A Fall River Portuguese Family Story, As Told through the Documents

A Fall River Portuguese Family Story, As Told through the Documents

The various records generated by our ancestors contain many important clues that give us a window into certain periods in their lives. By careful examination we can take note of the subtle clues that the document can give us.

After gathering all possible information about the family from relatives and friends, supporting documents were acquired and examined. A comparison of the United States censuses’ for the years 1910 to 1940 showed that the family continued to live and work in Fall River, Massachusetts. Those findings were further supported by comparing all known city directories for Fall River, which verified that the family moved quite often within the Portuguese neighborhood. All possible vital records were acquired and examined for any clues. These in turn were compared to burial and sexton records, and obituaries found in the local Portuguese language newspaper, Diario De Noticias. An examination of the World War I draft cards for all known eligible males provided the needed information about the village in the Azores where the family originated. That information, led to the vital documents for the christenings, marriages, and deaths of various members of the family. These sources of information continue to expand the family line.

Antonio de Medeiros Brilhante

My immigrant ancestor Antonio de Medeiros Brilhante (great-grandfather on my maternal side) was born 28 May 1847 in Arrifes, Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel, Azores, Portugal, to Joao de Medeiros Brilhante(stonecutter, 22 October 1815 - 21 October 1895 ) and Maria de Jesus Machado (20 October 1816 ) both from Arrifes (8 January 1837 ). He was the sixth of 9 children, and the third of 3 sons; Manuel (23 September 1838 ), Jacintho (31 May 1840 ), Theresa (1 November 1842 – 1 November 1842 ), Maria (1 November 1842 – 8 November 1842 ), Maria (20 August 1843 – 20 August 1843 ), Antonio, Emilia (8 June 1851 ), Theresa (9 July 1854 - 30 July 1893 ), and Antonia (8 February 1857 ). Only 6 of the children would live to adulthood. Antonio was christened 2 days later on 30 May 1847 in the Catholic chapel of Nossa Senhora de Saude, in Arrifes. Sometime during his early years, he started to learn the trade of carpenter.

Probably following the traditional courtship and marriage customs of the time, at the age of 28, Antonio married Antonia Ricarda de Amor Divino (great grandmother on my maternal side) on 23 February 1876 in the Catholic chapel of Nossa Senhora das Neves in Relva, Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel, Azores, Portugal. (Relva and Arrifes are neighboring villages). She was 18 years old at the time of marriage and employed as a seamstress. Antonia was born 28 May 1857 in Relva , and christened on 7 June 1857 in Nossa Senhora das Neves, Relva. She was the daughter of Joao A. Almeida (26 December 1827 - 19 October 1899 ; farmer) and Francisca de Jesus (24 September 1834 - 11 March 1897 , both of Relva . She was the oldest of 9 children, and 4 daughters; Antonia, Maria (4 November 1860) , Constantina (24 July 1864) , Joao (30 September 1866) , Antonio (1 October 1868) , Francisco and Helena (14 July 1870) , Jacintho (14 April 1872 - 2 May 1873 ), Jacintho (6 July 1873) .

After the marriage, the couple resided in a modest home on Guine Street, Relva . Fifteen children (12 boys, 2 girls, and 1 unknown) were born as a result of this marriage. Only 5 children (all sons) would live to adulthood: Manuel (4 March 1878) ’ , Joao (16 Sep 1879) , Bento (24 Sep 1884, my grandfather) , Jose (11 Apr 1891) , and Seraphim (14 Apr 1893) . All of the children were christened either at Nossa Senhora das Neves, or at home (only those children that died within a day or days of birth).

Perhaps the heartache of losing 9 children, and the political and economic turmoil of the times, drove the family to look elsewhere for a more stable environment. On 22 March 1902, the oldest living son, Manuel, received his passport to immigrate to the United States . Shortly thereafter, he departed from Ponta Delgada aboard the SS Patria of the Hamburg-America Line, bound for New York. He landed at Ellis Island on 7 April 1902 and listed his sponsor as Jose Almeida Cordeiro (cousin) residing at 62 Columbia Street, Fall River, Massachusetts .

The Voyage to America

On 11 November 1902, the rest of the family, except Bento, received their passports to immigrate to the United States . Three days later on the fourteenth, the family, including Bento, departed. They arrived in Boston, Massachusetts aboard the SS Vancouver of the Dominion Line on 27 November . A search of the Azorean Passport records doesn’t show that Bento ever received one. It remains unknown why he did not receive a passport. One possible explanation is the possibility that he was smuggled out through a customs agent to avoid compulsory military service . The voyage was not the most pleasant of journeys, as evidenced by the article found in the Boston Globe of 28 November 1902 .

According to the article, “It was a more eventful passage than usual. The seas were contrary, and the speed of the ship retarded thereby; and to add to the gloom of the voyage, one passenger who had taken ship at St. Michaels to come home to friends was left in a grave in the great deep. Furthermore the steamer arrived off Boston light at 7:35 Wednesday evening and was obliged to wait until morning. So taking all things into consideration, it was a hard, uncomfortable voyage.

The next day, Wednesday, occured that sad and impressive service of a burial at sea. The dull clouds hung low from the skies, and constantly dropped their burden of rain; the winds were still pouring out of the northeast, and the waves swept up alongside. The entire ship’s company assembled on deck, and such of the passengers as dared the elements. Dr. C. T. Ballantyne, the ship’s surgeon, read the burial service, and when the moment came, the sick-wearied form passed over the side as silently as the spirit had passed from the body, and only the record of lat [sic] 42 degrees 31 minutes North, lon [sic] 68 degrees 10 minutes West remained to mark the last resting place.

…A great crowd of the Italian residents of the North End gathered at the entrance of the pier, where they waited patiently for hours to welcome relatives or friends. Many were disappointed. As a large percentage of the steerage passengers were held for further examination and will not be released until today.

The steamer brought one Italian stowaway, who was locked in a room on board the vessel, and will be deported when she leaves on her return trip tomorrow.”

After a voyage like that, I wonder if at this point my great-grandmother turned to her husband and said something like, “And what were you thinking when you decided to bring us here?”

They listed their destination as Manuel Brilhante (son and brother) living at 336 Ferry Street in Fall River. From Boston the family most likely took the - The Fall River Railroad Company - train down to Fall River, since it was the only available line at the time. This railroad was also probably used by Manuel when he traveled from New York to Fall River (known as the Fall River Line, it was the most direct method of travel between New York and Boston) .

Fall River

Upon arriving in Fall River, members of the family found employment at one of the hundred plus cotton mills operating at the time. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Fall River was the leading cotton textile center in the United States . City directories from 1902-1940, show the family moving from one tenement housing to another (Ferry, Columbia, Hope, Broadway, Carter, and Brayton, and often to different houses on the same street) .

Bento married Maria (Mary) Da Graca (my grandmother) on 19 February 1905 at St. Michael’s Catholic Church, on the corner of Wellington and Essex Streets . He was followed by Joao on 14 September 1905, who married Philomena J. Ferreira at Santo Christo Catholic Church, on the corner of Columbia and Canal Streets . Almost a year to the date of Joao’s marriage on 15 September 1906, Manuel married Inocencia Cabral at St. Michael’s .

Economic conditions were probably not the best, since the entire family, including those married with children, were living in the same tenement on Broadway Street in 1910 . After repeated attempts to locate the family in the 1910 US Census, they were finally identified under the surname of “Brunal.” By comparing all members of the census with members of the known family, and city directories for the relevant years, it was determined that the surname was misspelled by the census taker, and that this was the correct family. The record shows the family living on Broadway. Antonio was working from home as a cabinetmaker, Jose and Seraphim as doffers (a worker who replaces full bobbins with empty ones on the throstle or ring frames – [Webster 1913 online dictionary http://www.webster-dictionary.org/definition/doffer]) at a cotton mill, Manuel as an operator at a print shop, John as an elevator man at a cotton mill, and Bento as a cobbler at a local shop. It also shows that Antonia gave birth to 15 children of which only 5 survived. In addition, Innocencia gave birth to 2 children, both still living at the time, and that Mary gave birth to 3, of which only 2 survived. Philomena, the wife of Joao, is not shown on the census, but it shows that Joao is married.

Research Hint: When following a family like Bento Brilhante in the US census, an examination of all Censuses from 1910 to 1940 should be examined together. In 1910 the family name is spelled “Brunal” , in 1920 it is spelled Brilhante , in 1930 it is spelled Medeiros (the middle name of the male members of the family) , and in 1940 it is spelled Brilliant . Only by knowing all members of the family and examining the census records as a group can the correct data be extracted for inclusion into the family story.

At 9 p.m. on 2 May 1916, Antonio Brilhante died at his home on Broadway Street after suffering from a relapse of Lobar Pneumonia from 20 April. Two days later, he was laid to rest at St. Patrick’s cemetery, which at the time was unusual since most of the Portuguese were buried at Notre Dame cemetery. St. Patrick’s cemetery was typically for the Irish of the community. An examination of the sexton records show that a grandson, Jose (8 January 1913 – 13 November 1917, son of Bento and Mary), was buried in the same grave as Antonio .

Antonio would continue to be mentioned in the city directories as the deceased husband of Antonia until her death on 5 August 1931 . She is buried in the Notre Dame cemetery with the majority of the family . Manuel died on 23 December 1929 , followed by Bento on 24 September 1940 from hemorrhage of the brain associated with general arteriosclerosis . He was found unconscious in his shop. Seraphim died 3 June 1950 , and Jose died 21 August 1959 . Manuel, Bento, and Jose are buried at Notre Dame cemetery, and Seraphim is buried at St. Patrick’s cemetery. No record of death or burial for Joao has been found. Antonia’s death announcement in the local Portuguese language newspaper Diario De Noticias of 7 August 1931 seems to suggest that Joao might have passed away before 1931, since he is not mentioned with Bento, Jose, and Seraphim as surviving sons. The same also holds true for Bento Brilhante’s death notice in Diario de Noticias of 28 August 1940 .

The Draft Card

The key to unlocking the rich heritage of the Brilhante family across the pond in the Azores was discovered within the World War I draft registration. It appears that only 3 of the 5 brothers registered for the draft: Bento , Jose , and Seraphim . It was Seraphim’s card that mentioned the village in the Azores: Relva, St. Michael, Portugal. Bento’s and Seraphim’s draft cards listed their surname as Brilhante, while Jose’s draft card listed him as Brilliant. With this piece of vital information, an examination of the vital records from Relva was conducted, which provided the documents to expand the family beyond the initial immigrant ancestor.

By closely examining the data within every available record generated by an immigrant ancestor’s family, one can begin to understand the story of their struggles and hardships, and possibly gain a valuable clue to the village of their origin, such as demonstrated by the World War I draft cards.

Genealogical Summary

Children of Antonio and Antonia (Ricarda de Amor Divino Almeida), all born in Relva, Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel, Azores, Portugal:

i.Manuel Brilhante, b. 5 December 1876 ; d. 1 October 1877, Relva .

ii.Manuel de Mederios Brilhante, b. 4 March 1878 ; d. 23 December 1929 , Fall River, Massachusetts, bur. Notre Dame cemetery , Fall River, Bristol, Massachusetts; m. 15 September 1906, Fall River, Massachusetts , Innocencia Maria Cabral, b. 23 March 1884 , Azores; d. 15-20 December 1972 , Fall River, bur. Notre Dame cemetery.

iii.Joao Brilhante ,b. 16 September 1879 ; d. probably before 1931; m. 14 September 1905, Fall River, Philomena Ferreira , b. probably Azores d. unknown.

iv.Jose Brilhante, b. 24 July 1881 ; d. 4 June 1882, Relva .

v.Jose Brilhante, b. 7 March 1883 ; d. 6 January 1885, Relva .

vi.Bento Brilhante, b. 24 September 1884 ; d. 24 August 1940 , Fall River, bur. Notre Dame cemetery ; m. 19 February 1905, Fall River, Maria (Mary) Grace Mello , b. 15 September 1885, Maia, Ribeira Grande, Sao Miguel, Azores, Portugal ; d. 3 October 1959, Fall River , bur. Notre Dame cemetery.

vii.Maria Brilhante, b. 23 September 1886 ; d. 28 April 1890, Relva .

viii.Antonio Brilhante, b. 20 October 1888 ; d. 11 February 1890, Relva .

ix.Jose de Mederios Brilhante, b. 11 April 1891 ; d. 21 August 1959 , Fall River, bur. Notre Dame cemetery , Fall River, Bristol, Massachusetts m. Maria Albina Perreira b. about 1901 probably Azores d. 2 August 1929, Fall River , bur. Notre Dame cemetery .

x.Seraphim Brilhante, b. 14 April 1893 ; d. 3 June 1950 , Somerset, Bristol, Massachusetts, bur. St. Patrick’s cemetery ; m. Carolina Rodrigues , b. 25 June 1891 ; d. 23 July 1980 , Fall River, bur. St. Patrick’s cemetery.

xi.Anna Brilhante, b. 21 March 1895 ; d. 16 July 1895, Relva .

xii.Antonio Brilhante, b. 19 July 1896 ; d. 11 December 1896, Relva .

xiii.Francisco Brilhante, b. 14 June 1898 ; d. 12 July 1898, Relva .

xiv.Silvano Brilhante, b. 14 September 1899 ; d. 26 February 1900, Relva .

xv.Unknown.