Pietro Carswell (Casoli or Casuli) and Francesco Gennaro

[dalhousie]

My GGrandfather was Peter Carswell (his known name in Scotland) also know as Caswell, Casuli, (Casoli - name when he died). In the registered birth of one of his sons Frances Ca(r)swell in 1893,I noticed that Francesco Gennaro was godfather. So when I did a search for the 1891 census that's when a Gennaro from Italy came up on the ship that was docked in Dundee.
Nothing ever comes up for my GG because of the spelling. So I wondered if I could view the names of crews, coming from Italy, in this period with a hope that my GG's name might appear (or something similar)?
Nobody in my family knows where my GG came from in Italy and I just wondered if he was a ship mate of Francesco? Maybe that's why he named one of his sons after him?

Any suggestions would be great

[PeterTimber]

You might wish to try for the names in www.worldvitalrecords.com for names checks which are free and www.findmypast.com also free for name checks but I amnot sure about passenger lists since both are paying websites and can be initiallyhelpful for merry old. =Peter=

[dalhousie]

Thanks Peter, I'll try them although I think I am looking more for ship's crew than passenger. My GG seems to have disappeared for long periods over some time and the option I am looking at, at the moment, is that he might have been a seaman

[PeterTimber]

I went to www.findmypast.com and just put in Francesco Gennaro and seeking out the fewest numbers under that name up came Francesco Gennaro Braintree essex county Scotland which may be helpful to you. =Peter=

[PeterTimber]

I did a quick check of the www findmypast.com for Francesco Gennaro and came up with his town of residence at BAINTREE in Essex which I thought might prove helpful. Always selEct the smallest number when checking that website. =Peter=

[dalhousie]

Ok I'll give it a go...... although Braintree is in Essex which is England not Scotland. Ha Ha.... I know we're not as big over here as you guys in the States but believe me there is a big difference !!! It's like saying New York is in California

[PeterTimber]

I just gave you the address for the name and did not concern myself with the geography. The address I furnished is the only address I checked. There are others as well for you to research if you wish. =Peter=

[dalhousie]

Hi Peter
I'm sorry if that sounded ungrateful, it wasn't meant to....any help I can get is much appreciated
Thanks Again

[PeterTimber]

Dear Dalhousie...not to worry! I don't even know what I ate for breakfast this AM much less English geography! =Peter=

[fothers1]

Hi,

Pietro was my wives G grandfather. he is buried closed to us in Stirling and his grand daughters placed a plaque on his grave as it was unmarked when we located it. he died 1939 aged 99.

I have his death certificate and census data( hes not in it but his wife is + kids) we know nothing of his past and is likely to be have been a sailor apparently from genoa.. he did spend his time in Dundee but came through to stirling at some point to be with with his daughter. One of pietro's sons was james(bapt eugine) and he had 4 daughters of which 3 are still alive and one of them is my wives mother.

I have more details and let me know if interested and I'm sure my wives family are interested in this family link. I have a keen researcher and have many parts of my own family and my wives back to late 1700's.

[Balianjo]

Hi fothers1,

I've only just seen these postings, although I am in contact with dalhousie. Pietro may have been my GG Grandfather. I did get to Stirling & found the plaque you talk of.
I too have come to the conclusion that he was out of the country on census nights but never knew anything about Francesco. I know of Pietro's son James (Eugene)& some of his siblings but any more info would be great.

I have a feeling I may have met you or your wife at family funerals and would be delighted if you contacted me. Can you PM me & I can send you my email address.

Look forward to hearing from you, I have so many questions!!
balianjo

[fothers1]

Hi,
delighted you've seen this and been to the cemetary. What child of Pietro are you related from?
Send me your email address and I'm sure Gail and her family would like to catch up.

[JamLam]

Hello,

I have just found this information and wondered if any of the contributors are still researching and willing to share information please?

I am a GG-grandson of Peter Carswell (possibly Pietro Casoli) and Elizabeth Macnamara, through their daughter Matilda who married my maternal G-grandfather James Kay and in turn through thier daughter Catherine Kay who was my maternal grandmother. My gran was born in Dundee and the family all lived in Dundee for most of the 20th century with many still there and others moved away.

We have family stories about an Italian connection but regrettably those people who knew the facts are passed away and those still with us were very young when they heard about them and so didn't fully comprehend or remember the stories.

Hoping to hear from some of you!

Best wishes,

James Lamb

[arturo.c]

Hello, I'd like to add my two cents to this thread.

The surname "Casoli" or "Casuli" appears to be quite common in the province of Reggio Nell'Emilia, and particularly in the town of Castelnovo di Sotto, which has a sizable immigrant community in the UK.

Unfortunately, Mr. Pietro was born in 1840 during the "Restaurazione", therefore his birth record cannot be found in the "Antenati" web portal. Maybe it could be found in the archives of the Diocese of Reggio Emilia, but I am unaware whether they would accept requests of copies via e-mail. Anyway, their contacts are in their website:
http://www.diocesi.re.it/curia/archivio.

[JamLam]

Thank you for your information.

Using the records available through the National Registers of Scotland https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ I am now convinced that Peter Carswell and Pietro Casoli are in fact the same person.

There remain a number of issues with the evidence which I am trying to resolve. It’s a long post but I want the information there for others to find/review/critique.

On the 1881 Census Peter Carswell is aged 32, born 1859 Italy and is an Ice Cream Maker. He and Elizabeth Carswell (nee Macnamara) born 1869 Glasgow, declare that they are married and have their first two children Helen(Nellie) Carswell b.1886 and John Carswell b.1888. I haven’t found a civil or church record of the marriage in Scotland.

On the 1901 Census, the family is in Dundee, in a district called Lochee where I know my gran grew up and I still have many family connections. My grans mother was Matilda Carswell b.1893 in Lochee and Matilda is on the census with another older brother James Carswell b.1898 Lochee, a younger brother Francis Carswell b.1895 Dundee and a sister Caroline Carswell b.1897 Dundee. All these siblings appear in the Births, Marriages and Deaths records throughout the 20th century and went on to establish our extended family in Dundee. Peter is missing from the 1901 census and Elizabeth is declared as a widow and born in 1869 rather than 1863. I haven’t found any death record for Peter/Pietro around this time.

The 1898 Baptism records at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Lochee show that James is actually baptised Eugene or Eugenia/o and that his father is named as Pietro Casoli and mother Elizabeth Macnamara. The birth is declared as ‘lawful’ in other words that the parents are married. At the end of the Eugene/James’s baptism record is a note written perhaps 25 years later stating the Eugene married an Ann Glancy in 1923. When I check the marriage records it says that Ann Glancy married James Caswell. There are also some spelling errors recorded by the registrar or when the records were transcribed/indexed. Carswell sometimes appears as Caswell. But the dates, locations and all other details check out. So Eugene is James and Pietro Casoli (Peter Carswell) is his father and Elizabeth Macnamara is his mother. Pietro/Peter would seem to be ‘alive’ when Caroline was born in 1897.

There is a voter registration for Peter Carswell in 1901 at the address 28 Balgay St, Dundee and Peter declares his occupation as ice cream vendor. This address appears on a number of family records.

But in 1901 Elizabeth says she is a widow and goes on to marry Edward Carrigan/Corrigan in 1908 and she and Edward have a boy William born in 1904 and who emigrated to the US in 1916. William is recorded as illegitimate but Edward and Elizabeth are both named parents. Her marriage certificate to Edward states she had a previous marriage to Peter Carswell who is deceased.

Elizabeth dies with married name Carrigan in 1939 with her being the widow of Peter Carswell and then Edward Carrigan.

There is a death certificate in Stirling from 1939 for Pietro Casoli stating that he was 99 years at death meaning b.1839, different from 1859 on the 1891 census and that he was a retired stone mason and single I.e. never married.His parents are named as Louisia (Luigia?) Casoli and Joanna Gales.