Help translating a passport from 1900

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mplehning
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Help translating a passport from 1900

Post by mplehning »

Hi! I just was sent a scan of my GGGrandmother's passport to come from Italy. I think I've done pretty well with translating it using translate.google.com but I'm stuck on a couple things I just can't figure out.

According to google, I've got:


The Minister of Foreign Affairs
please the civil and military authority and powers of His Majesty
friends and allies to let pass freely

Anna Maria Mastromonaco was Nicola
who goes to New York with her daughters Iorio
Incornata <beats me> 15 and is Filomena <beats me> 11

This passport issued in Larino
September 4 nineteen
clearance behind the mayor <beats me> Morrone
and valid for one year


So what I'm having trouble with is the "please the civil and military...." part at the beginning.

Then what looks like a capital S apostrophe in the handwritten part between the names Incornata and Filomena....I think it's "anni" after, and then another apostrophe. Incornata Iorio was my GGrandmother and Filomena was her sister (Aunt Fanny)....I was told my GGrandmother was 15 when she arrived in 1900 so that seems to jive. I'm also perplexed at the "was Nicola" part.

Then there's the "clearance behind the mayor", which makes no sense to me...and again the capital S and apostrophe.

I'd appreciate any help I can get!

Matt
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liviomoreno
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Re: Help translating a passport from 1900

Post by liviomoreno »

If you post the image of the passport we will better help you!

The name is Incoronata, not Incornata
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mplehning
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Re: Help translating a passport from 1900

Post by mplehning »

Hmm....That would be more helpful wouldn't it. Actually I thought I did attach the image. I guess I thought using the Browse button to find the file would attach it......I wondered why there needed to be the "Add Attachment" button too. Duh...... :roll:

Along the left side of the image is where they described her. I hadn't looked at them prior to posting yesterday. I had a very difficult time on several of the descriptions written in so any help there would be great too!

Let's see if I can get it attached correctly this time......
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Tessa78
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Re: Help translating a passport from 1900

Post by Tessa78 »

Anna Maria Mastromonaco was ("fu" actually indicates she was daughter of deceased) Nicola
who goes to New York with her daughters (children) Iorio
Incoronata <beats me> (d'anni ..."of years" - meaning age) 15 and is Filomena <beats me> (age) 11

Issued 4 September 1900

T.
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mplehning
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Re: Help translating a passport from 1900

Post by mplehning »

Ah....the "S'" is really a "d'" huh? No way I'd have guessed that was a 'd'...doesn't look anything like the others to me!

I'm confused though about the 'fu Nicola'. I would assume then that Nicola would have been Anna Maria's mother? 'Nicola Mastromonaco'?

Any thoughts about her last name? I mean her husband was Joseph Iorio and her children are Iorio's.....is it common for a woman to keep her maiden name in Italy? Or maybe go back to it if her husband dies? I know he died before they came to the US.
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Re: Help translating a passport from 1900

Post by Tessa78 »

Nicola was the father of Anna Maria, not the mother.
And yes, his name was Nicola Mastromonaco...
Anna Maria would have traveled under her maiden name, Mastromonaco, as was the tradition for Italian women.

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Re: Help translating a passport from 1900

Post by Tessa78 »

Both Nicola and Nicolo were masculine names...

See at this site:
http://www.behindthename.com/nmc/ita3.php

NICOLA (1) m Italian
Italian form of NICHOLAS

NICOLETTA f Italian
Feminine diminutive of NICOLA (1)

NICOLINA f Italian
Feminine diminutive of NICOLA (1)

NICOLÃ’ m Italian
Italian form of NICHOLAS

T.
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mplehning
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Re: Help translating a passport from 1900

Post by mplehning »

Thanks Tessa! I appreciate the help.

Can you (or anyone else) help me with the other parts too?

The first paragraph about 'please the civil and military..."? That must translate better than what google told me.

And the last one about "clearance behind the mayor..."? I KNOW that can't be right!

Can anyone make out what is written on the left side for the eyebrows, eyes, chin, mouth, condition (I think it says 'working'?? whatever that means), hair (I think 'graying straight'??). I figured out her nose was 'regular' and she didn't have a beard...and I think had a scar on her forehead.
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Re: Help translating a passport from 1900

Post by liviomoreno »

The Minister of Foreign Affairs
ask the civil and military authorities of His Majesty [the Italian authorities]
and of the friendly and allied powers [the foreign authorities] to freely let pass

Anna Maria Mastromonaco daughter of the deceased Nicola [Nicola is the deceased father of Anna Maria]
who goes to New York with her daughters Iorio [Iorio is the surname of Anna Maria's husband]
Incoronata aged 15 and Filomena aged 11

This passport issued in Larino
on September 4 1900
with the clearance of the mayor of Morrone
is valid for one year.


Left Part:
Height - 1.5 meters
Hair - sleek, graying
eyebrow - ditto
eyes - brown
nose - regular
mouth - regular
chin - round
beard - none
distinguishing marks - scar on the forehead
Occupation - peasant/farmer
Born in Morrone del Sannio
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mplehning
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Re: Help translating a passport from 1900

Post by mplehning »

Thank you!!
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Re: Help translating a passport from 1900

Post by mplehning »

Actually I am still curious about the mouth. I get that the nose is regular....regulare. But the mouth has a different word there. It looks like 'giusta' to me. Is that another word for 'regular'?
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Re: Help translating a passport from 1900

Post by Tessa78 »

Giusta -

1. right
2. just
3. fair
4. correct
5. proper
6. righteous
7. rightful
8. equitable
9. suitable
10. exact
11. all right
12. straight
13. sound
14. done
15. square

Pretty much "regular" :-)

T.
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Re: Help translating a passport from 1900

Post by mplehning »

Ok, I'll go along with that. I guess it's one of those that's a synonym for 'regular' but literally is different....unlike "regulare".

What are you using for your definitions? Something other than google?
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