Help with US searching - Family name Souz

[WendysWillmottResearch]

Hello,

I haven't searched any US records before and am struggling to find information via Ancestry also.

I have a Frank Peter Souz born in perhaps Seattle around 1873 or 1877.  His parents were possible a Jack Souz and Mary Ann Jane ?

He arrived at Newcastle, Australia in December 1894 on the "Harry Morse" from San Fransisco.  He married on 21/10/1899 and died on 21/1/1932.    His death certificate shows his parents as "unknown".

Any help would be much appreciated.

Regards

Wendy

[mckha489]

Not much help sorry But...

Have you looked on family Search?

https://www.familysearch.org/search/record/results?givenname=Frank&surname=Souz&birth_place=Seattle&birth_year_from=1870&birth_year_to=1880&count=20&offset=0

Lots of possible variant spellings

[oldohiohome]

Maybe he shortened his name from something else.

[Flattybasher9]

Are you related to "Jake Douglas Laycock" who has a relevant tree on Ancestry??

Malky

[WendysWillmottResearch]

Malky

I'm not related but my partner is and I am searching for his mother!  So yes all part of the same family.  I've done alot of my research which is UK and Australia based - but can't seem to find any US information even with the Worldwide Ancestry membership!

Wendy

[oldohiohome]

I haven't searched any US records before and am struggling to find information via Ancestry also.

It's definitely not just you. I haven't found anything yet either.

His death certificate shows his parents as "unknown".

Is his marriage record equally uninformative? 

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Do you know if "Jane" is his mother's surname or a third given name?

When I give up, I just google the name. Do you have any of this information? There is a mention of a twin brother named Albert, and of the fact that Frank might have been dark-skinned. Then someone says how to get his marriage record. I don't know if he/she is right or not, but if you live in Australia you probably know better than I do. I'll try for Albert.

photo
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=776070.0

2018 Thread on reddit

https://www.reddit.com/r/Genealogy/comments/9lildm/community_research_frank_peter_souz/

old thread on ancestry.com

https://www.ancestry.com/boards/thread.aspx?mv=flat&m=1&p=surnames.souz

link from one of those threads

search starts here:
http://www.naa.gov.au/

which led to this:

https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ListingReports/ItemsListing.aspx

which led to this:

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/168000185?searchTerm=frank%20souz%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20&searchLimits=


someone says:
"it looks like the only way to find his parents' names is to go to the National Library of Australia or to purchase their marriage transcription. His parents' names will be recorded on their marriage record unless he himself didn't know who his parents were."

[oldohiohome]

Have you done any DNA tests?

edit to add
this might be your page, but there are a few articles on this site tagged Souz and Pearsall. In case you don't have it:

https://trove.nla.gov.au/userProfile?user=user:public:Ciel1962

edit again
there was an exact DOB on his naturalization. b Jan 1 1877. There were a few words before "Seattle" that I couldn't read, maybe "near to", I don't know.

[WendysWillmottResearch]

Well I'm glad its not just me lol.    It is the marriage certificate that shows his parents names as Jack Souz and Mary Ann Jane.  I'm not sure where the birth year of 1857 came from for Jack Souz, but if this is correct, and if Frank Peter Souz was born in 1872-3 (which the death certificate indicates, ie he was 59 and died in 1932), then Jack would only have been 15 or 16 when Frank was born!  Although Naturalisation Application shows his date of birth as 1 January 1877.

No I don't know if "Jane" is Mary's surname. 

I'm in Australia - and have details of all the children of Frank Souz and Mary Pearsall and the Trove articles etc.   We are waiting on DNA results from one of their granddaughters and hoping this might match us to some people in the USA.

Oh and yes he was dark skinned - supposedly arrived in Australian in December 1894 (according to the Naturalisation Certificate) but we cannot locate him on any passenger or crew lists. 

His American history is quite the mystery lol

Wendy

   

[oldohiohome]

Some thoughts.

He easily could be Portuguese from looking at him, especially Cape Verdean. I would guess the name was de Souza or similar at one time. Was he really born "Frank" and his father "Jack"? or did he Anglicize everything, including his parents' names?

Have you looked for his parents in Australia? Frank was only 17 when he arrived, so he could have been on his own, but maybe not. I don't know how many Australian records are on my subscription to Ancestry, but I'm not finding much.

He named a son Albert, so maybe there is some truth to his having a brother Albert. Also, are the children's names from Mary Pearsall's side of the family? If not, some of them could be from his. That might help.

---

Here is an Antonio de Souza, born 1843 Azores, said to have married 1871, Portland Estate, SA, to Caroline Hill. Sons James, John, Albert, etc. Said to be a mariner in 1877. Died working on the wharves.

https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/8634782/person/-918440764/facts

I think Souza in Portuguese is like "Smith" in English, so they don't have to be related, but was there a Portuguese community in Portland Estate? Worth looking into.

-----
"Mariner" and "wharves" is the track I was on for Frank Peter Souz's family as well. I have a feeling they were in Seattle long enough to have Frank, and could have been 1000 miles away the year before. The records are going to be tough.

And were his parents married, or was Mary Ann Jane a native of Seattle and his father a sailor? I haven't looked for her yet.

The DNA results could help a lot. Keep us posted.