The DeMattos Family


4-generation pedigree (click to view larger image)

João de MATTOS (my 3rd great-grandfather) was born 13 Mar 1833 in Ponta Garça, São Miguel, and was a shoemaker there. He anglicized his name to John after arriving in the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1883. He settled with his family on Main Road in Waipunale Homesteads near Hilo on the Big Island. He died 19 Mar 1917 in Waipunale and is buried in Papaaloa.

Claudina Rosa De Jesus BRAZIL de MATTOS (my 3rd great-grandmother) was born 02 Jan 1843 in Furnas, São Miguel. She and her husband had 9 children. She died 21 Jul 1932 in Olaa and is buried there. (After finding the baptism and marriage information it's been determined that Claudina died at 89 years of age and not 101 as stated in a Hilo Tribune Article of 1928.)

Their son, Antone De MATTOS, (born 20 Feb 1868 in Ponta Garça), did not emigrate with his birth family, neither did the oldest daughter, Maria, or the oldest son, Manoel. Antone married Mary CABRAL and they had 13 children. His last employment was as a watchman for American Cannery Pineapple Company. He died 24 Feb 1947 in Honolulu and is buried at Diamond Head Memorial Park in Honolulu.

Their daughter, Maria das Mercês de MATTOS (my 2nd great-grandmother), was born 01 Oct 1865 in Ponta Garça. She married João Germano CARVALHO (John Germaine) 10 Aug 1885 and had 12 children that reached adulthood. My great-grandmother, Maria Augusta CARVALHO, was the oldest. During his lifetime John was a stonecutter, a laborer on a sugar plantation, a dairy farmer, and a day laborer (coincidentally my Irish 2nd great-grandfather, John HANNAN, was also a stonecutter). John and Maria emigrated to the mainland arriving in San Francisco 03 October 1930 aboard the SS President Hayes. They settled in Campbell, Santa Clara County, CA, and remained there until their deaths; John in 1933 and Maria in 1948. They are both buried at Santa Clara Mission Cemetery.

Their son, Manuel Sousa DeMATTOS, Sr., was born 18 Feb 1873 in Ponta Garça. He married Maria Trinidade VICTORINO in 1897. They had 6 children. Following the death of his first wife he married Maria De Gloria Do CANTO 11 May 1911 in Hilo. They had 8 children. He worked for the Kawiki Sugar Plantation near Ookala, Hawaii. He died 27 Mar 1942 in Keehia, Ookala, Hamakua, Hawaii and is buried at Papaaloa Catholic Cemetery, Hawaii.

Daughter, Maria Stella DeMATTOS, was born 03 Feb 1875 in Ponte Garça. She married Antone Cabral CHAVES in Hilo and had 2 children. She died 02 Apr 1977 in Honoulu, Oahu, Hawaii and is buried at Diamond Head Memorial Park, Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii.

Daughter, Maria Rosa DeMATTOS, was born 05 Feb 1879 in Ponta Garça. She married Antone Frederick WALTJEN in Hilo and had 10 children. She died 20 Aug 1961 in Oakland, Alameda County, CA, and is buried at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Hayward, CA.

Their youngest daughter, Mary DeMATTOS, was born in Waipunale on 09 Jun 1888. She married Joseph BAPTISTE 17 May 1903 at Honomu Catholic Church, Hawaii. They had 11 children. She died 01 Mar 1978 in Hilo and is buried at Alae Cemetery, Hilo.


SS Bell Rock Details Portuguese Immigrant Ship Lists

Name of Ship: BELL ROCK (British)
Ship Destination: Hawaii
Arrival Date: Nov. 1, 1883
Passenger Total: 1405
First Name: João
Middle Name: de
Surname: Mattos
Age: 50
Sex: M
Relation: Husband
Marital Status: Married
Contract Number: 1373.0

First Name: Claudina
Middle Name: Rosa
Surname: Mattos
Age: 40
Sex: F
Relation: Wife
Marital Status: Married
Contract Number: 1373.0

First Name: Maria
Middle Name:
Surname: Mattos
Age: 17
Sex: F
Relation: Daughter
Marital Status: Single
Contract Number: 1373.0

First Name: Jose
Middle Name:
Surname: Mattos
Age: 12
Sex: M
Relation: Son
Marital Status: Single
Contract Number: 1373.0

First Name: Manôel
Middle Name:
Surname: Mattos
Age: 10
Sex: M
Relation: Son
Marital Status: Single
Contract Number: 1373.0

First Name: Maria
Middle Name:
Surname: Mattos
Age: 8
Sex: F
Relation: Daughter
Marital Status: Single
Contract Number: 1373.0

First Name: Roza
Middle Name:
Surname: Mattos
Age: 4
Sex: F
Relation: Daughter
Marital Status: Single
Contract Number: 1373.0


Honolulu Commercial Advertiser November 2, 1883


This fine steamer with her troop of Portuguese immigrants was reported off the coast soon after five o'clock on Wednesday afternoon. She arrived off the port about 7 p.m. the same evening and came to anchor near the bell buoy, and was shortly brought into port. She sailed from London on the 16th August, made a good passage to St. Michaels, arriving there on the 22d. After taking in their living freight she sailed again on the 30th August, at 4 p.m. with 1411 passengers, among whom where 530 children of twelve years of age or under.


Baptisms and Marriages


João de Mattos
DOB: 13 Mar 1833
BAP: 20 Mar 1833, Ponta Garça, São Miguel
PARENTS: Joam de Sousa Mattos, native Nossa Senhora Piedade, Ponta Garça X Maria do Couto, native Divine Espirito Santo, Maia (The info listed in the ships records, and Bob de Mello's book lists Canto, but the birth records read Couto.)
GODPARENTS: Jose de Medeiros Couto & Francisca de Jesus

Claudina
DOB: 02 Jan 1843
BAP: 15 Jan 1843, Furnas, São Miguel
PARENTS: João de Sousa Brazil X Rosa de Medeiros
PATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: Andre de Azevedo Nunes X Rosa de Sousa Brazil
MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: Jose de Medeiros X Maria de Medeiros, natives Santa Anna, Furnas
TESTIMONY: João de Lima & Jose de Sousa (both married)
GODPARENTS: Manôel Ferreira (married) & Claudina Rosa (married)
CERTIFIED: 22 8 bro/Oct 1871 (uncertain of what this means)

Marriage:
16 Sep 1861, Ponta Garça, São Miguel
João de Mattos, age 28, single, baptised Ponta Garça
PARENTS: João de Mattos Sousa (deceased) X Maria do Couto
PATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: Antonio de Sousa X Francisca de Mattos
MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: Manôel Pacheco de Mello X Francisca do Couto Borges
SPOUSE: Claudina Rosa, age 18, single, baptised Santa Anna, Furnas
daughter of: Joao de Souza Brazil, trabalhador/= laborer (deceased) CONSENT: Juniperio do Brazil X Rosa de Medeiros
PATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: Andre de Azevedo X Maria de Sousa
MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: Jose de Medeiros X Maria de MELLO
TESTIMONY: Manôel de Jesus (married) & Florianno Tavares da Silva (married)


Children of João de Mattos and Claudina Rosa:


Maria (1st named)
DOB: 27 Jun 1862
BAP: 09 July 1862, Ponta Garça
PARENTS: João de Mattos, native Povoação X Claudina Rosa, native Santa Anna, Furnas
PATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: João de Mattos X Maria do Couto
MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: João Brazil de Azevedo X Rosa de Medeiros
GODPARENTS: Manôel de Jesus (miller) & Maria Tavares

Manôel (1st named)
DOB: 04 July 1863
BAP: 19 July 1863, Ponta Garça
PARENTS: João de Mattos, native Ponta Garça X Claudina Rosa, native Santa Anna, Furnas
PATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: João de Mattos X Maria do Couto
MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: João Brazil X Rosa de Medeiros
GODPARENTS: Manôel de Jesus (married) & Maria Tavares (married)

Maria (2nd named)
DOB: 01 Oct 1865
BAP: 08 Oct 1865
PARENTS: João de Mattos, native Ponta Garça X Claudina Rosa, native Santa Anna, Furnas
PATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: João de Mattos X Maria do Couto
MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: João Brazil de Azevedo X Rosa de Medeiros
GODPARENTS: Manôel Tavares de Amaral (single) & Antonia Henriqueta de Jesus (married)

Antonio [Antone]
DOB: 19 Feb 1868 at 9:00 a.m.
BAP: 23 Feb 1868, Ponta Garça
PARENTS: João de Mattos, native Ponta Garça X Claudina Rosa, native Nossa Senhora Santa Anna, Furnas
PATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: João de Mattos X Maria do Couto
MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: João de Sousa Brazil X Rosa de Medeiros
GODPARENTS: Manôel de Amaral (single) & Antonia Henriqueta de Jesus (widow)

Jose (1st named)
DOB: 28 Nov 1870
BAP: 08 Dec 1870
PARENTS: João de Mattos, native Ponta Garça X Claudina Rosa, native Santa Anna, Furnas
PATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: João de Mattos X Maria de Couto
MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: João de Sousa Azevedo X Rosa de Medeiros
GODPARENTS: Manôel do Amaral (married) & Maria da Conceicao (married)

Manôel (2nd named) [Manuel Sousa]
DOB: 18 Feb 1873
BAP: 23 Feb 1873
PARENTS: João de Mattos, native Ponta Garça X Claudina Rosa, native Santa Anna, Furnas
PATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: João de Mattos X Maria do Couto
MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: João de Sousa Azevedo X Rosa de Medeiros
GODPARENTS: Manôel Tavares d'Amaral (married) & Maria da Conceicao (married)

Maria (2nd named) [Maria Stella] [Actually the 3rd named]
DOB: 03 Feb 1875
BAP: 14 Feb 1875
PARENTS: João de Mattos, native Ponta Garça X Claudina Rosa, native Santa Anna, Furnas
PATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: João de Mattos X Maria do Couto
MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: João de Sousa Azevedo X Rosa de Medeiros
GODPARENTS: Manôel de Amaral (cabouqueiro, married) & Maria da Conceicao (married)

Rosa [Maria Rosa]
DOB: 05 Feb 1879
BAP: 09 Feb 1879
PARENTS: João de Mattos, laborer, native Ponta Garça X Claudina Rosa, native Santa Anna, Furnas
PATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: João de Mattos X Maria do Couto
MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: João de Souza Azevedo X Rosa de Azevedo
GODPARENTS: Manôel Tavares do Amaral (married, cabouqueiro) & Antonia Henriquetta de Jesus (widow)


***Special thanks to John Roias and Shirley Allegre for all of their assistance with my DeMattos family!

[Sources: Family History Library Films #1388483 for Batismos 1831-1878 & #1388484 for Marriages 1675-1884 of Nossa Senhora da Piedade (Ponta Garça, São Miguel); death certificates (underlined); marriage records (underlined); passenger manifests (underlined); and the personal knowledge of Bernice Mattos Pfeiffer 1930 - 2009.]


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(rev. 07/14/2022)

Comments

Hi Virginia

I was idly browsing (as one does!) and came across your fascinating research. We have a reasonably well established family tree as far back as mid 18 hundreds when my great great great grand father came to England (early to mid 18 hundreds), but we haven't established anything linking back to Portugal. Would love to find out more - any tips?
Virginia Hill said…
Dominic,

I was extremely fortunate to have two very experienced genealogists volunteer to help me with the Portuguese records. They came across the family tree online and offered to help. If I may suggest trying Family Search (https://www.familysearch.org/), as they have some records, although as I recall they did not have records pertaining specifically to the Azores. At the bottom of the entry are my sources, including the Family History Library microfilms for birth and marriage records. The FHL catalog has many microfilms, but, of course, translating the handwritten Portuguese documents requires patience and/or assistance. Well, it certainly did for me! :) I found some immigration records at http://www.lusaweb.com/ years ago, but that required a paid subscription. I wish you well in your endeavor!
Unknown said…
hi. we are related I believe
MariahKolb said…
Hi, my name is Mariah Kolb and my great grandmother was Mary Baptiste (daughter of Mary DeMattos and Joseph Baptiste). She married John Carlos from Ewa, Oahu and had my grandpa John Carlos III and he had my mom Jan Kolb (maiden name Jan Carlos). She told me that you reached out to her over a decade ago about the family tree and we moved to Hawai'i to discover our roots on Oahu. You are probably one of the biggest reasons I got to grow up in Hawai'i and learn about my Portuguese ancestry. So thank you! (I originally posted a comment mistakingly thinking that Mary DeMattos was my great grandma, but her daughter was, that's what happens when there's too many Mary's, Maria's, and Johns haha).
Virginia Hill said…
Hello Mariah!

How nice of you to reach out and what a sweet thing to say. Well, if you LOVE living on Oahu (and it reads like you do!), then I'm glad to have played ANY part in your moving there.

It turns out that you and I are fourth cousins through our shared direct descendency to João "John" DE MATTOS & Claudina Rosa De Jesus BRAZIL.

I'm wondering if you have seen this photograph of Mary (DeMATTOS) BAPTISTE? https://flic.kr/p/9mcLeM

You are definitely correct when you stated there were too many Marys, Marias, and Johns! Generation after generation and within the same nuclear families too!

Wishing you a ola hauʻoli!