December 29th – Today in Family History

Today in family history in 1797, my fourth great grandmother Francesca Paola Innocenza Carusi was born in Farindola to Signor Nicola Carusi and Signora Giovanna Marzola.  Francesca grew up during the time of the brigands and the French occupiers in Farindola.  Her grandfather Paolo Carusi, the town’s scribe, was named as a Lieutenant of the Urban Guard, which was formed by the French occupiers to quell the actions of the brigands in and around Farindola.  It is suspected that Paolo had some kind of military experience that allowed him to be given that title.  The brigands happened to be made up of a lot of former soldiers who fought the French.  The worst of these were the local leader, Massimo Marcella, and the Dell’Orso family.  They used to meet in Massimo’s home in contrada Trosciano.  

When Francesca was 9, a large gang of brigands in Farindola had a gunfight with French occupiers and the Urban Guard.  6 brigands were killed and the rest went back into hiding.  Francesca’s father Nicola ordered the French to go after those that fled.  That did not go well.  Even though the Farindolesi sided with the French at the beginning of the gunfight, they did not afterwards.  Nicola and his entire family, Francesca included, and 4 of her siblings, one of which was a baby, were threatened with their lives.  So Nicola wrote to the French General Chavardes and asked to be hidden and be given rations.  He took his entire family to Penne to hide for a few weeks.  At this time Nicola was the miller in Farindola.  By 1809 he became the Cancelliere of Farindola.  See Storia di Farindola at gelsumino.it. (Some of this data also comes from my cousin G. Carusi in Italy.)

Francesca married 2 times before she married my 4th great grandfather Sabatino Massei.  She had no children with her other husbands, but had 4 with Sabatino.  Her sister Tomassina was a midwife and the town’s Receiver of the Foundlings at the church.  Francesca died at contrada Macchie at age 80.  These were my nonna’s ancestors.  The Dell’Orso family were ancestors of my nonno.  Massimo Marcella is likely a relation of my nonno as well.  By the way, if you take a good look at the transcribed baptism in the image below, you will see that a lady named Anna Dell’Orso was the midwife present at Francesca’s birth.  

Farindola Processetti

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Today in Family History

On today’s date (September 9), the following happened in my family tree:

In 1830, my 4th great grandparents Domenicantonio Rossi and Maria Domenica Della Bricciosa married in San Giovanni, Penne, Abruzzo. Domenicantonio was the son of Giovanni Rossi and Anna Saveria Barbacone. Maria Domenica was the daughter of Blasio Della Bricciosa and Vittoria Gambacorta. They were the great grandparents of Cesidio Marcella. (His mother was named Elisabetta Rossi.)

We have the signature of Domenicantonio Rossi and the signature of Maria Domenica’s father Blasio. I don’t know if this meant they were literate, but they were able to sign their names legibly on the marriage document as you can see. This couple, and other members of their families, moved around this area of Abruzzo to multiple villages during their lifetimes. I don’t know what that means or why. I would love to hear your ideas.

On my maternal side the following happened:

In 1594, my 9th great grandmother Vittoria Litieri was baptized in Sant’ Agnese Parish, in San Felice a Cancello, Caserta. I know almost nothing about her, except her parents’ names, Cesare Litieri and Tommasina Secondina, and that she was the mother of my ancestor Pietro Capobianco. A Portia d’Adamo is noted on the baptism and may have been the midwife or the godmother. What is your guess? What do you see?

In 1834, my 3rd great grandfather Joseph Anton Heinzen was baptised in the Catholic parish of Glis near the Swiss border with Italy in Valais. He was born the day before in the tiny hamlet of Lingwurm. The godparents noted in the church record were Felix Nillen and Maria Josepha Nillin. His parents were Johann Joseph Heinzen and Anna Maria Vollmar. They were farmers.

Coincidentally, his daughter, on September 9, 1886, my immigrant second great grandmother Anne Aloisia (Anna) Heinzen and Ludwig (Louis) Fritz Kirsch got married before a Justice of the Peace in Chicago. She was Catholic and he was Lutheran.

In 1864, during a cholera epidemic in Chicago, 10 month old Loretta Schuttler, my second great grandmother Katharina Schuttler’s baby sister died.

Finally, on the other side of the Atlantic, in 1886, in Montecalvario, Naples, Italy, Carmen Ferraro’s sister Elena Ferraro was born. In America she married Angelo Scarnecchia.

Do you have any additions or corrections, or are we related? Please email me, because WordPress does not notify you if I comment on your comment on my blog. cinziarosagenealogy@comcast.net.

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52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks #19: Nurture ~ Second Great Grandmother Elisabetta Rossi ~

This week’s 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge is Nurture. I am picking my second great grandmother Elisabetta Rossi, a mother in a blended family, and mother of my great grandfather Cesidio Marcella.

Elisabetta Rossi was born in Vallecerosa, Arsita, Teramo, Italy in 1866 to Giuseppe Antonio Rossi and Anna Antonia Ricci. Prior to 1893, her parents and Elisabetta moved to Farindola. In late 1893 she married my second great grandfather Filippo Marcella in Farindola.

Filippo was a widower, as his first wife, Maria Antonia Lacchetta had passed away 6 months earlier. Filippo’s first wife had had 11 children to Filippo. However, only 5 were alive at the time of his second marriage. The other 6 never saw their first birthday. Those he brought to his union with Elisabetta were Maria Grazia, Raffaele, Pasqua, Filomena, and Serafina.

Filippo was 23 years older than Elisabetta. A little over a year after their marriage, with her husband’s other children probably all still at home, Elisabetta gave birth to my great grandfather Cesidio Marcella. Maria Domenica, Antonia Vincenza, and little Antonio Andrea followed. All 4 of Elisabetta’s children survived to adulthood and raised families of their own as did the 5 surviving children of Filippo’s first wife.

Elisabetta outlived her husband, who passed away in 1916, and was able to see the births of her grandchildren, her husband’s grandchildren, and some of her own great grandchildren.

Elisabetta Rossi’s father and his family were from nearby Penne in Pescara. Her mother’s family is a bit more of a mystery because they tended to move around Abruzzo more than any other branch I have researched there.  I would love to find out why.

Grazie e pace Elisabetta!

Do you have a question, comment, or correction?  Please email me at cinziarosagenealogy@comcast.net.

 

My Pescara, Teramo, and Chieti Surnames and Places Lists

Gran Sasso D’Italia, overlook near Farindola

Pescara, Abruzzo, Italia

• Farindola: Marcella, Di Francesco, Merlenghi/Merlengo, Massei, Rossi, Cirone, Di Pend/tima, Di Massimo, Colangeli, Iannascoli, Lucerini, Giansante, Pompili/Pompilio, Cacciatore, Damiani/Damiano, Lizza, Puccella, Ferri, Marzola, Cervo, Chiarella, Colella, Carusi, Frattarola/Frattaroli, Rosa, De Nino, Lepore, Paolucci, Lacchetta, Ciarma, Dell’Orso, D’Angelo, Bucci, Di Simone, Tinacci, Del Priore, Salvitti, Sciarra, Di Risio/D’Orizio, Iannascoli, Di Luca, Fragassi/Fracasso, Di Costanzo, Di Julio, De Angelis, Cottelluci, D’Agostino, Fusaro, Trizii/Trizio, Costantini, Ricci, Di Vico, Marcelli, Collalto, Sciambellone, Marcucci  
• Major Farindola Collateral lines:  Zenone, Belgrado, Generosi, Iezzi, Romagna
• Penne: Colangeli, Crocetta, Rossi, Barbacone, Cotraccia, Labricciosa/Della Bricciosa, Marrone, Gambacorta, Ricci, Delle Monache, Di Costanzo, Di Falone, Andreoli, Di Donato, Triozzi, D’Angelo, D’Angelo alias Zagliocco, D’Angelo alias “Il Nibbio”, Giansante/Di Giansante, Trignani, Di Belisario, Facciolini, Massei, Imbastaro, Scaramuzzo, Cacciatore, Desiati/Desiati alias Cacciatore, Sacchetti, Sacchetti Sopranome Muffitti, Oriani/Auriano/Di Auriano, Di Norscia, Mincarelli, Di Federico, Ferramosca, Di Carlo, Chiarella
• Loreto Aprutino: Carusi, Balsamo
• Carpineto della Nora: Di Giansante, Di Giardini
• Pianella: D’Agostino, Di Pentima, Di Leonardo
• Montebello di Bertona: Antonacci, Di Silvestre, Di Vico

Teramo, Abruzzo, Italia

• Arsita/Baccucco: Rossi
• Castelli: Sacchetti Sopranome Muffitti/Sacchetti, Menei
• Castaglione Messer Raimondo: Ricci

Chieti, Abruzzo, Italia

• Fara San Martino: Salvitti, Sciarra, D’Ippolito

 

Links:

For research in Farindola, Elio Fragassi’s website has been invaluable: External Link.

For Penne and Farindola research, Gelsumino.it has been a goldmine!  The link to it’s resources is here: Link.

Pescara and Chieti records are all available on Antenati.

My Abruzzese tree: Ancestry

 

Thank you for visiting.

-cinziarosagenealogy@comcast.net

 

Today’s Anniversary ~ Anna Antonia Ricci and Giuseppe Antonio Rossi ~

Arsita (Baccucco), Teramo – On today’s date in 1865, my 3rd great grandparents Anna Antonia Ricci and Giuseppe Antonio Rossi were married in Arsita, Teramo, Abruzzo in the parish of Santa Vittoria.

Their marriage record stated that Anna Antonia Ricci was born in Castiglione Messer Raimondo, 29, had been living in Baccucco since infancy, was a contadina, and that her parents were Girolamo Ricci and Giustina Andreoli.  Her parents were both born in Penne.

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For the groom, the marriage record stated that Giuseppe Antonio Rossi was 32, a contadino, was born in Penne, was a resident of Baccucco, and was the son of Domenico Rossi and Anna Domenica Della Bricciosa, both contadini.

Present at Santa Vittoria were Giovantonio di Candeloro and Pasquale Pacelli. One of those men was likely the priest.

The four men that gave testimony at the Town Hall as witnesses to the marriage were:

Angelo Palini, 50, a tailor, resident of Baccucco;

Giandomenico di Pomponio, 33, a tailor, resident of Baccucco;

Giuseppe Absente, 60, a contadino, resident of Baccucco; and

Angelo di Giacinto, 59, a carpenter, resident of Baccucco.

NOTE:  Domenico Rossi, my 4th great grandfather, signed his son’s marriage record.  It is legible on the above second page of the marriage document.

The bride and groom were the parents of Elisabetta Rossi – the mother of Cesidio Marcella.

Sources:

Antenati San Beniculturali

Family Search Microfilms for Castiglione Messer Raimondo and Arsita now online at LDS Research Centers

 

 

Today’s Wedding Anniversary ~~ Filippo Marcella and Elisabetta Rossi ~~

On this day 124 years ago in Farindola, Italy, Elisabetta Rossi married Filippo Marcella.  They were the parents of my great grandfather Cesidio.

Elisabetta Rossi was born in 1866 in Valleceraso, Bacucco, Teramo, a neighboring town, to Giuseppe Antonio Rossi and Anna Antonia Ricci.

The valley outside Bacucco (Arsita), Teramo

Her parents had moved to Farindola before the marriage of their oldest child, Elisabetta.  Elisabetta’s father was originally from Penne, Pescara, having been born there.  I was able to trace back to 6th great grandparents in the Rossi line born around 1740 in Penne.  Giuseppe’s father Domenico was literate and I have a few of his signatures saved.  The one below is from his son’s marriage to Elisabetta’s mother, Anna Antonia Ricci, in Bacucco in 1865.

Anna Antonia Ricci was born in Castiglione Messer Raimondo, Teramo.  However her parents were also born and married in Penne, Pescara.  I was able to trace the Ricci back to the mid 1700s in Penne too, to another set of 6th great grandparents.  The Ricci married a member of the Delle Monache family through which I was able to trace to a set of 7th great grandparents born around 1700.  They were Anastasio Delle Monache and a lady named Lorenza.

My great great grandmother Elisabetta Rossi was the oldest child and had at least 7 siblings: Antonio, Palma, Domenico, Maria Carmina, Giovanni, Anna Domenica, and Girolamo.

Antenati link to Elisabetta’s and Filippo’s marriage

Antenati link to their marriage allegati

Elisabetta married Filippo Marcella, a man who was a widower, and also 23 years older than she was.  Coincidentally, I noticed on the birth records of Filippo’s children to Elisabetta that his age somehow decrease with each record!

Filippo was born in 1844 in Trosciano, Farindola, Pescara to Massimo Nicola Marcella and Maria Carolina Colangeli.  Through miracles of modern Google Earth, this is a clipped image of Contrada Trosciano in Farindola.

Filippo’s first wife was Maria Antonia Lacchetta, the daughter of Filippo Lacchetta and Maria Salzetta.  Maria Antonia had passed away in April of 1893 and Filippo Marcella was left with small children to raise. We don’t know the circumstances of her death but she had given birth to at least 11 children in 20 years.  Some of the children didn’t survive a few days or past infancy.

Filippo’s children with Maria Antonia were: Carmela (died in infancy), Cesidio (died in infancy), Maria Grazia, Donato (died in infancy), Bambino (stillborn), Andrea, Carmine, Raffaele, Pasqua, Filomena, Serafina.

Elisabetta’s first born was my great grandfather Cesidio.  Her other children were Maria Domenica, Antonia Vincenza, and Antonio Andrea.

Filippo Marcella was the fourth of ten children.  He had two sets of twin sisters.  The first set passed away in their childhoods.  He also had a brother that passed away in his childhood.  The siblings that survived to adulthood are as follows: Maria Giustina, Maria Giuseppa (midwife)*, Domenico**, Nicola (Antonio), and the second set of twins Serafina and Maria Domenica.

Filippo’s ancestry, so far, has been traced back to the early 1700s.  His father’s ancestors were born in Farindola to at least that point in history.  His mother’s ancestors encompass at least three midwives, not including his sister, and a line traced to Montebello di Bertona.  Filippo passed away at #137 Trosciano, Farindola in 1916.

Pecorino di Farindola

*Maria Giuseppa married Panfilo Zenone.  This is one way we are related to the Zenone cousins.

**Domenico is the sibling of Filippo through which we are related to the Romagna cousins and again to the Zenone cousins.

Sources: 

Antenati San Beniculturali – Archivio di Stato di Pescara (Farindola, Penne, Montebello di Bertona)

Archivio di Stato di Teramo records on Family Search (Bacucco (Arsita) and Castiglione Messer Raimondo)

Castiglione Messer Raimondo microfilms