Maria Miranda and Antonio Silva
Who we are:
- We are the grandchildren of Maria and Antonio's daughter, Flora.
- That makes us the grandnieces and grandnephews of Alice Kelley, Flora's sister.
- And the nieces and nephews of Alice Purinton, Flora's eldest child.
- The three letters below were written by Alice Purinton in Portland, Maine to a niece in Brunswick, Maine.
- This niece located correspondence from Alice Kelley's own search for Maria and Antonio in 1930.
- Those are the baptismal certificates and letter from Westborough State Hospital below.
What we think we know:
- Maria Miranda came to California from Portugal at age 18, staying with an aunt.
- She married Antonio Silva, a fisherman.
- They had 6 children in California, 4 boys & 2 girls.
- Maria took the girls east.
- The boys stayed with the father and a "new" mother
- Maria was admitted to the Westborough State Hospital on December 17, 1902.
- The girls were placed in the Home for Destitute Catholic Children in Boston.
- Maria was released for deportation April 7, 1903.
- Alice was adopted by the Kelley family in Portland, Maine.
- Flora was foster child to the Leonards in Brunswick, Maine.
What we're looking for:
- Where did Maria and Antonio originally come from?
- What was their path to California?
- When and where did they marry?
- What was Maria's aunt's name?
- What happened to Antonio and the boys?
- Where did Maria ultimately end up?
- Where are the original baptismal certificates?
What you'll find on this site:
- Baptismal certificates for William, Flora, and Alice
- Correspondence from the Westborough State Hospital
- Correspondence from the Home for Destitute Catholic Children
- Letters from Flora's eldest child, Alice Purinton
To see a scanned document, click on the thumbnail image. To see text only, click on the document title.
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| William | Flora | Alice | Hospital |
| Letter_1 | 2_&_3 | Home |
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