By Angelo Coniglio
I often receive inquiries asking for help in identifying a reader’s ancestors. The requests often go like this: “I am trying to find information about the ancestors of my grandmother. She came to America from Sicily, I think from Mossena, at age 21 with her infant son. Can you help?”
My response is along these lines: “Before I can help, or you yourself can find such information, you must answer the following, even if approximately. What was your grandmother’s name as it was given in Sicily, including her ‘maiden’ name? About when was she born? You ‘think’ she was from ‘Mossena’; do you mean ‘Messina’? If so are you referring to the province of Messina, or its capital city, which has the same name? You gave her age at immigration, but in what year did she immigrate, and where did she settle? What was her husband’s name and occupation? What were the names of her children, in order of age; and the names of her siblings, in order of age?”
Often, I never hear any more from some of these folks. Evidently their desire for information about their ancestors isn’t so urgent, or they believe that a researcher should find their ancestors without asking ‘personal questions’. Some respond with just a partial answer; still not enough to undertake proper research, and some ask why such information is necessary. I’ll try to answer that, point by point.
What was the ancestor’s name? If searches are to be made in Sicilian or Italian records, the names as they were in the old country must be used. ‘Carrie’ or ‘Lily’ in the US was probably Calogera in Sicily; ‘Samuel’ was probably Salvatore, ‘James’ might have been Giacomo, or Vincenzo! Sicilian and Italian records would not use anglicized names, nor would ‘American’ names appear in passenger manifests. And women would be identified by the surnames they had at birth (i.e., their ‘maiden’ names; their father’s surnames), even though they were married.
What were the ancestor’s children’s names, in order of age? In Sicily and southern Italy, it was almost universal that the names a couple gave to their children followed a pattern called the Sicilian Naming Convention. This tradition required that the couple’s first son be named after the child’s paternal grandfather; the first daughter after the paternal grandmother; the second son after the maternal grandfather; and the second daughter after the maternal grandmother. So, if you know the names of your grandparents’ children, you can surmise the names of your great-grandparents. When searching, you may find records for several people with similar or identical names to your grandmother. Using the above convention helps to identify the ones that are pertinent.
What were the ancestor’s siblings’ names, in order of age? Using the same logic as above, if you know your grandmother’s siblings’ names, you can deduce her grandparents’ (your great-great grandparents’) names.
Where did she settle, and in what year? What was her husband’s name and occupation? This information will allow you to search US Censuses (viewable on-line) and/or state censuses, which can give information on age, occupation, immigration, and citizenship status. If you don’t know her children’s names or ages, census information can help you fill those in. US Censuses, taken every ten years, are available through the 1940 version, and can give an understanding of the family’s makeup. Knowing her husband’s occupation, the census can be checked against that knowledge, to assure that you’re viewing the records of the right family. If a census indicates ‘Na’ under citizenship status, it means the person was naturalized sometime before the date of the census. Naturalization papers found in family records, or at the local county clerk, can give date and town of birth.
In what year did she immigrate? If no naturalization papers are found, use information from censuses, and search for your grandmother’s ship’s passenger manifest (on several on-line venues). Many manifests give the birthplace of the immigrant. Don’t be confused if on one line you see her ‘maiden’ name, followed by her son on the next, with his father’s surname. It doesn’t mean she wasn’t married; she was just giving her name as she had all her life.
When these questions have been answered, you know your grandmother’s year of birth, have a fair idea of her parents’ names, and you know in what town she was born. You can now search for records of her birth, baptism, and marriage in her ancestral town’s registers, on microfilm or on line. When found, those records will give clues to the names, dates, etc. of previous ancestors, so that their records may be discovered.
Coniglio is the author of the book The Lady of the Wheel, inspired by his Sicilian research. Order the paperback or the Kindle version at http://bit.ly/SicilianStory Coniglio’s web page at http://bit.ly/AFCGen has helpul hints on genealogic research. If you have genealogy questions, or would like him to lecture to your club or group, e-mail him at genealogytips@aol.com
