WAHNON

I have prepared this genealogical account of my family, which is based on my search for my roots, mainly those of Jewish lineage or derivation.

In this search I dig into my family records dating back five generations, and I also consulted specialized books dealing primarily with Capeverdean and Portuguese Jews, as Jews from Morocco and Gibraltar, pamphlets, encyclopedias, and a variety of articles from various sources, among which I would like to point out an article by Hyman J. Gampaeas in a publication from the Yeshiva University of New York dealing with name derivations commonly found among Sephardic Jews.

It was from that article in particular, that I learned that the name Wahnon and related form Wahnono, common among Sephardic Jews, are of Berber origin. This assertion makes sense, if we note the fact that the Berbers have lived in North Africa, particularly in Northern Morocco since the earliest recorded time. reference to them date from 3000 bce. and occur frequently in ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman sources. ( Funk & waggnalls New Encyclopedia, 1973 Ed )

For many centuries the Berbers inhabited the coast of North Africa and continued to inhabit the region until the many Berber tribes were driven inland to the Atlas Mountains.

My dear cousin and widely known Capeverdean writer Luis Romano, also of Jewish ancestry from his mother’s side, and who in the past lived in Morocco, and is now living in Natal in the Northeastern Brazil, recounts in a publication issued by the University of Rio Grande do Norte, off- print of the Archives of the Institute of Anthropology of Natal, pg.179, Dec.1964, a visit he made to Sefru, in the slopes of the Atlas Mount, of an entirely Jewish city.

Going back to my direct WAHNON ancestors, they lived in Tetuan, a city and port in the North of Morocco, under the names of GUANANO, and its other variations WAHNONO, WANANO, VANANO and WAHNON ( Genealogia Hebraica - Portugal & Gibraltar, 1st Ed., by Jose Maria Abecassis). Still according to this sourse two other variations of this name were among Jews from Morocco, the Berber- Phonecian OHNONA and the hebraic form of BEN HANUN.

According to this source, Jacob Guanano was born in Tetuan, Morocco in the year of 1734, immigrated to Gibralter in 1751, and was probably the first of the now Wahnon lineage to travel in the direction of Europe. In Gibraltar he married Belinda ( daughter of Solomon ) and had several children among which Jacob Guanano (11) or Wahnono or Wahnon, who was born in the year of 1769.

Jacob Guanano or Wahnono married twice, being his second wife Simy Wahnon. This marriage took place in the year of 1784 in Tetuan, Morocco. They moved back to Gibraltar, where they generated several children, among which Jonas Wahnon, my great great grandfather from my father’s side, who was born in Gibraltar in 1812 was the first Wahnon to emigrate to the Cape Verde Islands.

A whole colony of Jews had already settled in the islands in the 16th century from Portugal where they were being persecuted, in spite of the opposition of Philip 111 of Spain, then king of Portugal which was under Spanish occupation. To this colony of Jews were added other Jews from Morocco towards the 19th century.

Still from another source, the Government of the Kingdom of Portugal in an effort to attract Jews back to Portugal may have sent emissaries to Gibraltar for that purpose. Jonas Wahnon was one of the Cape Verde bound travellers. His wife did not want to accompany him on this voyage to Cape Verde, but he was joined circa 1860 by his son Isaac, my grat grandfather, who was born in Gibraltar in 1843. Jonas Wahnon established himself in the island of S.Antao, where he devoted himself in the practise of agriculture.

In S.Antao, from Capeverdean mother, Jonas manage to generate three more sons and a daughter , whose names were;

Fernando Wahnon, born 1868

Verissimo Wahnon, born 1875

Jorge Wahnon, born 1878 and Merima Wahnon.

Of these four I was fortunate to have known Fernando Wahnon, who was a prosperous farmer and skilled law practicioner, and lived in the beautiful valley of Paul, in the island of S.Antao, and Jorge Wahnon, who, attracted by the sea would become a skilled seaman, various ports of Africa and crossed the Atlantic a few times in the famous schooner "Madalan", transporting Capeverdean immigrants to the shores of New England. Fernando Wahnon died in S.Antao at the age of 79 years and Jorge at the age of 78 years.

As to their father and my great great grandfather, Jonas Wahnon, left Cape Verde to Portugal where he died in 1895.

As to Jonas Wahnon’s first son Isaac Wahnon, my great grandfather, he settled in the island of S.Vicente, whose Mindelo harbour because a busy refueling port for ships travelling between Europe, South America, and africa. Isaac Wahnon who was the owner of the only hotel and restuarant in the island, had the privilege to host some famous people among which Prince Albert of Belgium who stopped at the island en route to the then Belgium Congo and John Rockefeller bound to an expidition in Africa. Isaac

Wahnon was married to Rachel Levy Bentubo, also from Gibraltar.

It was in S.Vincente that Isaac and Rachael started a family that, years later had grown to 14 children; 11 females and 3 males.

I was fortunate enough to have known at least 7 of these children,

one of which Jacob Wahnon (111), my grandfather, as well as Jaime Wahnon my granduncle, and maternal grandfather of Carlos Alberto Wahnon Veigo, current Prime- Minister of Cape Verde. It is said that Isaac was a great benefactor and always ready to help those in need and that it was his custom to personally distribute food and sometimes money to the needy, on a daily basis. He died in 1915 in the island of S.Vicente at the age of 72.

Jacob Wahnon (111) my grandfather, was the youngest of Isaac and Rachael’s three sons. He was born in the island of S.Vicente in the year of 1884 and died in Lisbon in 1968 at the age of 84 years old. Jacob Wahnon did not have a formal education, as he started working at the young age of 14 as a ship-chandler assistant and later as a telegraphist for the Western Telegraph Co., an important English submarine cable station based in Mindelo, S.Vicente. With the passage of time he would become a sophisticated and widely travelled businessman. Jacob Wahnon was a very popular man. He had a passion for sports in general, having excelled in cricket and boxing, the latter it is said was introduced in S.Vicente by him. I was very fortunate to have known him and I still remember his always impressive and very dominant presence.

At the age of 20, from a relationship with a Capeverdean woman,

my dear grandmother, Amelia Jesus Monteiro, Jacob fathered a son who was named Jonus (11) and who came to be my beloved father. Subsequently, still in S.Vicente, S.Vicente, Jacob would marry twice, the last time in 1921. Five more children would be added from these two marriages; Edna who died at an early age, Roland, Edgard, David, and Joel, all my dear uncles.

Jonus Wahnon (11), my father, was born in 1903 in Mindelo, S.Vicente, where he grew up. At the young age of 14years he was to drop out of school and sent to the then Portuguese Guinea in West Africa, to take care of his father’s business in that territory, having returned to his native Cape Verde at the ahge of 20, and soon after he fathered a daughter who was named Edna (11) the oldest of my sisters, having about this time started his own business in S.Vicente in the field of import-export. In 1926, in a business trip to the island Brava, Jonas Wahnon then 23 years of age, met Alice, nee Madeira Mascarenhas, my beloved mother, Capeverdean of Portuguese ancestry, and a year after they were married. From this marriage seven children were born, all in Mindelo, S.Vicente; my dear brothers, Eurico, Aguinaldo and Antonio and myself. My dear sisters, Dinora, Maria Alice and Judith.

Towards the end of the 30th decade, my father Jonas started a bakery business to which, a few years later was added a very successful biscuit as well as pasta industries.

Jonas Wahnon was a bright and honest man, a man of unquestionable integrity. It was this characteristic, together with his love for his country that would gain him the respect of everyone in his native S.Vicente, whose interests and the people of Cabo Verde

he would defend without restrictions. like his father Jacob, he would defend without restrictions. Like his father Jacob, he was an avid sportsman, having excelled in tennis, cricket and athletics. He was the co-founder of the top soccer club as well as the Tennis Club of mindelo, having served as president of both. He was a Grand Master of Portuguese Masonic Order, Capeverdean Lodge, which which became extinct during the Salazar regime. he served also as president of the local Business Association. At one point he was drafted by the then Govenor of Cape Vede during the Portuguese rule for position in the Government Council. It was during his tenure as a member of the Government Council that his unequivocal dedication for Cape Verde would become more evident, not without risks, since the strugle for Independence had already started in the neighboring Guinea.

For strickly family reasons my father Jonas sold his business in Cape Verde and moved to Brazil where I was already living as well as two of my other brothers, hoping to gather and be near all his family. However, soon after his arrival in Brazil I was informed by the American Consulate in S.Paulo that my petition to immigrate to the United States had been approved and later my father and mother and other members of my family followed suit.

Jonas wahnon was always very proud of his jewish ancestry and always talked about Israel and her people with great admiration. He was also a fervant admirer and friend of the United States of America, having become an American citizen as soon as he completed the required time of residence. He passed away at the age of 90 in Randolph, Massachusetts where he lived with his wife of 66 years, my dear mother Alice.

In August 1994, soon after his death, the city of Mindelo in S.Vicente in recognition to his demonstrated dedication, altruism and faith in the destiny of Cape Verde, decided to name a street of mindelo with the name Jonas Wahnon.

Recapitulating, we have Jacob Guanano, born in Tetuan, Morocco in 1700 and father of haim guanano also born in Tetuan, Morocco in 1734, and who moved to Gibralter in 1751; Jacob Guanano (11), son of Haim Guanano and born in Gibralter in 1812; and who was the first Wahnon to immigrate to Cape Verde, circa 1860 accompanied by his son Isaac; Isaac Wahnon, who was to become my great grandfather was born in Gibralter in 1843; Jacob Wahnon (111), my grandfather, son of Isaac, was born in S.Vicente, Cape Verde; Jonas Wahnon (11) my father, born in 1903 in S.Vicente, Cape Verde; and myself, Donald M Wahnon also born in S.Vicente, in 1929, a total of 8 generations, which if we include my children, grandchildren, and greatgrandchildren will go to 11 generations.

It is evident that in making this account I focused on my direct lineage, Jonas - Isaac - Jacob - Jonas - since to include the many other branches emanating from Jonas - Isaac - lineage would not only be tedious but would not serve the purpose of this account.

New Bedford, Massachusetts, July 4, 1996.
Donald M. Wahnon.

E-mail: Rufina Bernardetti Silva Mausenbaum