Midwife Scribing Saturday ~ Maria Donata Di Costanzo, 1841

Maria Donata Di Costanzo was my fifth great grandmother, and ancestor of my great grandmother Serafina Merlenghi, on her father’s side. I know so little of Maria Donata. Her vital stats are that she was born in Penne around 1777 to a Felice and Chiara (last name unknown) and she died in 1862 in Farindola. She was already a widow when she passed away. Her husband, Farindolesi Domenico Marzola, had passed away in 1858. Domenico’s vital stats are known and so is a relationship to another branch of my paternal lines. Domenico’s sister Giovanna Marzola was also my fifth great grandmother. She was married to Cancelliere Nicola Carusi. Knowing this, if I calculate correctly, this would make my father’s parents 5th cousins. Right?

Back to Maria Donata…So Maria Donata was discovered being mentioned as going to town hall in 1841 to announce the birth of her grandchild. While the record does not say “levatrice” or “ostetrice” after her name, I can only guess it may have been POSSIBLE she was the midwife present at the birth. The record is below.

Farindola, Nati 1841, Number 53

The year 1841, 3 of the month of July, at hour 10, before me, Vincenzo Carusi, in the commune of Farindola, district of Civita Santangelo, Province of Teramo, there is appearing Maria Donata Costanzo, 60 years, profession contadina, living in Farindola, presenting a baby, whom she declares she knows that she was born to Bernardo Cirone, 36 years, living in Farindola, and Maria Marzola (Maria Crocefissa Marzola), his wife, 33 years, contadina, living in matrimony, on the the 3rd day of the month of July at the 7th hour, in their habitation, in Rione della Piazzetta, the same she says the baby is named Maria Concetta.

The preceding is given as testimony in the presense of Anastasio (illegible surname), 66 years, profession taylor, living in Farindola, and Don Giacomo Mesioli, 41 years, profession landowner, living in Farindola. This presented as an act formed for that purpose, written above in the Registry all declared and testified, this day, month, and year, as above, signed by me, and the given testimony spoken, because they cannot write.

Signed – Giacomo Mesioli, testified

Signed – Vincenzo Carusi

This record was found on Antenati at: https://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.it/ark:/12657/an_ua18508387/Lz9Jgjb/

I have one more record that mentioned Maria Donata.

Today in Family History ~ The Anniversary of the Birth of Christian Gungerich – Religious Prisoner

On December 14, 1595, my ninth great grand uncle Christian Gungerich was born in Oberdiessbach, Canton Bern, Switzerland to Hans Gungerich and Anna Schindler. Christian was the brother of my 9th great grandnmother Barbara Gungerich.

Christian is notable because he was an Anabaptist teacher and was imprisoned twice for preaching, eventually dying in prison. If he was executed, I do not have that information.

Christian’s family’s surname was originally Gundrich and appeared in records as early as 1389, in Konolfingen, near Oberdiessbach. By the late 1500s there were several Gungerich families living near Oberdiessbach. In 1669, Christian had been captured and imprisoned in Schwarzenegg Prison. He managed to escape. So he was hunted again and taken to Waisenhaus Prison in Bern. Waisenhaus was a former orphanage converted into prison for Anabaptist preachers.

There is not an exact date of death for Christian. As noted above, if he was executed, I don’t have that information. By 1671 his house and lands (inherited) were seized by the government church. Because they kept a case file regarding his property that survived all of these years, and it listed the relations of Christian that came forward to claim the property, we would not know the parentage and siblings of Christian, and he would not be in my tree. He never married and, as such, had no children.

I always wondered who could have been his teacher or “converted” him since the birth of Anabaptism was approximately 70 years before his birth. I read there were several other teachers in his area of Bern already.

His mother, my 10th great grandmother Anna Schindler, shares the surname of an Andres Schindler, an Anabaptist who attended the Anabaptist Debate in Bern in 1538. He was from the area of Oberdiessbach. My theory that she and Andres could be related is just a theory.

Christian’s sister Barbara married Peter Strubel (Rubeli). Remember them? The Rubelis escaped to the German Palatinate and eventually had their farm burned down by Louis XIV when he had the Palatinate scorched. I have written several posts on that branch of the tree.

Barbara also asked after her brother’s estate in April of 1671. These are all ancestors of my Grandmother Leies.

Are we related, or do you have a correction, or addition? Please email me: cinziarosagenealogy@comcast.net.