Census records for Puerto Rico from the 1800's

Today someone shared this blog post with me that I found super interesting. The link to the blog is here. 

The substance of the post is about long lost census records for Puerto Rico dating as far back as 1830's. It surprised me because when I started my family search a few years back, I read & was told that the earliest Puerto Rican census records available begin at 1910. I did hear there was one census recorded earlier but that it was destroyed in a fire. Turns out the story about the fire is true, the year of 1900's was destroyed. However, there were several more census records taken, just not available online yet. Family Search has them, but hasn't yet digitized & uploaded them onto their site yet. Not sure why I am just learning about this now, which is why I wanted to share in case any of you are also in the dark about these earlier Puerto Rican census records.

Isn't that amazing? Think of how many more family members we will be able to connect once those are made open to the public. So many more questions will be answered. The blog post also mentions that some time this fall (not certain but hopefully) these records will be uploaded. The next step is having volunteers like you & I actively on there website to help index them to make it easier to find people by names, city, age & so forth. What a huge blessing this will be. I just hope it gets going before the end of 2016.

Below is a photo of my Pabellon line spelled as "Pavellon" for the census recorded in 1897 for the city of Juncos, Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rican slave record

Growing up, I always wondered why my father's mother was so dark. Especially since most of all her children were lighter in color. I remember asking my father when I was younger & his response was "Well, some Puerto Ricans are light & others are black, that's just how it is". That response has always lingered in my mind. I just wanted to know why? But why were some light & others black?

I found the answer to this question early on in my search. My father's mother is Andrea Pabellon.  Now the surname of Pabellon is very uncommon. As I searched, I learned that there were only a few of them on the island. The majority of them lived in Juncos or Gurabo, Puerto Rico. I also noticed they all declared themselves as "negro" or black.

The oldest Pabellon I could find online is a former slave by the name of Juan Maria Pabellon. Born around 1833 in either Juncos, or Gurabo, Puerto Rico. Below is the slave census record taken in 1872 called Puerto Rico, Registro Central de Esclavos, that tells me most of all I know about Juan Maria.

The record states he was naturally from Puerto Rico meaning he was born on the island. He was about 39 years old when this was recorded & it declares him as single although it does list several children on this same record that declare him as being their father. This record also says Juan Maria was owned by "los Hijos de Saldana" which means the sons or children of a family with the last name of Saldana. I did some digging & it turns out that there was a family by that last name that owned a big farm property in Gurabo. I'm not certain what kind of farm it was but I assume possibly sugar cane or tobacco that was big at this time. It gives the name of one of his parents, which is most likely his mother: M. Gonzalez. I also know that the Saldana family were connected with Gonzalez's by marriage, so maybe that's how they came to own Juan Maria & his children.

So how did I connect this slave record to me you wonder? Well on this same record Juan Maria has 8 children also recorded living with the same slave owner. 6 sons & 2 daughters. One of the sons is named Matias Pabellon. I know for certain Matias is my 2nd great grandfather. Also know that he is the only Matias Pabellon living on the island at this time period. Other records tell me that Juan Maria was married to a black woman named Isabel Ramirez. Which is why my 2nd great grandfather went by Matias Pabellon Ramirez on census records. 

Here is the tricky part in this. On Matias' death record it says his mother is named Maria Pabellon. This really didn't make sense to what I already knew about him, so with a closer look I noticed the person recording the information on Matias' death record was a neighbor. They must of not known each other super well because she leaves out the names of his grandparents because she didn't know who they were. She also gives Matias the second surname of De los Santos, which is the same surname of Matias' ex-wife. Nevertheless, it's the same person. I'm sure of it! Everything in me is telling me that it is. I just need to find a birth or christening record to have a more solid "yes" this is the same person. 

The next question is why did Juan Maria have the surname of Pabellon if his parent or parents went by Gonzalez? I was told that it could of been because of his profession. Pabellon in English means pavilion. He may have been a carpenter of some kind that built pavilions. Or maybe his father built them & so Juan Maria carried on the name. Not positive but what I do know is that even till today the surname of Pabellon is not common on the island or in the US.  I'm so glad those 8 children that Juan Maria & Isabel had, carried his name on & left me a trail to finding out who they are. Every Puerto Rican Pabellon I've discovered is related to me somehow through him. I hope to one day find some one that knows more & can help me on my journey to discovering my Puerto Rican African roots. 

Agripina Torres Torres 1899-1977

"Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever. It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything."
-Aaron Siskind

The photo of the woman centered above, is my great grand aunt. Her name is...

Agripina Torres Torres. 

Born on October 1, 1899 in San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico. Although, I think she was born a few years before this date was recorded. From what I've gathered she falls some where towards the end of the 12 children born to Juan E. Torres Galves & Ramona Torres Masa whom were cousins (I will write more about them in a later post). At around 7 years old her mother dies. I assume her older sisters (including my great grandmother) helped raise her & her siblings till she marries in 1919. Census records tell me that Agripina may have attended formal schooling. Sometimes she says she has, other times not. She is bilingual & can read & write so this leads me to believe that she did attend school. I was told today from a distant cousin that English was actually her first language, which is a surprise to me. Possibly the first language of some of her other siblings as well. Today I also learned some new information about Agripinia's husband, who is named Jorge Roque Cuevas. Like most newly married couples back then, they marry young. She is about 19 & he is about 22.  Jorge is noted on census records as being a "Torcedor" which I've learned is a highly skilled & trained cigar roller in Gurabo. By 1935 I suspect they have hit  some martial issues. I suspect this because Jorge is living alone, while Agripina is on her own with their children. In 1938 they loose 2 sons within 1 month of each other. José Anibar Roque Torres dies in May at age 12. Then Ernesto Ivan Roque Torres dies at age 5 in June of the same year. I can only image how incredibly heartbreaking it must of been for them to loose two of their little boys in such a sort span of time. I also learned today that my suspicions about their martial problems was right. Sadly this story gets worse before it gets better. Their separation & eventual divorce was lead by infidelity. Turns out Jorge had started a successful cattle farming business with a friend named Conception Mangual Sierra. They sold milk, beef & traded cattle all over the island. Conception dies sometime after the business takes off. He asks Jorge to look after his wife & 3 children. Jorge looked after his wife a little too well because she becomes pregnant with Jorge's son. In the same time this is going on Agripinia is also pregnant with her last child from Jorge. Agripinia & Jorge's mistress are both carrying sons at the same time. I can only imagine the drama that unfolded once this was revealed. They must divorce soon after this because by 1938 Jorge legally marries Hermenegilda Aponte  Ortiz, who was the former wife of Conception. 

By 1940 Agripina has been divorced for a few years. She lives as a single-mother to 4 of her remaining children. Also living with them is her ex-mother-in-law, whom is widowed.  I find it interesting that her mother-in-law chose to live with her rather than with her own son that lives in the same town. No one is working in their home by 1940 except her only daughter named Carmen Delia as a seamstress. I was told that Carmen was a successful seamstress to the local military base on the island. She mended parachutes, uniforms & other miscellaneous military materials. This is a photo of what Carmen Delia looks like below.

Isn't Carmen beautiful? 

Sometime in the late 40's or early 1950's Agripina moves with her children to Manhattan, New York. From this time forward she alternates living in New York City & Puerto Rico.

Agripina dies in 1977 at around the age of 77 in Caguas, PR. I was told she was kind, a devoted Catholic & had a habit of making meals for families in her community that she knew were sick or struggling in some way. She never remarried but instead devoted the rest of her life to her children & grandchildren. This distant cousin of mine described Agripina as "a good woman". It made my heart so happy to hear this about her. Agripina lost her mother early in life, looses 2 of her little boys back to back. On top of this, the hurtfulness she must of felt from her husband's unfaithfulness must of really ached. This was a woman that left everything she knew behind in Puerto Rico (including a free plot of land she inherited from her parents) in order to give her children what she believed would be a better opportunity, a better life.  Throughout it all, Agripinia remains faithful, keeps strong to her religious Catholic roots & moves forward. She sounds very brave. I respect her so much for doing all the good she did despite all the trials that came her way. It makes me wonder how much of this was also installed in Agripina's older sister, who is my great grandmother Maria Ana. I don't have any photos of Maria Ana, so when I first saw the photo above I immediately wondered how much Maria Ana & Agripinia reassemble each other. Sadly this photo of Agripinia is the only tangible thing I have to my great grandmother. Hoping to find more some day soon.

Agripina & Jorge together have 7 children. 6 boys & 1 girl. Their names are below. 

Julio Roque Torres 1917-1985 
Jorge Roque Torres 1920-1990 
Carmen Delia Roque Torres 1923-2007 
Jose Anibar Roque Torres 1926-1938  
Juan Antonio Roque Torres 1929-1998
Ernesto Ivan Roque Torres 1933-1938 
 Oscar Roque Torres 1936

Our story started before us

For Father's day last year, I gave my Dad a DNA kit from Ancestry.com. He wasn't as excited about receiving his kit as I was. Since the results came back I've been given a new look into his past. 

Lots of what I already knew was validated which made me feel good. There were also a few surprises.

 

The 26% African on the graph above, confirmed the salve records I found on his mother's side. It seems unusually high, which probably means he had at least 1 full grandparent that was full African. 

I've already found a new paper trail that leads me back to Spain for his father's maternal side but the other European countries listed above were new to me. 

The 7% Native American, would suggest he has deep roots in Puerto Rico & that his ancestors were there from the very beginning when the native Taíno Indians were still abundant on the island. 

Then something great happened. I was contacted by someone who also took the same DNA test. In case you aren't familiar with how these type of DNA tests work, when you take one, aside from telling you the countries your ancestors traveled or came from, it can also connect you with others that have similar DNA patterns as you. The test predicted that my Dad & the person contacting me were distant cousins. When we compared our family trees to one another, it was clear to see that we are linked through two common ancestors. These common ancestors would be my 4th great grandparents. See here...

 

This makes her my Dad's 4th cousin 2 times removed. 

Isn't that fascinating? Another cool thing about this is, that if you are as lucky as I was, the person you make a connection with will know more than you do. This new cousin, has been researching this line for years. She had records upon records of new information for me to review. She currently lives in Puerto Rico & I cannot wait to meet her one day & thank her in person for all she's done to help me in my search. 

I've heard mixed opinions about these DNA tests. There are several companies out there that offer different types. Here's a link to the Rootstech 2015 videos. Diahan Southard does a great presentation about genetic DNA without being biased on which testing company to use. She really did a good job in helping me understand the pros & cons of each. From here I chose the one I thought would benefit me most.

Do I think they are worth it? Yes. Especially if you wait & buy them around a holiday, you can snag one for a pretty good deal. The knowledge you get from knowing where your ancestral roots started doesn't help a ton genealogy-wise. It's the connection you make with someone else who knows more or can lead you to a new direction that is a treasure. 

All of our stories started before us. Grateful for a peek into a vibrant past that so many of our Puerto Rican ancestors shared before settling on the island they called Porto Rico. 

Old family photos connect us to our past, in powerful ways.

This is my maternal grandmother. 

Rafaela Ramirez Suarez

Born October 14, 1943 in Bayamon, Puerto Rico

She is the 3rd daughter to Maria Suarez Bravo & Gabriel Ramirez Lopez. Rafaela grew up in a home of all sisters, there was a total of 5 daughters. I imagine they were all close because my mom remembers seeing all of them often & hearing many stories about them. 

I'm not sure how old my grandmother was when she moved, but sometime in her early teens or preteens, she moves to New York City, along with her parents & other sisters. After several years of city life, her parents choose to make the move back to Bayamon, PR. However, my grandmother & at least one of her older sisters Cecilia choose to remain in New York City. Here they both stay for the remainder of their lives. 

At the age of 16, my grandmother has her first child, who is my mother. There have been different stories about who my mother's birth father really is. We have no proof, but the man who raised my mother & gave her his last name is Nicolas Rodriguez, you can learn more about him here. Apparently, they met shortly after my grandmother got pregnant with my mom. I was told, for a long time he assumed my mother was always his biological daughter but had doubts because of the timing of her birth & because she looks nothing like him. Honestly, the true answer to who her father is died along with Rafaela. I assume she knew, or maybe she wasn't certain herself, it's hard to say.

According to what my mother was told, my grandmother was sexually assaulted by her older sister's husband. No legal action was ever taken. Apparently, this was slipped under the rug as a dark family secret. I was told that this "sister's husband" is whom my mother's biological father is. I've always had trouble digesting this story. I feel like there are so many disturbing loose ends. Especially the fact that my grand aunt remains with this supposed sexual assaulter & has several children with him of her own later on.

There is even a family function years later when my mom reaches adulthood, that her aunt & bio dad are at. My mom says every one there, including herself pretend as if nothing is a miss. It's so crazy to me & I've already accepted it's something I'll never fully come to understand.

A year after my mother was born, my grandmother has another daughter. Then a son, she names Nicolas after his father. They never legally marry but split sometime after the last baby was born. My grandfather & grandmother never reconciled their differences. Their split got really ugly, violent & eventually resulted in having all 3 of their children being placed into an orphanage in upstate New York. Till the day they died, they both still held resentment towards each other. Not even for the sake of their children or grandchildren do they ever attempt to speak to one another again or appear at the same family function, if they knew the other would be present. It's really heart breaking. So many suffered & have been permanently affected because of their poor choices. 

Growing up, I remember visiting my grandmother often. She lived not far from us. She was a small lady that walked with a heavy limp & only spoke Spanish in a soft gentle voice. By the time my siblings & I were in her life, she was an alcoholic. I never knew when she was sober or drunk. We didn't have much of a relationship. I only knew that my mother loved her dearly, cared & protected her in every way she could. Rafaela died in 2000, when she was 57 years old. I was 19, at the time & I remember getting the phone call about her death. I was away at college for her funeral so I missed it. I only have 2 photos of her. The one on the top is my favorite.

Old family photos connect us to our past, in powerful ways.

He is the Gift

Recently I received an email newsletter from our church announcing a new Christmas video. At least, I think it's a new video because I've never seen or heard of it. It's such a simple short clip about the real meaning of Christmas. If you're in the right mood, watching it can be powerful. 
 
The video shows how the the real first gift of Christmas wasn't wrapped or bought in a store. The real gift was sacred, given to us by a Father to all his children. You and me, every single one of us. He gave us his son. He is the Christ. He is Christmas! He is the Gift. I 'm guilty of forgetting the real reason of Christmas. This time of year I get caught up in all the worldly things Christmas is slammed with that sometimes I overlook the real reason to Christmas. This video was such a perfect & sweet reminder. I love the good feeling it gives me after watching it. I've been fortunate enough to have several experiences in my life time to validate that He does lives. His love for us is very real, just as He is very real. I'm so grateful we live in country where we are allowed to celebrate his birth & life. This real-life first gift is really what it's all about. 

Merry Christmas!

A Veteran's Day Tribute

Old family photos tell tales of service and sacrifice. On Veteran's Day, we honor loved ones who served their family and their country.

 

My maternal grandfather is one of these heroes.  
His name is Nicolas Rodriguez, born in Toa Alta, Puerto Rico on December 16, 1935. 

In 1954, at the age of 19, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in the Korean War. He was assigned to what at the time was a Puerto Rican 65th Infantry Regiment. This regiment was the only all-Hispanic unit in the history of the US. Army. Segregated into 2 groups, white and black Puerto Ricans. This unit of soldiers was also known as the Borinqueneers.  I recently saw a documentary about this unit and loved it so much I purchased a copy of the DVD for myself as a keepsake. It was fascinating. I wish I had asked him more about his time serving.

Following his honorable discharge, he moved to New York City, where he soon met my grandmother. 

Grandpa Nick passed away recently, on February 11, 2014 in Poughkeepsie, New York. I still have some of his recorded voice messages saved on my cell phone. He was bilingual, with a Spanish accent that held a thick raspiness to it. I remember most he was a jokester & always looked for ways to make me laugh during our phone calls.

I especially love all his service photos above. In his uniform he looks so young & handsome.