THE MINORCANS

The Minorcans of St. Augustine are a culturally rich community with roots in Spanish, Catalan, Italian and Greek traditions. These several ethnicities involved in this odyssey became known as ‘Minorcans’. Despite their significant role in American history, their story largely goes untold, confined to local awareness in St. Johns County, Florida. This oversight is amplified by the absence of Minorcan history from educational curricula and the haunting fact that the graves of 964 Minorcans in New Smyrna Beach have never been found. Their story is not just a local curiosity; it serves as a lens to explore the distinctions between indentured servitude and enslavement, providing a more nuanced understanding of Florida’s multicultural history. After nine years of toiling in Dr. Andrew Turnbull’s New Smyrna colony, the Minorcans were freed from indenture and undertook a perilous 70-mile journey to St. Augustine in 1777. Their legacy endures through a multitude of descendants. ROBERT P. JONES is a 5th generation Floridian from St. Augustine. He married his high school sweetheart, Malinda Louise Usina, in 1955. She died on February 9, 2022, leaving behind four surviving children (eldest son deceased) seventeen grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren, all carrying Minorcan blood. Malinda Usina was the fourth great granddaughter of Catarina Moll Alzina (Usina), one of the original Minorcan colonists. Catarina’s tale of hardship until her death includes the deaths of her twin daughters, Maria and Catarina. Her son Miguel Bartholome survived and made the freedom march to St. Augustine. Where is the grave of Catarina Moll Usina and the other 963 Minorcans that are buried somewhere in New Smyrna Beach, which was the Dr. Andrew Turnbull plantation long, long ago. Where are the graves? For more information about the Minorcans, visit www.minorcans.com.

Robert Phillip ‘Bob’ Jones is a spry 90-year-old, former St. Augustine brick mason who served in the USMC, then on the National staff of the U.S. Jaycees before becoming executive director of the Southeastern Fisheries Association for 55 years. He married Malinda ‘Mindy’ Usina, a beautiful St. Augustine Minorcan lady. They had nearly 68 years of marriage before she died on February 9, 2022. Bob and Mindy have five children (Oldest son Mike deceased) and blessed with seventeen grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren. They all love their Gampa. How awesome is that?