Genealogical Oddities (XXXVI): A Powell family from London in 19th Century Galicia

On 12 Dec 1817 in the city of Orense, at its church of Santa Eufemia la Real, took place the baptism of Carlota Josefa Luisa, daughter of Don Bernardino Losada, an administrator with Spain's Tobacco distribution network, and his wife Doña Luisa Powell. The infant's maternal grandparents were named as Don Basilio Powell and Doña María Croston, natives of London, England, and who then resided in the parish of Santiago in the city of La Coruña. Unfortunately, this child died in February 1821.

I have never come across this Basil Powell and Mary Croston in records of the city of La Coruña, which is perhaps a bit surprising as I have worked with records of all of its parishes many times. That said, the above records does not specifically say that their daughter Louise Powell was born in la Coruña, or even elsewhere in Spain, so the Powells may simply have come over after the Peninsular War, bringing one or more adult children with them.

SOURCE: Baptisms 1816-1835, P. 24 verso, Parish of Santa Eufemia la Real, city of Orense; at the Archivo Histórico Diocesano de Ourense.

Genealogical Oddities (XXXV): A British Birth in 19th Century Galicia

On 16th July 1825 at La Coruña's parish of San Jorge, a child born on the 3rd of that month was Christened with the names Juan Carlos. His father was John Peters of Bristol; his mother, Mary Tellet of London. The infant's paternal grandparents were named as John and Jane Peters, which presumably reflects the grandmother's married name; but the maternal grandparents were named as Joseph Tellet and Mary Stillman. This baptism is a bit unusual in that what one usually sees in Spain at this period are foreign bachelors who settled here and married a Spanish wife; in this case, the Peters' seemed to have moved to Spain as a family, for whatever reason, and one wonders if their son Juan Carlos Peters stayed in Spain or eventually set off for England.

SOURCE: Diocesan Archive of Santiago de Compostela, Parish of San Jorge of La Coruña, Baptisms 1823-1832, P. 129 verso

Genealogical Oddities (XXXIV): A 19th century British Major's Spanish Daughter

On 21 July 1813 at the garrison parish of San Fernando (then known as Isla de León) near the city of Cádiz, a girl named María Rosa Dolores was baptised. Born on the 2nd of that month, she was stated to be the daughter of Doña María Josefa Vitini, native of Cádiz; and of George Wilkinson, 'Comandante' of His Britannic Majesty's Artillery, whose origin is given only as 'England'.

Peninsular War buffs or Wilkinson family historians may perhaps know more precise details of this Major George Wilkinson to whose service record the above achievement may be added!

SOURCE: Military Parish of San Francisco, San Fernando-Isla de León, Baptisms 1812-1815, Page 85o; Navy Museum Archive, Madrid.

Genealogical Oddities (XXXIII): A Scot in Settles Down in 19th Century Galicia

On 10 October 1850 in the Galician seaport of Carril, Juan Salvador Newport, stated to be a convert to Catholicism, a native of Scotland and the son of Juan, deceased, and Isabel 'Magage', married a Spanish girl named Josefa Barcia. This couple had at least one daughter, and her baptism record sheds additional light on her father's origin. Matilde Newport was born on 23 September 1851, to Juan Salvador Newport and Josefa Barcia; her paternal grandparents were identified as Juan Newport, deceased and Elizabeth Macgee, residents of Grenoch in the Kingdom of Scotland.

This indicates that our expat in Galicia was the son of a John Newport who married an Elizabeth MacGee or McGee, and that he was born in Greenock, Inverclyde. His age is not given in either record; presumably he too would have been christened as John Newport, the 'Salvador' likely an addition at the time of his conversion to Catholicism.

SOURCES: Diocesan Archive of Santiago, Records of the parish of Carril (Pontevedra): Marriages 1792-1858, P. 167; Baptisms 1826-1852, P. 249.

Genealogical Oddities (XXXII): An English Cook's 1887 Death Shipboard Off Ibiza

While conducting research in Ibiza recently I came across the death record of William Alliston, who was taken ill and died aboard a yacht there on 3 April 1887. The record states that 'Guillermo' Alliston, native of Blandford in the county of Dorset, aged 43, married and a cook by trade, died aboard an English vessel, the name of which is unclear - Joam, Joan or possibly Foam? The informat for the record was Don Guillermo Wallis y Valls, an Ibizan gentleman.

A quick search of the IGI suggests that the deceased was probably William Frank Alliston, Christened at Blandford on 31 July 1842, the son of Robert and Charlotte; and who married, at Buckland Newton on 2 July 1863, Sarah Kingman. This family, with daughter Mary Charlotte Alliston, appears  on the 1881 census at Northwood on the Isle of Wight, which may indicate that the vessel aboard which William met his fate sailed from Portsmouth or Southampton.

SOURCES: Deaths, Book 14, P. 182, a copy of which is in the Arxiu Històric d'Eivissa; IGI, at www.familysearch.org.

Genealogische Kuriositäten (XXXI): Eine Pilgerdatei

Ein unerwarteter Fund in der Taufbücher des Dorfes Figueroa in Galizien: Der Taufschein enthält die Taufe von José Simon am 19 Februar 1783, Sohn eines Pilgerpaars, Maria Magdalena Bolschen und ihres Mannes Juan Niderlander (oder Niederlander) – die sicherlich auf seinem Weg nach Santiago waren. Der Ehemann war Soldat des Regiments „Ultonia“ der spanischen Armee und sie wohnten in der Stadt mit königlichem Sitz La Granja von San Ildefonso. Der Taufschein informiert uns auch über die Nahmen der Großeltern des Getauften, die waren auf der väterlicher Seite Bernard Niederlander und Rosina Minguien, Einwohner von Konstanz, Deutsches Reich, und auf die mütterlicher Seite Johann Bolschen y Ana Clara Chlen aus „Treberis“ (das heißt aus Trier) ebenfalls Bürger des Deutschen Reiches.

QUELLE: Historische Diözesanarchiv von Santiago de Compostela, Pfarrbezirk San Miguel de Figueroa, Buch der Getauften 1646-1800, S. 216

Recent updates - armorial.es - Actualizaciones Recientes

I have just added 15 entirely new pages to my armorial.es site, and updated the pages of 4 cities with photos of additional coats of arms.

Acabo de actualizar mi sitio armorial.es, añadiendo 15 páginas enteramente nuevas, y fotos adicionales para 4 ciudades más.