Origins
The Boal Name, Born from the Vine
The Boal surname comes from the Boal grape cultivated in central Portugal, linking the family story to vineyard work and rural identity in Alqueidão da Serra.
Through the decades
Our Family in History
Where we were when the world was changing around us
1869
The Twin Who Was Never Known
José dos Santos was born in Lisbon in 1869 with a twin brother, Jerónimo. José was placed with the Santa Casa and then lovingly raised in Alqueidão da Serra, never knowing he had a twin.
Family Timeline
The chronology continues immediately in this first frame.
1500sHistorical
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.
1836Family
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.
1867Family
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.
1869Family
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.
1908Family
Manuel Junior Born
Manuel da Cunha Boal Junior is born on May 9, continuing the Boal name into the twentieth century.
1910Historical
Portuguese Republic Proclaimed
The Portuguese monarchy falls and the First Republic is proclaimed. Manuel Senior, now 43, witnesses the transformation of his country.
From Alqueidão da Serra
A small parish in the hills of central Portugal, where the Boal family story begins
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Alqueidão da Serra
Birthplace of the Boal family, deeply rooted in agricultural traditions and close-knit communities
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Lisboa
The vibrant capital and port of departure for new lives, where José Lisboa was born
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Vancouver, Canadá
The current home of the family, a new chapter in a different landscape
1912Family
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.
📍 Alqueidão da Serra, Portugal
1917Historical
Manuel Boal Witnesses Fatima
Manuel da Cunha Boal was among the documented witnesses of the Miracle of Fatima, tying the family story directly into one of Portugal’s defining spiritual events.
1917Historical
Manuel Boal, Witness to Fatima
Manuel da Cunha Boal was recorded among the documented witnesses of the Miracle of Fatima on October 13, 1917 — one of the most remarkable facts in the family archive.
1917Historical
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.
📍 Fátima / Alqueidão da Serra, Portugal
1932Historical
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.
📍 Portugal
1952Family
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.
📍 Portugal
1960sHistorical
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.
📍 Portugal → Canada
1974Historical
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.
📍 Portugal
1975Family
Manuel Junior Passes
Manuel da Cunha Boal Junior passes away on August 1, 1975, at the age of 67.
📍 Portugal
1979Family
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.
📍 North Vancouver, BC, Canada
2009–2011Family
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.
📍 North Vancouver, BC, Canada
2012Family
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.
📍 Portugal
TodayFamily
From Portugal to Canada
The family story continues from Alqueidão da Serra and Lisbon to Vancouver, carrying Portuguese identity into a new chapter abroad.