Crosco/Croselli Family ancestry

[lharkins]

Hello. I've been researching my family history for several months now, but after going back in the Crosco family for several generations, I'm stuck. Phillip Crosco (born 1860 Italy) is the earliest member of the family I can find. Older members of my family told me that the original name was Croselli, but upon arrival to the US, Phillip did not know how to spell his name, so it somehow became Crosco. Census records show that Phillip lived in Preston Co, WV and Addison, Somerset, PA and arrived in the US in 1880 or 1883. I found a passenger list departure from Le Havre, France to the US with the name "Croselli" who has a birth year of 1860 in Italy, but I cannot find any other information.

If anyone has any information on the Crosco/Croselli family (including parents or siblings of Phillip) or could tell me where I might look for another clue, I would be most appreciative!
Thank you!

[vj]

Welcome to the Forum!

Here's a clue on daughter Lizzie May Crosco's Birth Certificate?
from the WVa Archives
http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_select.aspx

Valarie
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1896 Birth Certificate
http://imageshack.us/a/img716/508/02169.jpg

Lizzie May Crosco
Corinth, Preston County, WVa
15 Aug 1896

father:
Phillip Crosco
PO Corinth WV
37 yrs (abt 1859)
born in Cusenza (Cosenza comune or province, Calabria region)
Coal Miner

mother:
Martha Record
PO Cirinth WV
31 yrs (abt 1865)
born in Albrightsville, WVa (in Carbon County, PA?
House-wife
5 children born, 2 children died
---

edit: added

just for reference,
from FamilySearch
https://www.familysearch.org/

son Raleigh's 1923 marriage record states his mother was born in Lemont, PA (Centre County)
http://imageshack.us/a/img440/3042/1923ym.jpg
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edit: added

Finding a marriage record may help with the original surname...

In 1880 Martha (Mattie) Reccord is living in Preston County, WVa
Married abt 1886(?) probably in Preston County, WVa (date from 1910 census)
Son Tony Crosco born in Cumberland, Allegany, MD abt 1890-1891

probable 1880 census
http://imageshack.us/a/img222/9928/1880y.jpg
Home in 1880: Portland, Preston, West Virginia
Lyda A. Reccord 37 Jessee A. Reccord 22 Martha P. Reccord 13 Bessie V. Reccord 5

[erudita74]

It's possible the surname Crosco was originally Crusco, as this surname is found in the Cosenza archives. You have to establish a free acct with a username and password.

http://poster.beniculturali.it/poster/action.do

Great find, Valerie.

Erudita

[vj]

Thanks Erudita!
That's a great suggestion
Valarie

[erudita74]

By the way, Philip also lived in Maryland at some point, as the son Tony's WVa marriage record shows that he was born in Cumberland, MD. You can view the actual record, with this info, at www.familysearch.org under the title
West Virginia, Marriages, 1853-1970," Tony Crosco, 1913.

groom: Tony Crosco
groom's age: 22 years
groom's estimated birth year: 1891
groom's birth date:
groom's birthplace:
bride: Eltella G. Knox
bride's age: 21 years
bride's estimated birth year: 1892
bride's birth date:
bride's birthplace:
marriage type: Marriage
marriage date: 12 Nov 1913
marriage place: Mineral, West Virginia
groom's father: Philip Crosco
groom's mother: Mattie
bride's father: Hess Knox
bride's mother: Hannah
groom's marital status:
groom's previous wife:
bride's marital status:
bride's previous husband:
film number: 817231
digital folder number: 4012239
image number: 202
reference number: v 3 p 308
source: County Records

[lharkins]

Oh my goodness! That's him! Thank you so much, Valerie!!! And Erudita, thank you for the information you posted, as well. Tony is actually my GGgrandfather, so I have a decent amount of information on him. I've been looking for marriage records for Phillip and Mattie (Martha), but can't find anything. I looked on WV websites, Family Search, and also PA Historical and Museum Commission Records of Marriages from 1885-1889 (I looked through all 29 pages) and have found nothing.

I don't know about Phillip, but I know that Tony lived in Corinth,WV for a while and died in Maryland - he is buried in Garrett Co, MD.

Any thoughts on where I should go from here, since I'm not sure about Phillip's last name prior to becoming Crosco?

PS, I also found an obituary for Martha on archives.com - she died in Somerset, PA at age 89 (obit. was published in Connellsville, PA July 15, 1954.

Thank you again!
Lacy

[erudita74]

Lacy
Do you have the marriage info for the son Raleigh and the daughter Annie? I just came across those.
Erudita

[lharkins]

Erudita,
I have Raleigh's, but not Annie's. Where did you find hers?
Thanks!
Lacy

[erudita74]

It's on familysearch


"Pennsylvania, County Marriages, 1885 - 1950," Martha Recora in entry for Cateatini Pierini and Annie Crosco, 1917

name: Cateatini Pierini
titles & terms:
event: Marriage
event date: 18 Apr 1917
event place: Somerset, Pennsylvania, United States
age:
estimated birth year:
father: Loui Pierini
father's titles & terms:
mother: Mary
mother's titles & terms:
spouse: Annie Crosco
spouse's titles & terms:
spouse's age: 17
spouse's estimated birth year: 1900
spouse's father: Philip Crosco
spouse's father's titles & terms:
spouse's mother: Martha Recora
spouse's mother's titles & terms:
reference number: 426
film number: 558943
digital folder number: 004265565
image number: 00228

[lharkins]

Thank you very much!

Do you have any other thoughts on where I could find immigration records since I'm not entirely sure his surname was Crosco? I'm just dying to find out information on his parents, but I have to break into the Italian records to do that and this last name has really got me stuck.

[erudita74]

Did the census records show that he was naturalized? I haven't looked at any of those, but naturalization papers may give a clue as to the correct spelling of the surname. The only suggestion I have at the moment is the one I gave you previously whic was that the surname was Crusco, which is found in Cosenza. Also his first name in Italian may even have been Felice, and not Filippo, as even men with the first name Felice became Philip in the U.S.

[lharkins]

The census records just say that he arrived in the US in 1880 and/or 1883 and lists "N/A" for naturalization. I assume that means that he was not actually a naturalized US citizen. Would you agree or perhaps they just didn't have/know the information.

[erudita74]

Tomorrow I will look at some of the census records.

By the way, I was just looking at a groom's index for marriages in the Pa state archives from 1885 to 1891, but there was nothing there, but I may not have been in the right time frame for his marriage to Martha Record. I haven't studied the census records and when their first child was born.

[lharkins]

No, I think that is the right time frame. I need to check my sources, but I have in my notes that according to a census record, the were married in 1888. Their first child was Tony George, born in 1890.

[erudita74]

Lacey
I just went through the Pa archives bride's indices, and there was no one with the last name Record, or anything even close to it. So, even if we are in the correct time frame, we can eliminate that area. Not sure what to try next.
Erudita