​THE ESPADA-ORLANDI FAMILY 

From the Administrator

To all of the Espada-Marrero and Orlandi-Questell family:

 

For the last three years I have been researching our family tree. It all started on February 14, 2010 at  7 pm. That evening my cousins of the Morales side of my family met at Denny's restaurant in San Patricio. While we were having a meal my cousin Loyda Berrios-Morales de Torres mentioned to Goggie/Jorge Santini-Morales that she had received a request from tio Eliseo Morales, to please send him a copy of the picture that she has of "abuelo Martin". I looked at both of them and asked, "Who is this abuelo Martin?", as far as I recalled, my father had only talked about tio Martin and never mentioned that he had a grandfather named Martin. While Loyda was looking for the picture for us to see, Goggie started telling the story, which apparently everybody knew about except "los hijos de Manuel (my father)". I later received copies of two letters that titi Rosa Maria wrote to her son Charles in 1984 and 1986 which confirmed the same story.

 

The Story:

Simon and Petrona, we don't know if they met in Spain or Canary Islands, but the journey begins  with Simon by himself escaping from Barcelona, Spain due to religious persecution and arrives at the Canary Islands. He spends time in "las Canarias" ( it is here that many believe that he meets Petrona). Apparently the persecution heats up again while at the Canary Islands and he and Petrona take a ship to the new world. By this time Petrona is pregnant and gives birth during the journey to a boy and they name him Martin. Upon arrival in Puerto Rico some how he is advised by the governor or official of the government that if he wishes to avoid any persecution it would be best to move, "montaña adentro", to the mountains. They meet a family with the last name "Nieves". This family helps them move to the mountains. Not only they were helped by this Nieves family but they adopted the last name Nieves to further hide from the inquisitorial authorities. (The following portion of the story is filled in by titi Rosa's letters) When abuelo Martin was about two years old his father Simon died of cholera. Shortly after Petron remarried a gentleman by the name of Saez. 

 

Upon hearing this story I was dumb founded, how little I knew of my family history, and a burning hunger was ignited within me and so for the last three years plus not only have I researched the Morales tree but also Nieves, Espada, Marrero, Green, Orlandi, Fonseca and Questell. In these pages you will learn about the Espada's, Orlandi's, Marrero's, Green's (Grin) and Questell's.

 

Thanks to Genarin Vazquez and Henrietta Orlandi who were the first to put to paper their knowledge of the Orlandi-Questell family tree in 1984, the book "Raices de la Familia Orlandi". I was able to piece together the family tree and add other vital information which they could not do because the technology was not available at that time as it is now. Another of my resourses was FamilySearch.com, Ancestry.com and their large data base.

 

During these past three plus years not only was I burning a trail through history to learn as much as I could about our beloved ancestors but I also survived a double by pass heart surgery.

 

I have put this site together with the hope that all of you (our family) may have a resource where you can find something about our common ancestors. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed putting it together. Comments and suggestions are welcomed. To leave a suggestion or comment please go to the menu bar and look for the contact page.

 

Enjoy!

 

Kelvin E. Morales-Espada

"El-Keve"