antonio de amaral and margarida izabel

I had some trouble finding Antonio de Amaral and Margarida Izabel's marriage record.  I first browsed through the Matriz parish records and the Achada marriage records beginning with the year 1838, as the first child I had for them was born in 1843.  I chose the parishes of Matriz and Achada because that is where Antonio and Margarida were baptized, according to their children's baptismal records.  I was unable to find the marriage record by browsing, but Rick Pimentel from the Google Azores Genealogy Group directed me to a possible record from Matriz. (picture of church).

marriage record of Antonio Jacinto de Amaral and Margarida Isabel Veira
church Nossa Senhora da Estrella, Matriz, Ribeira Grande, Sao Miguel


The names of the married couple in this record from 1842 are Antonio Jacinto de Amaral and Margareda Isabel Viera.  I probably did not notice this record while browsing because I have never seen Antonio's name with Jacinto included.  Also, Margareda has an added surname which I have not seen before, Viera.  Looking at the parents of Antonio; though, they match our Antonio - Bento Soares and Josefa do Amaral.  The record is a little jumbled at the end and I was unable to see what Margareda's parents' names were.  Again, the Google Azore Genealogy Group came to the rescue and noted that the record does not state Margareda's parents, but it does mention she was a widower of Bento Joaquim de Araujo.  This is information that I have not had before.

I browsed through the Matriz marriage records again to look for a marriage between Bento Joaquim de Araujo and Margarida, but I was unable to find it.  They may have married in another parish, or I may have just missed it.  This marriage record is not all that important right now, but it would be nice to have in my files. 

Getting back to the marriage record for Antonio and Margarida, I now have their ages at the time of marriage.  It looks like they were both 26, which would make their births to be about the year 1816.  I know from previous records that Antonio was from the parish of Achada in Nordeste, Sao Miguel; and Margarida was from the same parish they were married in, Matriz in Ribeira Grande, Sao Miguel.  I already located Margarida's baptism in the Matriz index and will look at this record next. Then hopefully I will be able to find Antonio's baptismal record in the Achada parish book now that I have an approximate year.