Excerpt
Gaspar Papi, son of Miguel Papi and Catalina Ayvas (Ayaus/Auguis/Auas) was born in Smyrna, Asia Minor, now Izmir, Turkey in 1750 or 1751, and was a Greek. Miguel Papi was from Parochia Patruum, Socolantium, Smyrna, in the Levant; he and Catalina Catherina Ayvas married about 1745. It is not known how many other children were born into this family, but according to Gaspar’s last will and testament, two sisters were living at his death in 1817, although their names were not recorded in the will.
Smyrna was also the home of Maria Gracia Dura Bin, the wife of Andrew Turnbull, a Scotsman who dreamed of a huge plantation in East Florida peopled by Greeks, who would grow tropical crops for importation to England. Sometime between September 15 and September 24, 1767, when Gaspar was only 16 or 17 years of age, Turnbull made a brief stop in Smyrna, and while he was there, Gaspar indentured himself to Dr. Turnbull for his planned expedition to the new world. He traveled with Turnbull to the Isle of Minorca to join the other would-be colonists. Nothing is known about why the teenage lad decided to leave his home and family to travel across the vast Atlantic to an unknown wilderness. Was he born into a refugee family who had escaped the Turkish invasion of their homeland, severe conditions, and constant conflicts occurring during that era in Greece? Did his family encourage him to seek a better life in a new place? Had he, by then, been orphaned? Was he or his parents perhaps employed by Maria Gracia and Andrew Turnbull in Smyrna? Or was he merely an adventurous youth seduced by the glowing promises of Dr. Andrew Turnbull; promises which, no doubt, fueled the dreams of many a young man who signed on; dreams of excitement, a life without hunger or poverty, and riches in a new land of opportunity? These questions remain unanswered.
It is certain from his will and other documents that Gaspar was Greek and of the Roman Catholic faith from infancy. It is also certain he was the only person from the birthplace of Maria Gracia Dura Bin Turnbull to indenture himself to Dr. Turnbull for the long and arduous journey to Florida in hopes of having his dreams fulfilled.
Gaspar and the other future colonists from the Greek Isles, Corsica, and Italy were gathered at Turnbull’s base port of Mahon on the Isle of Minorca in the Mediterranean. Some of these reportedly lived aboard ship, while others lived in hastily made shacks in a “shantytown” near the port of Mahon while Turnbull gathered still others for his venture.
While the men waited for their eventual departure, many fell in love with, and married Minorcan girls, who were said to be very beautiful. They also told the Minorcan people, who were suffering from a severe famine, of the wonderful opportunity for a new life promised by Dr. Turnbull. One of the families who decided to leave Minorca was that of newly married Juan Jose Magin Buenaventura Andreu and his wife Catalina Gertrudis Antonia Pons. Catalina was the daughter of Miguel Pons and Fransesquina Coll. Fransesquina was most likely deceased by then, because Juan and Catalina Pons Andreu brought her little sister, Ana Maria Eulalia Pons to the new world with them. Ana was about seven years old when they departed Minorca in the spring of 1768.
Ana Maria Eulalia Pons was the last known child born to Miguel Pons and Francesquina Coll. Roman Catholic Records from Mercadal, Minorca record the marriage of Miguel and Francesquina on June 16, 1743. This record is very faded and hard to read, but it appears Fransesquina Coll’s parents’ names were Damieni Coll and Eulalia Molla, and Miguel Pons' parents were Joannis (John) Pons and Catharina Garcia. The following children were born to them: Juan Bonaventura Joseph Magi Pons, born September 5, 1745; Cathalina Gertrudis Antonia Pons, born October 5, 1748 (married Juan Jose Magin Buenaventura Andreu of Fornell, Minorca, son of Juan Andreu and Angela Caules, on March 5, 1768, in Mercadal, Minorca, and died July 20, 1818, in St. Augustine, Florida); Joseph Magi Buenaventura Pons, born May 8, 1751; Miguel Juan Fenseseh Pons, born September 22, 1753; and Anna Maria Eulalia (Ana) Pons, born June 8, 1761.
Ana’s baptismal record translated from Catalan states: Anne Marie Pons, 9 June 1761: I, the Reverend Sebastian Cardell, Pre[late], baptized Anna Maria Eulalia, daughter of Miguel Pons and Fransesquine Coll, married couple. Godparents: Diego Messenet and Anne Messenet, his wife. She was born on the 8th day at about 3 in the afternoon.)
Ana Pons was destined to become the bride of Gaspar Papy.
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