Fourth Generation

14. Ricardo Julián BESTEIRO FERNÁNDEZ⁵⁷ was born on 7 Feb 1854 in Madrid, Spain.^53,116 Full name: Ricardo Julián José María He was baptized on 8 Feb 1854 in Madrid, Spain.^116,117 Baptized at San Ginés.

He was a businessman in Madrid, Spain.⁵⁷ It appears that he inherited his father's food business (víveres). This is based on oral tradition and there is no documentation. According to the 1895 census, he was a "profesor mercantil." He appeared in the census in 1895 in Madrid, Spain.⁵⁷ He lived at Plaza de la Cebada, 10, entreseulo derecha in Madrid, Spain on 1 Dec 1895. He died on 25 Jun 1899 in Madrid, Spain.¹¹⁸ He died at 8:15 AM of a stroke (apoplejía). (Note that although I reference his death certificate, I don't seem to have it. I assume I did, or do, somewhere.) Ricardo Julián BESTEIRO FERNÁNDEZ and Victorina GRACIANI LORENZO were married about 1882 in Madrid, Spain. Según la historia oral, Ricardo fué rechazado por su familia por casarse con una actriz.

15. Victorina GRACIANI LORENZO⁶⁰ was born on 23 Mar 1862 in Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain.⁵⁷ She was baptized after 23 Mar 1862 in Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain. She was educated at the Escuela Nacional de Música y Declamación and graduated on 1 Jul 1880 in Madrid, Spain.¹¹⁹ "Primer premio en la enseñanza de declamación." She was an actress in Madrid, Spain in 1881/82.^60,120 Isabel BESTEIRO GRACCIANI wrote «Mamá ganó como sabías el 1er premio por oposición después de graduada pero se casó enseguida, abandonando la carrera.»

Issue Number 71 of the "Gaceta de Madrid, " 12 March 1881, carried the following article: "En breve se presentará en la escena del teatro Español la señorita Graciani, primer premio de declamación en el Conservatorio. Un aplaudido escritor ha escrito para la salida de la señorita Graciani un apropósito, en el cual interpretará la debutante cuatro papeles distintos." (Shortly Miss Graciani, first prize in declamation in the Conservatory, will debut on the stage at the Theatre Español. An acclaimed writer has writen a work for her appearance, in which the debutane will interpret four distinct roles.")

She lived at Calle de Milaneses núm. seis cuarto bajo in Madrid, Spain in Jan 1883.¹²¹ She lived at Principe de Anglona núm. uno, piso primero in Madrid, Spain between 1884 and 1886.^53,122 She lived Plaza de la Cebada tercero derecha in Madrid, Spain between Jun 1889 and Dec 1890.^55,123 She appeared in the census in 1890 in Madrid, Spain.¹²³ She appeared in the census in 1895 in Madrid, Spain.⁵⁷ She lived at Plaza de la Cebada, 10, entresuelo derecha in Madrid, Spain between 1895 and 1906.^57,124 She lived Calle Madera Alta, 28 tercero derecha in Madrid, Spain in Nov 1906.¹²⁵ She immigrated on 2 Apr 1907 to Havana, Cuba.^60,61 It is almost certain she first came to Cuba on this date, nearly 2 years after her husband Manuel (who may, however, have returned to Spain in the meantime). According to Isabel BESTEIRO GRACCIANI, she came with her children Pepita, Jorge and Isabel, and this is verified by an entry in the 2 April 1907 edition of El Diario de la Marina, which lists "Victoria Gración y tres hijos."

She lived at Consulado 104-106 in Havana, Cuba in 1908.⁹⁸ This is where her son Francisco LAGOS GRACIANI was born in October 1908.

She visited Spain about 1914.^100,126 She travelled with her husband Manuel and youngest daughter Isabel, as indicated on their arrival together in New York. It´s not known when they travelled to Spain (only their arrival in New York on their return was noted), but Victorina BESTEIRO ASENSIO, in 2006 recollected that she was told that her grandmother Victorina came to Spain from Cuba to visit and see the first of her grandchildren to be born in Spain (Victorina, that grandchild, was born in March 1913).

She visited on 12 Nov 1914 in New York, NY, USA.¹⁰⁰ This was on their return trip from Spain. The ship's manifest notes hat they were going to visit Antonio LAGOS and Josefa BESTEIRO and their family in New York City. She visited on 18 Aug 1915 in New York, NY, USA.¹²⁷ She was visiting her daughter and her family, then living at 344 E. 85th Street. She visited on 24 Apr 1920 in New York, NY, USA.¹²⁸ Together with her husband Manuel, her daughter-in-law Mercedes LORET DE MOLA BETANCOURT, and her grandchildren Ricardo and Miguel Ángel BESTEIRO LORET DE MOLA, visited her daughter Pepita and her family, then living at 526 E. 83rd Street. She visited on 21 Nov 1922 in Paterson, Passaic, NJ, USA. She went to visit her daughter Pepita and her family, living on 307 Park Avenue. Curiously, although she was living in Havana (at San Lázaro 143), her husband Manuel was living in Santiago, and she was listed on the passenger manifest as "single." (It is known that they had a turbulent marriage.)

She was living in 1924 in Paterson, Passaic, NJ, USA.¹⁰² On the 1924 passenger manifest of their trip from Cuba (arrived 7 April 1924), Victorina and her husband Manuel were listed as US residents.

She was living about 1927/28 in Paterson, Passaic, NJ, USA. Manuel and Victorina lived first at Oak Street, then Madison Street. (This was while the Lagos family was living at 922 22nd Street.) She left Paterson - possibly for the last time - to help her daughter Isabel when Isabel's son Pepe was born in October 1928.

She died on 14 Jul 1931 in Havana, Cuba.¹⁰⁶ From cemetery documentation at home of Arturo VÁLDES DENIS: Cuartel Noroeste Cuadro 10 Campo Com. Bóved 21 . . . Milicia Josefina 8163. / 10 julio 1931 Joaquín / 15 julio 1931 Victorina She was exhumed and placed in an ossuary on 31 May 1944 in Havana, Cuba¹⁰⁶ She was also known as GRAZZIANI and GRACCIANI (& Antonia?).^122,129 Her funeral card says "GRACCIANI LORENZO", and her children used the second apellido "GRACCIANI". In addition in the birth certificate of her son Emilio, she is referred to as ¨Doña (Antonia) Victorina Graciani Lorenzo.¨ She was the original Maina. This was a mispronunciation of "Mama Victorina" by her granddaughter Carmen LAGOS BESTEIRO and became the name - for an additional 2 generations - by which Lagos family grandmothers in the US were to be known. Children were:

	i.	Domingo (Uncle Dominic) BESTEIRO GRACIANI was born on 9 Jan 1883 in Madrid, Spain.117,121,130 Full name: Domingo José Julián. He was baptized on 31 Jan 1883 in Madrid, Spain.117 Baptized at San Ginés. He appeared in the census in 1895 in Madrid, Spain.57 He was educated at the Boarding School "Pias de Getafe" in 1895 in Getafe, Madrid, Spain.57 "Los niños Domingo y Emilio, están internos en el Colegio - Escuelas Pias de Getafe." He lived at Plaza de la Cebada, 10, entresuelo derecha in Madrid, Spain on 1 Dec 1895.57 He immigrated in 1905 to Havana, Cuba.131 He was a Profesor en el Colegio-Academia Melitón in Havana, Cuba between 1905 and 1908.131 He was an educator for about 50 years beginning in Havana, Cuba in 1905. He was educated at the Escuela de Comercio de Cuba (Anexa al Instituto de la Habana) in 1905 in Havana, Cuba. Licenciado en Ciencias Exactas (.....), Título Profesor Merfcantil, Parto Taquigrafo y Mecanógrafo . . . He founded the Colegio Franco-Hispano America in 1908 in Havana, Cuba.132 A 1908 advertisement in Diario de la Marina reads "Colegio 'Franco-Hispano-Americano'De Primera y Segunda Enseñanza / Directores Propietarios: Besteiro y Piquer. San Lázaro 250. Este Plantel de educación ofrece á la distinguidas familias de esta capital la garantía en el éxito de la enseñanza por contar con excelente profesorado perteneciente a la Universidades de Paris, Washington y Madrid. . . " He was naturalized on 12 Jun 1913 in Havana, Cuba.131 He was a Director del Colegio "Cervantes", sito en San Lázaro 198 in Havana, Cuba in 1921.39 He was named Redactor del Fígaro in 1922 in Havana, Cuba. He founded what would be named the Colegio Académico Besteiro in 1926 in Havana, Cuba.131 Fue nombrado Profesor de la Escuela de Arte y . . . de la Habana y ocupó el cargo de Profesor y Director de la Escuela Cervantes del Centro Castellano de la Habana. He «doctor en Filosofía y Letras». He was president of the Club Madrileño in Havana, Cuba. He died on 24 Oct 1958 in Havana, Cuba. He was also known as GRACCIANI. Isabel BESTEIRO GRACCIANI escribe que cambió oficialmente su apellido segundo a GRACIANI. Sin embargo en la noticia de su muerte en el periódico en la Habana, ponen BESTEIRO GRACCIANI. (Although his sister Isabel wrote that he officially changed his name to GRACIANI, on his death notice in the newspaper, it was spelled "BESTEIRO GRACCIANI.") In fact he was one of three siblings (Josefa and Emilio) were the others, whose surnames were spelled GRACIANI on their birth certificates. Jorge and Isabel's surnames were GRACCIANI. Both spellings can be found throughout the lifetimes of the five siblings.
7	ii.	Josefa (Pepita) [Maina] BESTEIRO GRACIANI.
	iii.	Emilio BESTEIRO GRACIANI was born on 29 Jun 1886 in Madrid, Spain.122 He appeared in the census in 1895 in Madrid, Spain.57 He was educated at the Boarding School "Pias de Getafe" in 1895 in Getafe, Madrid, Spain.57 "Los niños Domingo y Emilio, están internos en el Colegio - Escuelas Pias de Getafe." He lived at Plaza de la Cebada, 10, entresuelo derecha in Madrid, Spain on 1 Dec 1895.57 He died on 10 Aug 1936 in Madrid, Spain.133,134 He was executed during the first month of the Spanish Civil War; he was taken from his house at night and killed. Per a mass card printed to commemorate his death, he was "killed by "the red horde" on km 10 on the road from Madrid to Andalucia." It reads "Don Emilio Besteiro Gracciani, Jefe de los Archivos de la Compañía de F.F.C.C. de M.Z.A. que murió vilmente asesinado por la horda roja, el día 10 de Agosto de 1936, en el K. 10 de la carretera de Andalucía . . . ") Según la acta de defunción, "falleció a consecuencia de lesiones por disparo de arma de fuego, según resulta del informe facultativo y reconocimiento practicado y su cadaver habrá de recibir sepultura en el cementerio de esta Villa[verde]." His death certificate states that he died of gunfire. He was also known as GRACCIANI. On his birth certificate he is listed - as are Domingo and Josefa - as BESTEIRO GRACIANI. Jorge and Isabel, however, are listed as BESTEIRO GRACCIANI, and GRACCIANI was the spelling that was more common among all the siblings - as well as their mother and uncle Joaquín - from Jorge's birth until their deaths. Según José Manuel LANCHA MARTÍ, "Mi padre [Teodoro LANCHA, hijo adoptado de Emilio] adoraba a su padre. El abuelo Emilio fue en casa un mito. Un hombre querido, admirado y venerado por su bondad, no sólo por mi padre sino por todo el mundo. Era una bellísima persona y mi padre nos hizo apreciarle y conservar su memoria a pesar de haber muerto . . . seis años antes de que naciera el mayor de mis hermanos." (My father [Teodoro Lancha, Emilio's adopted son] adored his father. Grandfather Emilio was a legend in our house. A man beloved, admired and venerated for his goodness, not just by my father but by everyone. He was a beautiful person and my father made us regard him highly and keep his memory despite his having died six years before my oldest brother was born.)
	iv.	Jorge BESTEIRO GRACCIANI103 was born on 18 Jun 1889 in Madrid, Spain.54,55 Full name: Jorge Amando. His is the only birth, marriage or death certficate that I've found (as of 4/2003) in which the spelling Gracciani ("cc") was used. His mother and grandfather are also referred to as "Gracciani," which was not the spelling on their birth certificates. Es el único caso (abril 2003) que sepa yo en que se usa la ortografía Gracciani (es decir "cc") en un acto de nacimiento, casamiento, o defunción. He appeared in the census in 1895 in Madrid, Spain.57 He lived at Plaza de la Cebada, 10, entresuelo derecha in Madrid, Spain on 1 Dec 1895.57 He immigrated in Mar 1907 to Havana, Cuba.61 It is believed he came over with his mother and sisters on 2 April 1907, the arrival date of "Victoria Gración [sic] y 3 hijos"). He later returned to Spain. Family oral tradition has it that he did so to marry his childhood sweetheart, Elisa ASENSIO LÓPEZ. (Emigró a Cuba c. 1905, y volvió antes de 1912 para casar su novia Elisa.) He lived in both Cuba and the USA between 1907 and 1912.60,61 Dates approximate. In addition, his stay in the US, passed down in the family oral history, has not been documented. Isabel BESTEIRO GRACCIANI claimed he returned to Spain "al cumplr 23 años." He was living before 1932 in Castielfabib, Valencia, Spain.126 He was living between 1932 and 1934 in Quismondo, Toledo, Spain.126 He was a secretario del ayumtamiento in Santa Olalla, Toledo, Spain between 1934 and 1936.126 He was living between 1934 and 1936 in Santa Olalla, Toledo, Spain.126 He died on 1 Sep 1936 in Santa Olalla, Toledo, Spain.103,126,135,136 Died of colon cancer. Ernestina ÁGUILAR BESTEIRO writes "Pocos minutos después de enterrarlo (la tumba en tierra no pudieron acabar de revestirla interiormente) salieron evacuados porque entraban en el pueblo las fuerzas del Gra. Franco y ellos estaban comprometidos políticamente." (Before the burial ceremony was complete the family had to be evacuated, as Franco's troops were entering the town and they were politically "compromised.") Violeta BESTEIRO MARTÍNEZ añade que la familia estaba dando tiros al aire en honor de Jorge. Las tropas franquistas, pensando que eran los repúblicanos, respondieron (the Besteiro family was shooting in the air to honor Jorge. Franco's troops returned the fire, making their presence known). He was also known as GRACIANI. Jorge was the first of the five siblings to be named GRACCIANI on his birth certificate, and this was the more common spelling of the siblings' second surname throughout his lifetime. Según su hermano Domingo, "Jorge era un comilón. Comía 30 'fritas' (pequeña hamburguesa + cebolla + papita) a la vez."
	v.	Luis BESTEIRO GRACCIANI57 was born on 6 May 1892 in Madrid, Spain. He appeared in the census in 1895 in Madrid, Spain.57 He lived at Plaza de la Cebada, 10, entresuelo derecha in Madrid, Spain on 1 Dec 1895.57 He was living on 1 Dec 1895 in Villar del Cobo, Teruel, Spain.57 "El niño Luis está temporalmente en Villar del Cobo - Provincia de Teruel.
	vi.	Isabel (Aunt Betty) BESTEIRO GRACCIANI was born on 4 Jun 1896 in Madrid, Spain.137,138 Born in Plaza de la Cebada, 10. Full name: Isabel Cecilia Alejandra. She was baptized on 18 Jun 1896 in Madrid, Spain.138,139 Baptized at San Andrés. Padrinos: mis tios D. Ramón Fernández Ménguez y Dª Cecila Caballero y Fernández. She immigrated on 2 Apr 1907 to Havana, Cuba.59,61 She received first communion on 5 Jun 1910 in Havana, Cuba.140 She died on 6 Oct 1980 in Havana, Cuba.141 She was exhumed and placed in an ossuary on 20 Feb 1989 in Havana, Cuba106 She was also known as GRACIANI. Isabel and Jorge were the only two of the five siblings to be named GRACCIANI on their birth certificates, and this was the more common spelling of the siblings' second surname throughout her lifetime.