Portugese Relatives

[GCE]

I believe that my Gt Gt Grandmother's family were Portugese and her father was a wine importer. Their family name was da Silva Povoas and it is possible they were Jewish. How can I trace the family beyond the East End where they lived in England.

GCE

[LizzieW]

Sorry I can't help you, but I'll be interested in any response you get.  My g.g.grandmother was supposed to be Spanish or Portuguese with a name something like Da Costa and lived in Bethnal Green.  Like you I think the family must have been Jewish, but my g.grandfather's name was definitely English.  Unfortunately, as he didn't marry g.gran I can't get any further back.

Lizzie

[GCE]

Thanks I will keep you posted if anything comes up that may help you too!

GCE

[jorose]

Can you give details of your Gt Gt Grandmother?

The name seems to be Portuguese (it could be in the style where "da Silva" originally referred to the mother's family and "Povoas" to the father), but there are people by this name using Anglican churches for baptisms and marriages in London the 1800s.

If this is related to the marriage of Edward Knight and Charlotte de Silva Povoas in 1843 in London, then you may be interested in a marriage that appears in Boston in 1870 (familysearch.org; there are a couple of hits for it, one has the actual image), for William Johnstone and Charlotte Knight. Both list themselves as b. England and on their second marriage; he says he is 41, parents John and Jane, a ship's steward, she says she is 40 (white lie?), parents Antonio and Charlotte Povoas.

http://books.google.com - has a list of Portuguese residents in London who were signatories to some kind of document in 1821, among them Antonio da Silva Povoas.

[GCE]

Thanks that is them! However, cannot tie a birth for Edward John Knight my gt grandfather to them as he does not appear on any census until 1871 and the only record is his marriage to Caroline Stephens in August 1869. He claims to be born in Lea Bridge in 1845, his marriage certificate gives his father as a land agent. The only one who fits is the Edward Knight born in Rochester Kent to John Knight a greengrocer. Edward senior dies in Somerset. On all census from 1851 onwards he claims he is a widow which is obviously a lie given that Charlotte turns up in America and marries William Johnstone.

We have a theory that Edward junior ended up at the London Orphange School in Hackney - very close to Lea Bridge!! This later becomes Reeds School in Surrey. Have no proof he was there but if his mum ran off to America and his Dad travelled for his work unless a relative took him in where would he go and why can we find no birth certificate or evidence of him until his marriage.

GCE

[GCE]

Sorry jorose tried the googlebooks link but did not know where to go from there. Would you direct me please?

Thanks GCE

[Sharon01]

Hi,

It seems that maybe her father also married in London.


Antonie Da Silva Povoas married Charlotte Bishop on  08 Mar 1817 at  St Matthew, Bethnal Green, Middlesex

Witneses were Fanisio Pallacios? & ? Ames

Sharon

[Sharon01]

Antonio & Charlotte have a few children, if you require info I will post their baptisms for you.

Sharon

[GCE]

Yes that is right. Still not sure if Povoas or da Silva is jewish! Even though they married in an Anglican church several relatives have always believed the Knights were descended from Jews