Victor Manuel Cott, the prestigious Sculptor, and his genealogy is the topic of this article. Let me explain why. Researching the genealogy of this couple has been very exciting. As I was familiar with the sculptor, I never knew what he looked like until I saw his wedding portrait. Below is some information I gathered during the research into this family. May the information provided here be helpful, and who knows, maybe there is a connection to this handsome couple.
Researching the couple
I could not locate a wedding record for don Victor Manuel and his wife initially; however, based on the article, it appears they married in Cataño around June 1924. Therefore, the research in Santurce, San Juan, and Cataño yielded no results.
As it is customary for a wedding to occur in the bride’s hometown and based on the magazine, it just had to be in Cataño. So, searching again, it finally appeared in a separate book. Unfortunately, half the page of the wedding record is missing, so the bride’s parents do not appear. Sadly some of the civil registration books for Cataño are in horrible condition. Also, the wedding did not take place in June but on April 13, 1924.
Further research of this couple’s genealogy led me to look at some public trees. Mrs. Raquel Porrata Doria Veve was the woman that appeared to be the same person in the article marrying Mr. Victor Manuel. So finally was able to put together a genealogical tree going back several generations. It consisted of her parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. So believing this was the right family, it appeared the research is complete. Or was it?
Wrong wife!
It turns out that there are two women named Raquel Porrata Doria. One is Raquel Margarita Eva Porrata Doria “Veve” from San Juan and the other is Raquel Porrata Doria “Rivera” who was from Cataño. However, it was not until researching the children of Victor Manuel & Raquel that it became apparent. Looking at the maternal grandparents, it was evident that it was not the same parents. As confusing as it was, it was finally all clear to me. Finally, I was able to correct their genealogy
Finding the birth record for Raquel Porrata Doria Rivera was a relief. But, unfortunately, her birth record was difficult to locate. Believing she was born in Catano, as well as her younger siblings. The older siblings were born in San Juan. There are some books not filmed in Catano because they are not in the best condition. There is one sibling named Elba Margarita that passed away at the age of 20. It appears her parents named their second daughter after her.
Establishing the family
Now that I established the correct wife for Victor Manuel, I could continue my research for additional records for this couple. In the 1930 census record, I find Victor Manuel living with his two daughters. His marital status is listed as being divorced. Their two daughters are named Raquel María (1925) & Elba Margarita (1927) Cott Porrata. Both were born in San Juan.
Consequently, their marriage only lasted six years. It appears Raquel went to live in New York, as she had a brother named Luis Porrata Rivera, who died there in 1942. A 1929 US Departing Passenger and crew list indicate that Raquel Porrata Doria had taken a trip. This occurred right before the 1930 census record commenced. I suspect she started a new life there as a dressmaker and eventually married as I saw some documents on ancestry eluding to this.
More about Raquel Margarita Eva Porrata
There is a passport picture for Raquel Margarita Eva Porrata Veve in 1917. She is planning a two-week stay in the Dominican Republic to be with her sister.
As stated above, Raquel Porrata Doria Rivera’s second daughter is named Elba Margarita (after her deceased sister). Raquel “Margarita” Eva Porrata Doria Vive has the same middle name. It seems that both Raquels were very close as they are second cousins once removed. So it turns out after doing both of their genealogy, that they share a mutual ancestor. A second great grandfather named Marcelo Porrata Doria, a military man from Italy. Below is a relationship chart. It seems that there has been confusion with these two women, and a few trees on ancestry show the wrong woman married to Victor Manuel.
As Victor Manuel’s first wife sadly passed away, he remarries Mercedes Padro Betancourt from Trujillo Alto. She is the daughter of Jose L. Padro Campos, of Ciales, and Mercedes Betancourt Marquez, of Toa Alta. They have three children together; Victor Manuel Junior, Brunilda, and Dora.
The extended family
It has been challenging to locate records for Victor Manuel’s parents. There are several variations for the surname Cott, (Coton, Coto, and Cotto,) which have been challenging during this investigation. However, his parents married on March 10, 1910. Therefore, legitimizing the children. Victor, Maximimo, (this child appears as Maximina, hembra, in the 1910 census record, but this is incorrect. His name is Mario Maximo Cott Negron, Teacher, the information provided by Dalia Morales López), Barabara, Francisca, Brigida, and Jose. They could all appear with their maternal surname of Negron, registered in Juana Diaz or Ponce.
Unfortunately, I had no success locating the birth record in Ponce or Juana Diaz, under Victor Manuel Negron Coto, or Cott. However, a brother Jose was registered years after he was born. Hopefully, the record for Manuel will appear one day.
The parents
Like Victor Manuel, Maria Negron’s birth record has been difficult to locate. In addition, it turns out Nicomedes appears to be ten years younger than his actual age in his wedding record. Therefore, by going back ten years, I located his baptism record in Ponce in 1866. Unfortunately, his baptism record, like his siblings’, omits the name of the grandparents. They are all illegitimate children. Fortunately, doing some more digging, I was able to trace his Coto line two more generations. As a result, I believe I have gone back as far as I can with the Coto line. His grandmother Olegaria, who also appeared as Pilar, dies in 1876. It did indicate her parent’s names nor children. She was around the 1820s. As records for Ponce prior to 1850 were lost in a fire, it is believed the investigation for that line ends. Time will tell.
Victor Manuel’s mother, María’s death record, states her father is Isidoro Colon, which is the first time I see his name mentioned. Located a death record for a Manuela Negron dying in Juana Diaz, and it states she was widowed to Isidoro Colon, but it only indicates two children, and the name Maria is not one of them. I am sure it is the same person.
Genealogical Trees
Below is the three-generation family tree for both Raquel Porrata Doria & Victor Manuel Cott Negron. In addition, I include a relationship report between Raquel Porrata Doria Rivera & Raquel Margarita Eva Porrata Doria Veve, outlining their “second cousin once removed” relationship.
Thanks for reading this blog. There are other prominent families highlighted in this magazine, and they will appear in separate blogs. Do not forget to follow Hijosdecoamopr.com to get notices on all future blogs, and please share them with those who may find the content helpful during their research.
If you have any information on this family that does not appear here, please let me know. I will update this article if I find additional information.
Relationship between Raquel Porrata Doría Rivera and Raquel Margarita Eva de Porrata Doría Veve.
Other artistic contributions of don Victor Manuel Cott
- The Luis Muñoz Rivera Park located in San Juan (1924)
- Edificio Los Muchachos located in Old San Juan
- Hotel Normandie; El Salón de Oro, The Gold Room. He designed the lobby of the hotel.
- El Obelisco de la Libertad located in Ponce, Puerto Rico
Source:
- Puerto Rico Ilustrado, year 15, San Juan, Puerto Rico June 7, 1924 Num. 744
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Hombre_Redimido
