João Ignacio d’Almada

 From the Azores to Vancouver Island: The Life of My Great-Great-Grandfather João Ignacio d’Almada 🌊

Researching family history can feel like opening a window into another world. One of the most remarkable stories in my family belongs to my great-great-grandfather João Ignacio d’Almada, who later became known in Canada as John Enos.

João was born on February 3, 1834, in the parish of São Pedro, part of the Azores. Life on these small volcanic islands was closely tied to the sea, and like many young Azorean men of the time, João went to sea while still very young. By the age of fourteen he was already working on ships. ⚓

By 1852 he had reached Boston, likely working aboard a whaling ship, which was a common path for Azorean sailors seeking opportunity abroad.

Like many others chasing dreams of fortune, João soon headed west toward the gold fields during the era of the California Gold Rush. When news of new discoveries spread farther north, he continued his journey to British Columbia during the Fraser River Gold Rush.

Life during the gold rush was dangerous and unpredictable. At one point João nearly drowned near Fort Yale when the raft he was traveling on overturned in the powerful Fraser River. It was a reminder of how risky these journeys could be. 🌊

Eventually he made his way to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, where he worked as a seaman transporting coal to the naval base at Esquimalt. He also worked squaring timber for the Hudson’s Bay Company and is remembered as helping build one of Nanaimo’s early bridges.

In the early 1860s he settled in Nanoose Bay, becoming one of the earliest European settlers in the area. There he cleared land, farmed, raised cattle and pigs, planted an orchard, and even built a small fishing sloop. 🌱

Frontier life was incredibly hard. Everything had to be built by hand. Land had to be cleared, animals cared for, and food grown. Storms, injuries, and isolation were part of daily life.

During these years João married Theresa Elisia Enos, a woman connected to the Songhees Nation. Their son Joseph Enos was born in 1867 and grew up learning the demanding work of farming and coastal life.

One can imagine a typical day beginning before sunrise. João checking livestock and fences while the fog still hung over the fields, young Joseph helping where he could, and Theresa bringing her own deep knowledge of the land and waters of the region to their household. Life would have revolved around survival, family, and the changing seasons. 🌲

But pioneer life also brought hardship. In 1870, João was badly injured when one of his bulls gored him, leaving him dependent on the help of friends and neighbours while he recovered.

Later, after the death of his wife Theresa, João became a widower. Years afterward he returned to the Azores, hoping to marry a childhood sweetheart. According to accounts of his life, she refused to leave the islands, and João eventually returned to Vancouver Island.

In his later years he moved to Victoria, where he arranged to live at St. Joseph’s Hospital, cared for by the Sisters of St. Ann. Even into his eighties he remained active. People remembered him riding a bicycle around the city and entertaining others by playing guitar and singing. 🎶

João Ignacio d’Almada died on April 9, 1921, at the age of 87.

Today, his name still lives on in the landscape of Vancouver Island through Enos Lake and Enos Creek.

Much of what we know about his life has been documented by historian Manuel Azevedo, whose research on Azorean pioneers in British Columbia helped preserve these stories.

For me, discovering João’s life has been a powerful reminder that our family history stretches across oceans — from a small island in the Atlantic to the rugged coast of Vancouver Island. 🌎