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It's not easy. They all have the same first name, named after family patriarchs/matriarchs or patron saints. Last names are often misspelled. I find it a lot of work, a labor of love. I have moments when I'm up for it and moments when I'm overwhelmed. It's going slowly.
ISTM those issues are not unique to Italians. Same issues with my line from England to America in the 1600s. And my gg-gf had to add a second last letter ( ie, John Doee) to the his family last name because a cousin living in the same county had same first, middle and last name.
Yeah, my Italian branches have been among my biggest brick walls - but mostly because the towns in Italy they were from have never responded to my letters for copies of records so I can only trace the family once they entered America.
The replication of names can make it very confusing and difficult indeed, but sometimes there are ways to set things apart and get the answers you're looking for. Part of the puzzle is to get as much documents as you can about the person(s) in question, preferably ones which have info which is reasonably differentiating (ie an age and town/state they lived in)---tracing over to the Old County is where things can get more difficult, however....many passenger lists are not specific beyond the names and sometimes ages of the passengers.
In my experience, if you can find a naturalization certificate on file for the person in question, that will often give you not just the country of origin, but the city or some other more specific info. about where they lived before coming to the US or were born. Many will include the date of birth, something which many times is missing from older death records beyond a general age.
Also, try to track other family members, if known, or even neighbors from the earliest times they are known to had been in the US. Sometimes if you can;'t track one person, tracing a sibling or some other family member will lead you back to the answer. But Naturalization and/or immigration documents are important because they are the most likely to provide true and more complete information of the person than later census, marriage or death records will.
Also, keep in mind the varied spelling of names--especially with Italian names; they were often "Anglicized" at some point after coming into the US (despite the common claim of "they changed my name at Ellis Island", actually the formal name change or spelling change typically happened at naturalization later on and not right upon entry to the US)----However, many times at say Ellis Island or whatever port they come through, the names are misspelled, sometimes to the point of being pretty different from what they should had been---so try phonetic spellings. Yes, it can definitely be difficult! But keep at it, never give it up.
Also, there are many on here who are more than glad to assist in searching.
Last edited by Austin023; 12-28-2014 at 03:51 AM..
Reason: typos
The replication of names can make it very confusing and difficult indeed, but sometimes there are ways to set things apart and get the answers you're looking for. Part of the puzzle is to get as much documents as you can about the person(s) in question, preferably ones which have info which is reasonably differentiating (ie an age and town/state they lived in)---tracing over to the Old County is where things can get more difficult, however....many passenger lists are not specific beyond the names and sometimes ages of the passengers.
In my experience, if you can find a naturalization certificate on file for the person in question, that will often give you not just the country of origin, but the city or some other more specific info. about where they lived before coming to the US or were born. Many will include the date of birth, something which many times is missing from older death records beyond a general age.
Also, try to track other family members, if known, or even neighbors from the earliest times they are known to had been in the US. Sometimes if you can;'t track one person, tracing a sibling or some other family member will lead you back to the answer. But Naturalization and/or immigration documents are important because they are the most likely to provide true and more complete information of the person than later census, marriage or death records will.
Also, keep in mind the varied spelling of names--especially with Italian names; they were often "Anglicized" at some point after coming into the US (despite the common claim of "they changed my name at Ellis Island", actually the formal name change or spelling change typically happened at naturalization later on and not right upon entry to the US)----However, many times at say Ellis Island or whatever port they come through, the names are misspelled, sometimes to the point of being pretty different from what they should had been---so try phonetic spellings. Yes, it can definitely be difficult! But keep at it, never give it up.
Also, there are many on here who are more than glad to assist in searching.
I have tried and tried and tried and found nothing in the records of Italy (plenty here in the states, but nothing to connect this family to Italy). I've pretty much just given up because I (evidently) don't have enough information to make a connection to a family name. Even with a friend located in Italy who researched for me in his native language and corresponded directly with the comune, requesting a Stato di Famiglia for the family...none existed. All (5) children claimed to be born and married in the same village and nothing, nothing, nothing.
When I took a genealogy class years ago, I was told the Italians kept some of the best records. I'm sure they did...except when the whole family can't be found because the name I have...the name they all used...the name that is on every legal document including naturalizations is either NOT the name they used in the old country or they weren't born there at all.
I share your pain, but I have to disagree...sometimes it's just better to have no hope than false hope.
I have tried and tried and tried and found nothing in the records of Italy (plenty here in the states, but nothing to connect this family to Italy). I've pretty much just given up because I (evidently) don't have enough information to make a connection to a family name. Even with a friend located in Italy who researched for me in his native language and corresponded directly with the comune, requesting a Stato di Famiglia for the family...none existed. All (5) children claimed to be born and married in the same village and nothing, nothing, nothing.
When I took a genealogy class years ago, I was told the Italians kept some of the best records. I'm sure they did...except when the whole family can't be found because the name I have...the name they all used...the name that is on every legal document including naturalizations is either NOT the name they used in the old country or they weren't born there at all.
I share your pain, but I have to disagree...sometimes it's just better to have no hope than false hope.
RVcook
Well, yes Italy tends to have very good records going back at least a few centuries and this of course does make research easier. Its harder to track the family across the ocean than here within the States or Canada.
For the OP, I do have another question for you though...about what year did they come over? Were Church records also examined? (The Stato di Famiglia you mention, or a certificate of family status began to be used starting around 1880).
Vital records kept by the government and not the church were first instituted in Italy by Nepolean around 1815, though they are not considered especially complete or reliable until the 1860s when a more modern system was introduced.
This site gives an explanation of Intalian vital records and where to find them, etc.:
While usually finding multiple copies with the same information (such as birthplace) is a good sign as to its accuracy, I have seen more than once where the information proved to be incorrect, despite the fact it was found on at least three different documents, or for multiple siblings....its unusual, but sometimes it happens. This is why I always say do not just give up hope unless if all viable lines of research or exhausted. But sometimes either you just don't have enough information to effectively search, or the records do not exist anymore.....sometimes they are in places where you don't expect, such as a neighboring county.
For example, say your grandparents lived in Italy, had four children in a certain village. Well, they move to another village in a neighboring county/commune for some time and then they sail over for the US. Years pass, the children forget their original home village and put down the one where they lived for a while, but was not the one they were actually born in. A scenario like this I have seen several times, including in my own family. Always look at surrounding towns/counties and check known in-laws, which are called collateral siblings/relatives. They also can provide important clues.
I wish you luck in your quest--I hope this is of some help anyway.
...While usually finding multiple copies with the same information (such as birthplace) is a good sign as to its accuracy, I have seen more than once where the information proved to be incorrect, despite the fact it was found on at least three different documents, or for multiple siblings....its unusual, but sometimes it happens. This is why I always say do not just give up hope unless if all viable lines of research or exhausted. But sometimes either you just don't have enough information to effectively search, or the records do not exist anymore.....sometimes they are in places where you don't expect, such as a neighboring county.
I would be satisfied to find ONE document that had information on it. In the absence of a name, there can be nothing to compare.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Austin023
For example, say your grandparents lived in Italy, had four children in a certain village. Well, they move to another village in a neighboring county/commune for some time and then they sail over for the US. Years pass, the children forget their original home village and put down the one where they lived for a while, but was not the one they were actually born in. A scenario like this I have seen several times, including in my own family. Always look at surrounding towns/counties and check known in-laws, which are called collateral siblings/relatives. They also can provide important clues.
Yep...did that too. Nothing .
Now if I could just get together a few thousand dollars and sojourn to the old country for a few months, I may get lucky and figure this out...but that ain't happenin' anytime soon .
I realized that FamilySearch had records on microfilm from the town one of my Italian ancestors was from - ordered it but it's backordered so who knows when it will come in. So frustrating.
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