The Promise of a Better Life

Maria do Rosario Moniz

Maria do Rosario Moniz Maria do Rosario was the first wife of grand-father, she bore him seven children. She was the mother of, Maria Vera, Maria Gloria, Caroline, Ralph Nicolau, Henrique, Mario and Jordan.  As written in a eight page letter by her son Henrique (5th child and second son of four boys) for his family:  " My father married my mother the first part of 1899, they made their home in Funchal. My oldest sister was born in November of 1900. My youngest brother was born September 23, 1911. My mother would pass less than a month later in the month of October, 1911."~Henrique Moniz~  It is said that Henrique remembered his mother fondly as a very kind woman. He was in his fifth year when she passed. Not much is known about Maria do Rosario, other than the fact that it was always said that she was quite beautiful. She is listed as a domestic on all certificates relating to her children. I cannot find her birthdate on any of my documents. Her parents are listed as the grandparents to her children on their baptismal records, they are: Jose Joaquim Monteiro and Augusta do Rosario.  More information is being gathered as I write, first cousin Jo-ann is in Madeira visiting cousins on my grandfathers side. Hopefully she will return with more information. In the meantime enjoy Maria's very sweet and beautiful face.

The Old Neighborhood!

"In the late nineteenth & early twentieth centuries, the booming textile industry turned many New England towns & villages into industrialized urban centers. This rapid urbanization transformed not only the economic base but also the regional identity of communities such as New Bedford as new housing forms emerged to accommodate the largely immigrant workforce of the mills. In particular, the wood-frame "three-decker" became the region's multifamily housing design of choice, resulting in a unique architectural form that is characteristic of New England. In The Patina of Place, Heath offers the first book-length analysis of the three-decker & its cultural significance, revealing New Bedford's evolving regional identity within New England. Using his concept of "cultural weathering" to explore the cultural imprints left by inhabitants on their built environment, Heath considers whether the three-decker is a generic type that could be transferred, unaltered, elsewhere. He concludes that the ethnic, economic, & geographic conditions of a locale serve as subregional filters that reshape the meaning, utility, & character of a building form, thereby making that form an integral & distinctive part of its community. Specifically, Heath shows how the three-decker was designed, built, & lived in, & then illustrates its transformation by later generations of residents following the collapse of the textile industry in the mid-1920s up to the present day."~FROM: The Patina of Place, The Cultural Weathering of a New England Industrial Landscape, 2001, Kingston Wm Heath~

90 Davis Street, New bedford, Massachusetts. The family's first home in America, they lived on the middle floor. Porches have been removed and vinyl siding added, since the 1920's, a very traditional three tenement house.

Angelo's Market, right next door to the family's second home on Earle Street, New Bedford, Massachusetts. This store holds many fond memories from my childhood of penny candy and mounds of ice cream and that of my cousins I am sure. Today, Angelo's seems to be unoccupied.

The family home, pictured in the center, located on Earle Street, New Bedford, Massachusetts. The family occupied the first floor. It is directly across the street from the family parish and a short around the corner distance from the grammar school the children attended.

Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, directly across the street from the family home on Earle Street.

Sarah D Ottiwell School in New Bedford, Massachusetts, the grammar school the children attended. All of the above photos were taken in February of 2012.

The Feast of the Blessed Sacrament, New Bedford, Massachusetts, held yearly, the first weekend in August on the Immaculate Conception church grounds. Attended by the family to this day, about 90 years in attendance. Traditional Madeira Dance pictured above. Click on archives in right hand column to view older posts, or click on HOME, also located above left, scroll to bottom to view older posts from the beginning.

Memories From Our Trip!

A Journey Into Antiquity! This photo was taken in Santa Cruz, Madeira, Portugal. As I walked into the bedroom where my grandparents once slept, I was drawn to the light of this open window. As the breeze gently filtered through the lace curtain, I couldn't help thinking how very European this image was in my minds eye. I wondered how many letters had been written, tears shed and precious moments shared in the blush of this delicate light?  Posted From: Rosemary Aubut's Creative Journal

PaPa, Can You Hear Me? This photo was taken in Santa Cruz, Madeira, Portugal. The village streets are quaint with outside cafes and rustic old houses showing off their age with dignity and grace. In the center of this township  is of course, the Village Church, surrounded by elaborate stonework and trees to shade. This place of worship is where my grand-father was baptized and his father before him. Once again this was a goose-bump rating of 10 on the emotional richter scale. This window called to me in gratitude from generations past!  Posted From: Rosemary Aubut's Creative Journal

A Walk Back In Time! I had the privilege of visiting Madeira, Portugal in the fall of 2009. Everywhere I looked there was a photo to be taken. Standing outside my grandfather's 300 year old house I snapped this photo, giving my goose-bump rating a perfect 10! I believe this old gent walked past to remind me of a time when we used to walk and grandfather held my eager little hand. His cane always pointed out different objects of interest, that as a child, I might want to collect. Bottle caps seemed to be my favorite. He passed when I was eight years of age. I miss those walks! Posted From: Rosemary Aubut's Creative Journal