Surnames: Ruffini, Ferretti, Galvani/ Town of Brescello

Are you looking for an Italian surname? Do you need more information about your family heritage?
This is the right place to start your genealogy search.
User avatar
Katalina
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 8
Joined: 19 Apr 2005, 00:00
Location: NW Ohio
Contact:

Surnames: Ruffini, Ferretti, Galvani/ Town of Brescello

Post by Katalina »

Searching for surnames Ruffini and Ferretti from Brescello area in Reggio Emilia. Also searching for Galvani (probably closer to Florence area). Any replies about these names/areas will be appreciated. Thank you, Katalina
User avatar
VaDeb
V.I.P.
V.I.P.
Posts: 1302
Joined: 06 Oct 2003, 00:00

Re: Surnames: Ruffini, Ferretti, Galvani/ Town of Brescello

Post by VaDeb »

Katalina,

You need to be more specific with your research objective. Are you looking for passenger manifests? If so for whom? Have you found your ancestors on the available US census reports? Do you know the ancestral village? Do you need vital records from Italy? If you can provide details and what you have found someone can probably help you or at least give you a direction to proceed in.

Debbie
User avatar
Katalina
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 8
Joined: 19 Apr 2005, 00:00
Location: NW Ohio
Contact:

Re: Surnames: Ruffini, Ferretti, Galvani/ Town of Brescello

Post by Katalina »

Debbie,
Thanks for your advice. I have just joined this site, so I am not very familiar with it yet. I was trying to be very general intentionally in order to see if anyone else was working on these names from the locations I mentioned.

I have found ships manifestos and US Census records. I know the names of two villages connected with Ruffini and Ferretti. They are: Brescello in Reggio Emilia and Cremona. My great grandmother, Leonilda Calipsa Ruffini came her from Brescello in the early 1800's, as did several of her brothers. One sister, who remained behind had a newstand in Cremona. I have the names of their parents: Andrea Ruffini, and Adelaide Ferretti. I would like to be able to get vital records for them and trace back as many generations as possible.

The Galvani name is associated with the part of Italy closer to Florence. I do not have an exact town. The ancestor who came from there was Pietro Galvani, who came in the early 1900's as well. I do not have the names of any of his ancestors, but would like to find them.

Do you know any websites that have good detailed maps of Italy to look out and/or print out?

Thanks for your help, Katalina
User avatar
VaDeb
V.I.P.
V.I.P.
Posts: 1302
Joined: 06 Oct 2003, 00:00

Re: Surnames: Ruffini, Ferretti, Galvani/ Town of Brescello

Post by VaDeb »

Hi Katrina,

I understand hoping someone will be researching the same surname from the same village. Perhaps you will get lucky and someone will respond.

Unfortunately LDS microfilm is limited for your villages.

Here is Brescello, but it is 1806-1865.

http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library ... umns=*,0,0

Cremona does not have any microfilmed vital records. But Cremona is also a province that contains the town of Cremona. Are you sure your ancestors came from that town and not another town in the province?

As you probably know you have to identify the village of your ancestor to get any records. Usually a passenger manifest is your best source, if you don't have any family items (photos, postcards, patron saint of the town) at home. Do you have the manifest for Pietro Galvani? What year does the census say he came to the US?


I usually use map quest. Most small villages do not have the details like places in the US though.

http://www.mapquest.com/maps/main.adp?country=IT

Debbie
User avatar
Katalina
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 8
Joined: 19 Apr 2005, 00:00
Location: NW Ohio
Contact:

Re: Surnames: Ruffini, Ferretti, Galvani/ Town of Brescello

Post by Katalina »

Debbie,
Thanks for your help. I am not sure how the link to the information you gave me on the LDS microfilm works. Is that actually something I can open and view online, or do I need to go to an LDS center?

Cremona that I am looking for is evidently the Province, not necessarily the town, so I guess that doesn't help much.

Thanks again, Katalina
wldspirit
Staff
Staff
Posts: 5606
Joined: 17 Nov 2004, 00:00
Location: U.S.A.
Contact:

Re: Surnames: Ruffini, Ferretti, Galvani/ Town of Brescello

Post by wldspirit »

Here is an excellent outline to using the Lds microfilm which must be viewed in person at your local Lds library. Posted by Brujaojos.......


italiangenealogy.tardi...pic&t=2581

wldspirit
User avatar
mfjp
Master
Master
Posts: 2210
Joined: 13 Aug 2004, 00:00
Contact:

Re: Surnames: Ruffini, Ferretti, Galvani/ Town of Brescello

Post by mfjp »

Katalina wrote:
The Galvani name is associated with the part of Italy closer to Florence. I do not have an exact town. The ancestor who came from there was Pietro Galvani, who came in the early 1900's as well. I do not have the names of any of his ancestors, but would like to find them.
Looks like you have already done some research... There were other Pietro's to choose from, but this one seemed to fit in best...

The manifest of Pietro Galvani (going to New York) mentions a brother by the name "Umberti".

http://ellisisland.org/search/shipManif ... 2380100520
First Name: Pietro
Last Name: Galvani
Ethnicity: Italian - North Italian
Last Place of Residence: Brescetto (this is how it was transcribed....)
Date of Arrival: April 09, 1905
Age at Arrival:  20y    Gender:  M    Marital Status:  S  
Ship of Travel: La Touraine
Port of Departure: Havre
Manifest Line Number: 0023

I've located a manifest of an Umberto Galvani. His closest relative in Italy is his uncle Giovanni Galvani... and on this manifest it also mentions that he would be joining his brother Pietro Galvani in New Haven, Con. Lafayette?

Umberto travels with his wife Albertina and a Davide Ruffini (who's father is Andrea) and a few others from the town of Brescello. I can't tell if Albertina is also a Ruffini.

First Name: Umberto
Last Name: Galvani
Ethnicity: Italy, Ital. North
Last Place of Residence: New York, America
Date of Arrival: November 11, 1909
Age at Arrival:  29y    Gender:  M    Marital Status:  M  
Ship of Travel: Prinzess Irene
Port of Departure: Genoa
Manifest Line Number: 0011

http://ellisisland.org/search/shipManif ... 0350%2ETIF

Debbie wrote...
As you probably know you have to identify the village of your ancestor to get any records. Usually a passenger manifest is your best source, if you don't have any family items (photos, postcards, patron saint of the town) at home. Do you have the manifest for Pietro Galvani? What year does the census say he came to the US?
Debbie great points here - especially about the Patron Saints... I have many cards that my family saved with the photos... and it wasn't till years later that I found out that the towns mentioned on them were great clues!

mfjp
User avatar
robertjohnj
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 11
Joined: 02 Feb 2005, 00:00
Location: Pennsylvania
Contact:

Re: Surnames: Ruffini, Ferretti, Galvani/ Town of Brescello

Post by robertjohnj »

[quote="Katalina"]Debbie,

Do you know any websites that have good detailed maps of Italy to look out and/or print out?

Hi,
Try this website......

http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/viamicheli ... mage2.y=12

Zoom into street level. Map can also be enlarged.

Bob
User avatar
Katalina
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 8
Joined: 19 Apr 2005, 00:00
Location: NW Ohio
Contact:

Re: Surnames: Ruffini, Ferretti, Galvani/ Town of Brescello

Post by Katalina »

Thanks for the help. I have not had much sucess locating Umberto and his wife Albertina in US Census records after 1910. I now know that they had daughters named "Tess" and "Navis" and a son named "Louis John" and another son, whose name I do not know. The fact that there was a Davide traveling with them whose father was Andrea, makes him a brother to Umerto, as well as to Pietro (who was my great grandfather.) I also have their address in New York. My great uncle who is still living remembers going there. Thanks for the help. I have not received notice of your more recent posts. I accidentally found them on a google search for "Umberto Galvani" just now. Thanks for the help. I'm learning!
User avatar
mfjp
Master
Master
Posts: 2210
Joined: 13 Aug 2004, 00:00
Contact:

Re: Surnames: Ruffini, Ferretti, Galvani/ Town of Brescello

Post by mfjp »

Not a census record, but a draft record...

http://img394.imageshack.us/img394/2350 ... aft6xr.jpg

Name:  Umberto Galvani
Birth:  Oct 18 1879
Residence:  Manhattan, New York, New York
Other:  Manhattan City
----------------------------------
1910 Census Info
Name: Umbert Galvani
Age in 1910: 30
Estimated birth year: abt 1880
Home in 1910: 15-Wd Manhattan, New York, New York
Wife: Albertina
No children at this time
-----------------------------------
SSDI info
GALVANI, ALBERTINA 092-12-2119 NY  1 Aug 1888  May 1974  NY  New York, New York 10012 
mfjp
User avatar
Katalina
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 8
Joined: 19 Apr 2005, 00:00
Location: NW Ohio
Contact:

Re: Surnames: Ruffini, Ferretti, Galvani/ Town of Brescello

Post by Katalina »

Yes, thank you. I have seen all of the above records on ancestry.com. I know, however, that Umberto and Albertina had 4 children and lived in New York all of their lives. I am wondering if the indices for the census records for 1920 and 1930 have misspelled their name(s). Is there any way to look for them on the census by address? I know the address that they lived at for many, many years in New York, New York in the Greenwhich Village area?
User avatar
mfjp
Master
Master
Posts: 2210
Joined: 13 Aug 2004, 00:00
Contact:

Re: Surnames: Ruffini, Ferretti, Galvani/ Town of Brescello

Post by mfjp »

I have seen all of the above records on ancestry
Yes, but we haven't... this info would help those willing to help you.

Ancestry allows you to search by Enumeration District... which also lists the streets within that area.
I know the address that they lived at for many, many years in New York, New York in the Greenwhich Village area?
If you mention the street's name, it would help.

mfjp
User avatar
mfjp
Master
Master
Posts: 2210
Joined: 13 Aug 2004, 00:00
Contact:

Re: Surnames: Ruffini, Ferretti, Galvani/ Town of Brescello

Post by mfjp »

Name: Albertina Gahani
Age: 33 years 
Estimated birth year: abt 1887
Birthplace: Italy
Race: White
Home in 1920: Manhattan, New York, New York
Sex: Female
Marital status: Married
Relation to Head of House: Wife
Year of immigration: 1910
Able to read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Mother's Birth Place: Italy
Father's Birth Place: Italy
Image: 606

http://img342.imageshack.us/img342/2414/1920galv4ow.jpg

mfjp
User avatar
Katalina
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 8
Joined: 19 Apr 2005, 00:00
Location: NW Ohio
Contact:

Re: Surnames: Ruffini, Ferretti, Galvani/ Town of Brescello

Post by Katalina »

I'm afraid I'm a bit confused. The information that I mentioned seeing on Ancestry.com is information that someone posted to me above. It was a draft record for Umberto Galvani, a 1910 Census record, and a SSDI death record for Albertina. If you check the above posts (if you are interested) the information is printed out there. Thanks for finding the entry for me for Albertina Galvani. I believe this is probably the family that I am looking for. Your help is greatly appreciated. Katalina
User avatar
mfjp
Master
Master
Posts: 2210
Joined: 13 Aug 2004, 00:00
Contact:

Re: Surnames: Ruffini, Ferretti, Galvani/ Town of Brescello

Post by mfjp »

Hi Katalina,

That was me who posted the SSDI, draft, and census info... info such as this could help those -willing to help you (forum members).. it's just a way of getting to know your family better..

If you want a search done for the 1930 census please mention the street name and district info.

I don't think it will be an easy find though...

mfjp
Post Reply