Not our name, but our passion
John Stark (August 28, 1728 – May 8, 1822) was a New Hampshire native who served as an officer in the British Army during the French and Indian war and a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. He became widely known as the “Hero of Bennington” for his exemplary service at the Battle of Bennington in 1777. The statue of John Stark was sculpted by Richard Recchia. and erected in Stark Park near his gravesite in 1948.
Grave
Located within Stark Park
Achadas da Cruz on Madeira island is the ancestral home of my mother’s family. I grew up hearing stories of the tiny little parish town and the steep cliffs my grandparents had to hike up to bring produce back and forth from the even smaller village of Fajã da Quebrada Nova. It was like a pilgrimage for Alex and I to walk in the footsteps of my ancestors. When we came to the parish cemetery and I saw so many gravestones with my mother’s maiden name emblazoned across them it really hit home.
Local Parish Church – Nossa Senhora Livramento
Caldeira – My mothers family name
Local businesses include a post office and general store
At the top of the cable car terminal is the Calhau Snack Bar
The steepest cable car in Europe
Tiny village of Fajã da Quebrada Nova at the bottom of the cable car ride
Nearby are hikes along the levadas
The Meeting House Burying Ground is located across the street from the Allenstown Meeting House. The burying ground is also known as the Burgin Family Cemetery where many of the Burgin family descendants were buried.
Meeting House across the street from the Burying Ground
My maternal grandparents emigrated to Brazil from the tiny parish of Achadas da Cruz on Madeira Island in the early part of the twentieth century. I grew up listening to my mother’s stories of the island as the home of her (and mine) ancestors. Taking this trip with my son Alex to this wonderful island is a dream come true. This cemetery is the final resting place of so many of my relatives and ancestors as the abundance of my mother’s maiden name Caldeira attest.
The local parish church where generations of my family would have worshipped.
Nossa Senhora Livramento (Our Lady Deliverance) is the local parish church in Achadas da Cruz. Achadas da Cruz is a civil parish in the municipality of Porto Moniz in the Portuguese island of Madeira.The population in 2011 was 159,in an area of 7.88 km². It is situated on the north-western coast of the island. No children have been born in the parish between 2001 and 2009. My maternal grandparents came from this tiny town and generations of my family went to this church and are buried in the local cemetery. I feel in touch with my ancestors and my thoughts are with my mother and her stories of Madeira.
The local cemetery with graves of my family.
