LoneyBones Second Chance Scavenger Hunt...Everyone Welcome To Join In

[Tephra]

To quote LoneyBones..........  "This is going to be either very simple …. or almost impossible."  But I'm sure you'll give it your best shot.......and then some more.

Good Luck and Good Hunting.

Barbara

                                      *********************************

John INNIS/ENNIS  ( husband of the still missing Elizabeth Ann Balfour Davis) was born 1831 in Faial. A Portuguese island in the Azores. 

At least that’s what he said and I have no reason to doubt.

I have all his certificates, including three marriages and one divorce, but no birth certificate. I really would like to confirm his birth, and of course continue his line back, as this is our direct male line.
So I’m looking for a birth certificate, or failing that a baptismal notice.
This is going to be either very simple …. or almost impossible.

My cousin in New Zealand has been searching for a lot longer than I and he’s been unsuccessful as well.

He wrote to the Portuguese authorities and got no joy.
I had a go more recently but also failed.
So, if someone here knows how to find a British subject’s birth in Faial, Azores, it should be a breeze.      Modified at the request of Loneybones
If not…well there’s the rub.

Parents; John INNIS/ENNIS and Louisa Constance ??
Family rumour says his parents were Scottish, or at least British.
Father was cited on at least one certificate as a carpenter.

Other information; John first appears at his marriage to Elizabeth in New Zealand, 25 November 1851.
Witnesses to marriage; Manuel Christian and Harriet Powley.
I have nothing before that.
We have no indication that he had siblings.

[LoneyBones]

Added;
Thanks Barbara. It seems he might not have been of British descent after all...so we need to keep an open mind. We may be looking for John INNIS or INACIA, parents John INNIS or INACIA and Louisa CONSTANCIA. We may also be looking for a whaling ship with John on board, any time befor 1851.

I've recently recieved his divorce papers and as he was about 50 at that time I believe he would be pretty well acquainted with himself. He says quite clearly that he was born in Faial, Azores. He spells it Fayal.
As I don't speak any Portuguese I've only ever tried a couple of times to find a web site that might be helpful. I've learned quite a bit of the history of Portugal in the mean time tho'.   

Leonie.

[Ruskie]

Leonie,
You have a question mark after his mother's name Louisa Constance, is that because you doubt this is the correct name?
Does John give the same information regarding his parent's names on all 3 marriage certs?

As a rough guide, Innis is laregely a Scottish name. Ennis is more widely spread around England. Both appear in Gloucestershire. 
http://www.nationaltrustnames.org.uk/Surnames.aspx
Coincidentally the surname Constance also comes up as mainly based in Gloucestershire.

Sorry can't help with anything Portugese. I take it you've asked for a specific lookup of births for British subjects abroad? If father John was a carpenter I wonder what the family were up to in Portugal?  Perhaps he was in the services as a carpenter?

[regross]

Leonie,

Well done in finding his place of birth.

I agree that it ismost likley that his father may have been a soldier posted there. Louisa Constance  as his mother is ambiguous, she could have been either British of of course Portugese and Luiza Contanzia and anglicised in the records.

You may need to try army records but this is not my area of expertise. When you contacted the Portugese authorities was it for a birth or a marriage? Might be worth trying again for what ever you didn't ask about the first time round.

added
unusual coincidence of names:
http://www.familysearch.org/eng/Search/frameset_search.asp

regards

Robyn

[majm]

Hi Leonie,

Agree with both Ruskie's and Robyn's posts,

Indeed, well done in finding his place of birth, I don't speak Portugese either, if I can help further I will. Meantime I'll try all my favourites links to see if I can figure out anything for you.

Yep, Tephra's quote is spot on "very simple or almost impossible" 

So far, moi thoughts are:
If military was his Dad's calling, perhaps there's some baptismal records around say Gilbraltar (fleet based etc), hopefully in English Military Chapel perhaps will find some candidates for your John  ... 

http://www.bmdregisters.co.uk/launch_info_list.php (I haven't read through this yet, but perhaps some clues could be there)

Cheers,  JM

[Peonie]

Hi Leonie,

have you had a look at this site:  http://homepage.mac.com/kmacardoza/Genealogy/genresources.html

Church records seem to be available from Familysearch.

Good luck, Peonie

[LoneyBones]

Sorry...It's Louisa Constance SOMETHING.   (or not    )We don't have a surname for her.
Altho' I admit, I never thought of CONSTANCE as being a surname.

Since INNIS was only on the marriage certificate and the birth certificates of the first four children, (all in New Zealand) later births are ENNIS and later certificates are also ENNIS, I really think this is the name we should be looking for.
John was not completely illiterate, he made his mark on the marriage entry but signed his name on the divorce papers.
NZ marriage cert. has no family details in 1851. Second marriage cert. NSW Australia also has no family details. Third marriage cert. has father's name and mother's name as Louisa Constance UNKNOWN.  Also just noticed    father's occupation is shoemaker.  

I've also just realised, all the NZ certs have INNIS, all the Australian ones have ENNIS.  

[Peonie]

Leonie I found this :
Enos -

Enos has Armorial

  Enos in American and Inacio in Portuguese as surnames
  Information is from:
Doug da Rocha Holmes, "NAMING TRADITIONS, SURNAME TYPES",  OProgresso,
Dece. 1995, Vol. 14, No. 4, page 10.

  Enos -
Family name.
  Information is from the book:
James H. Guill, A HISTORY OF THE AZORES ISLANDS, Golden Shield
International, Vol. 5, 1993, page 200.

  Enos - This is a name commonly used in Portuguese and Brazilian
Portuguese.  Given name.
  Information is from:
BASIC PORTUGUESE PALEOGRAPHY, The Genealogical Department of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Series II, No., 20, 1978,
page 23.

  Enos - is a family name of a early Portuguese immigrant in
California.
  Information is from:
Carlos Almeida, PORTUGUESE IMMIGRANTS, Published by: The Supreme
Council of U.P.E.C., San Leandro, CA,1978, page 268.

  Eanos - Anglicized (English).  de Enos - Portuguese family name.
  Enes - Anglicized (English).  Enos - Portuguese family name.
  Ennes - Anglicized (English).  Enos - Portuguese family name.
  Ennis - Anglicized (English).  Enos - Portuguese family name.
  Hines - Anglicized (English).  Enos - Portuguese family name.
  Information is from:
Carlos Almeida, PORTUGUESE IMMIGRANTS, Published by: The Supreme
Council of U.P.E.C., San Leandro, CA,1978, page 272.


I found this here:  http://groups.google.com/group/azores/browse_thread/thread/2392e49ebf251cff?fwc=1

Not sure if I can cut and paste it here
Peonie

[LoneyBones]

Hi Peonie 
I just realised I missed you. I was checking if I'd answered everyone, then I realised I'd missed you.
I'll have a good in depth look at what you have. Thank you. 
Of course we have no reason to supose John wasn't Portuguese, we just never thought he might be.   
The fact that one of the witnesses at his marriage was Manuel CHRISTIAN and that he named one of his sons Manuel Flizbertio still didn't make any of us think he was anything but British.     
My Mum's eldest sister would turn in her grave.     She was always sooo sure he was Scotish. She even had a kilt made in the ENNIS tartan.

This is very interesting.