THE GOMES FAMILY
On September 13, 1882, Francisco married Maria Pereira de Sousa, the daughter of Joao Goncalves Pereira and Justina Rodrigues de Sa. (Marriage Certificate) Their first daughter, Mary Gomes, was born on Madeira in 1884.
Dr. Wiliam Hillebrand, a German botanist, who had returned from Hawaii in 1871 and was residing in Madeira, offered to assist Hawaiian plantation owners in the recruiting of immigrants from the Azores and the Madeiras, since both areas had similar climates to Hawaii. Later, in 1877, he was commissioned by the government of Hawaii to carry out the labor contract as set by the Board of Immigration of the islands, which called for a 3-year stay in the sugar plantations, from the date of arrival. The working month consisted of 26 working days, 10 hours per day. Men received $10.00 a month and women $6.50, paid in U.S. gold or silver. The contract also included lodging, daily food rations, medical care and free medicine, as well as a garden ground where Portuguese grew vegetables for their staples, including the "Inhames", or taro root, a part of the Azores culinary still common in Portuguese homes of California. The daily food rations consisted of 1 pound of fresh or salt beef, 1/2 pound of salt or dried fish; 1-1/2 pounds of rice, 1 pound of taro roots or other vegetables, and 1/3 ounce of tea.
Dr. Hillebrand contracted with Hackfield and Company of Bremen, Germany, for the transportation of these immigrants. The fares were paid by the government of Hawaii at $75.00 for each adult. The first group of these immigrants arrived aboard the "Priscilla" on September 30, 1878, and many followed thereafter, originating both in Madeira and San Miguel in the Azores.
On July 22, 1884, Francisco left Madeira on the ship "Bordeaux" [For information regarding the ship, please see "Bordeaux" ] as one of 708 immigrants bound for the Hawaiian plantations and what he hoped would be a new richer life for his family. During the trip to the Islands, there were 12 births and 72 deaths. Of the deaths, 69 were children under the age of 10 years. Francisco arrived in Hawaii on October 2, 1884, making a trip of 72 days from Madeira and anchored at Wilder's Wharf at 9:00 a.m.
(Passenger Manifest)
Maria and Mary remained in Madeira until Francisco could send for them.
Francisco's passage was paid for by Hawaiian plantation owners who needed workers for their fields. He worked in the fields until he had paid for his passage and saved enough to send for his family. Payment on the plantation was based on ethnic origin. In 1901, while a Scotch blacksmith averaged $4.16 a day, a Portuguese would average $2.37 followed by the Japanese earning $1.50 for the same job and skill. The same inequity happened to carpenters. Americans would be paid $3.67 a day, Scotch $2.90, and Portuguese $1.54.
In those days, travel by ship was a very hazardous and trying thing - especially deadly for small children. So Maria did the only thing possible to protect Mary from harm when Francisco sent for them. Mary was left on Madeira with with Maria's family and Maria traveled alone to join Francisco in Hawaii on board the "Thomas Bell". [For information regarding the ship and voyage, please see "Thomas Bell" ] During the voyage, they were hit by many storms and eventually had to put in at Chile in order to effect repairs to the ship. Finally, after 156 days, they landed in Hawaii. To the day she died, Maria never forgot the horrors of that crossing, and swore that she would never go on a ship again.
(Passenger Manifest)
Although life was hard and they never really had much, life was also good to Maria and Francisco. They were happy together and were granted the blessings of many children. There are also stories handed down in the family that there were several incidents of twin births who never survived.
During the many years Francisco and Maria spent in Hawaii, they tried to bring Mary over from Madeira, but were constantly stopped by many problems, including immigration quotas. They grew very discouraged and felt that they would never see their first-born again. So when their 4th child was born, she was called Mary in memory of their lost child,
and forever after was called "Little Mary".
The Portuguese from Hawaii, most of them descendents of those born in Madeira and San Miguel Island in the Azores, are among the most friendly and warm personalities, perhaps as a product of their exposure to Hawaiian paradisaical life ... if only a paradise for those who did not have to earn the daily bread in the sugar cane and pineapple fields which made
the Spreckels and the Sanfords rich.
Francisco and Maria were present when the Hawaiian flag was lowered and the American Flag raised over the former Royal Palace on August 12, 1898, and were among those who first aligned themselves with the two dominant political parties of the United States. On that date, all residents of the islands were automatically declared American citizens. Among those new Americans were Francisco and Maria Gomes, and their children.
The first Mary who was born in Madeira eventually reached Hawaii. When she was 19 years of age, she came to America and travelled to California. Then in 1906, she was able to travel to Hawaii where she eventually married Frank deLima and raised a family.
On October 25, 1909, my Mother Margaret (Marguerita) was born to Francisco and Maria.
(Birth Certificate)
FRANCISCO & MARIA - Hawaii - ca 1910
(My Mother is on Maria's lap)
After many years in Hawaii, Francisco, Maria, and their children moved to California (approximately 1914) where they were to remain for the rest of their lives, eventually settling in the town of Santa Clara. Francisco raised tobacco he brought from Hawaii to Santa Clara.
He died from bee stings from his hives at home. (Death Certificate)
And that is the beginning of our story - or is it!
Mail Me
Please look it over carefully:
Descendants of Manuel Gomes
1 António Gomes
+Helena Lourença de Andrade
---2 Manuel Gomes b: 13 Feb 1704 in Calheta, Madeira d: Unknown
+Margarida Periera b: Unknown d: Unknown m: Unknown
-----3 Inácio Gomes b: 7 May 1750 in Calheta, Madeira d: Unknown
----- +Ana de Jesus b: 31 Dec 1747 in Calheta, Madeira, Portugal d: Unknown m: 15 Nov 1784 in Espírito Santo da Calheta, Pr: José de Agrella Pereira
-------4 Francisco Gomes b: 8 Jun 1789 in Calheta, Madeira, Portugal d: Unknown
------- +Maria Da Conceição b: 5 Sep 1791 in Calheta, Madeira, Portugal d: Unknown m: 5 Feb 1820 in St. António dos Milagres Chapel, Calheta; Pr: Lourenço Justiniano dos Santos
---------5 Manuel Gomes b: 2 Dec 1820 in Calheta, Madeira, Portugal d: Unknown
--------- +Maria Nunes b: 14 May 1821 in Calheta, Madeira, Portugal d: Unknown m: Unknown
---------- 6 Francisco Gomes b: 6 Aug 1861 in Calheta, Madeira, Portugal d: 7 Feb 1934 in Santa Clara, Santa Clara, CA
----------- +Maria Pereira de Sousa b: 24 Feb 1864 in Calheta, Madeira, Portugal d: 10 Mar 1939 in Santa Clara, Santa Clara, CA m: 13 Sep 1882 in Espírito Santo da Calheta, Pr: António João de França Dória
------------ 7 Mary Gomes b: 1884 in Calheta, Madeira, Portugal d: 29 Aug 1924 in Stockton, San Joaquin, CA
------------- +Frank de Lima b: Unknown d: Unknown in Manteca, San Joaquin, CA m: Unknown
------------ 7 Refina Ruth Gomes b: 7 Feb 1889 in HI d: 11 Apr 1941
------------- +Augustine Gonsalves b: 1886 in Kona, HI d: Unknown m: 20 Aug 1912
------------ 7 Frances Gomes b: 1891 in HI d: 8 Sep 1965 in Santa Clara, Santa Clara, CA
------------- +Alvin Texeira b: Unknown d: Unknown in Santa Clara, Santa Clara, CA m: Unknown
------------ 7 Manuel Gomes b: 1895 in HI d: 1926 in Santa Clara, Santa Clara, CA
------------- +Emily Garcia b: Unknown d: Unknown m: Unknown
------------ 7 Ida Gomes b: 4 Jun 1896 in HI d: 24 Nov 1995 in Santa Clara, Santa Clara, CA
------------- +John Gouveia b: 5 Jun 1892 d: Jul 1974 in Santa Clara, Santa Clara, CA m: Unknown
------------ 7 Lucille Gomes b: 8 Jun 1900 in HI d: 1 Oct 1975 in San Leandro, Alameda, CA
------------- +Harry Hurst b: Unknown d: Unknown m: Unknown
------------ 7 Thomas Gomes b: 3 Aug 1901 in HI d: 7 May 1967 in Santa Clara, Santa Clara, CA
------------- +Eva b: Unknown m: Unknown
------------ 7 Marguerita (Margaret) Gomes b: 25 Oct 1909 in Kalapa, Hawaii, HI d: 16 Apr 1990 in San Leandro, Alameda, CA
------------- +Raymond August Kuntz b: 3 Sep 1915 in Watford City, McKenzie, ND d: 18 Oct 1994 in W. Sacramento, Yolo, CA m: 5 Dec 1939 in Reno, Washoe, NV
---------- 6 Maria Gomes b: Unknown
-------- 5 Antonia Gomes b: Unknown
Dona Gomes Austin Homepage
Following are some locations which might be of interest to you:
Madeira Genealogy
Mahalo Air Islander Magazine
Portuguese Genealogy
More Portuguese Genealogy
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