997
Francisco/Frank, the only surviving child of
Antonio and Julia celebrates his
88th birthday
19 December 2001
Francisco/Frank Silva, resident of Lowell, dies at the age of 92
16 April 2001
Joseph Frank Silva, son of Joao Evangelista and Maria Madelina
born 8 July 1921, Lowell, MA. dies at the age of 79 in Methuen, MA.
24 July 2003
John George Silva, son of Joao Evangelista and Maria Madelina
born 23 April 1917, Lowell, MA. dies at the age of 85 in San Diego, CA.
22 March 2004
Manuel Frank Silva, son of Joao Evangelista and Maria Madelina
born 11 April 1924, Lowell, MA. dies at the age of 79 in Antioch, CA
The lives of Antonio and Julia upon arriving in America were filled
with the emotional roller coaster of bitter-sweet moments. May we
take a moment to reflect and give thanks in their honor, for it
was their courageous deed that has given us, their descendants,
the opportunity to prosper in this wonderful country.
UNITED STATES of AMERICA
I can still see, in my mind's eye, the smile, beaming with pride on my Mother's
face as she spoke of her five generations..."I am a Mother; Grandmother;
Great-Grandmother and a Great-Great Grandmother, who would have
ever guessed." In 1991, when she died, three of her seven
surviving children were already Great-Grandparents.
As the years quickly pass, the descendants of Antonio and Julia
continue to grow in number...
