From Alqueidão da Serra
A small parish in the hills of central Portugal, where the Boal family story begins
Alqueidão da Serra
The limestone village where the Boal family story begins.
North Vancouver
The Pacific coast home of the modern Batista branch.
Our Family in History
Where we were when the world was changing around us
“The sun danced like a round ball of fire and then lowered... the multitudes of people knelt at the words of the three children.”— Manuel da Cunha Boal, 15th documented witness, Miracle of Fatima, October 13, 1917
The Boal Name, Born from the Vine
The Boal surname comes from the Boal grape variety cultivated in central Portugal. The family name stayed tied to the vineyards and agricultural life that shaped its earliest generations.
Royal Lineage
The Amados of Aljubarrota — ancestors of the Boal family — trace their lineage to King João II of Portugal, connecting the family to one of Portugal's greatest monarchs.
Maria da Piedade Born
Maria da Piedade Baptista is born in Alqueidão da Serra, the woman who would become the matriarch of the Boal family's traced lineage.
Manuel da Cunha Boal Born
Manuel da Cunha Boal is born on August 21 in Alqueidão da Serra. He will live to 91 years old, witnessing the transformation of both Portugal and the world.
José Lisboa — Born in Lisbon, Found in Love
José dos Santos is born April 6 in Lisbon with a twin brother, and placed in the Santa Casa da Misericórdia orphanage at just two days old. Within a week, a family from the Carreirancha in Alqueidão da Serra takes him in. He will never know he had a twin. By age 10, he is formally adopted out of pure love.
Manuel Junior Born
Manuel da Cunha Boal Junior is born on May 9, continuing the Boal name into the twentieth century.
Portuguese Republic Proclaimed
The Portuguese monarchy falls and the First Republic is proclaimed. Manuel Senior, now 43, witnesses the transformation of his country.
Emília Vieira Born
Emília Vieira dos Santos is born November 22 in Alqueidão da Serra. She will marry Manuel Junior and live to the remarkable age of 99.
Miracle of Fatima — Our Ancestor Witnesses It
On October 13, 1917, the Miracle of the Sun occurred at Fátima. The priest of Alqueidão da Serra questioned sixteen witnesses. The 15th witness documented was our ancestor Manuel da Cunha Boal. He testified: 'the sun danced like a round ball of fire and then lowered... the multitudes of people knelt at the words of the three children.' Our family was present at one of the most famous events in Portuguese history.
Estado Novo Begins
António de Oliveira Salazar establishes the Estado Novo regime in Portugal — a conservative authoritarian state that would govern Portugal for over 40 years, shaping the world the Boal family grew up in.
Maria Ascenção Born
Maria Ascenção Vieira Boal Batista is born on Christmas Eve, December 24. She will become Nelson's mother and the family's bridge between Portugal and Canada.
Portuguese Immigration Wave
Tens of thousands of Portuguese emigrants leave for Canada, particularly British Columbia. The Boal family is part of this great migration, carrying their heritage to the Pacific coast.
Carnation Revolution
The peaceful military coup on April 25 ends over 40 years of dictatorship in Portugal. Soldiers put carnations in their rifle barrels. Portugal is free. The Boal family witnesses this transformation.
Manuel Junior Passes
Manuel da Cunha Boal Junior passes away on August 1, 1975, at the age of 67.
Nelson Born in Canada
Nelson Batista is born on August 16 in North Vancouver, British Columbia — the first generation of the Boal family born under Canadian skies. A new chapter begins.
Fifth Generation Born
Tayla (March 19, 2009) and Linden (May 12, 2011) Batista are born — the fifth generation of the Boal family, descendants of Alqueidão da Serra now thriving on the Canadian Pacific coast.
Emília Passes — September 7, 2012
Emília Vieira dos Santos passes away on September 7, 2012, at age 99. She outlived her husband Manuel Junior by 37 years.