Immigration with a "Foster Mother"

Over 25 million Italians have emigrated between 1861 and 1960 with a migration boom between 1871 and 1915 when over 13,5 million emigrants left the country for European and overseas destinations.
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Immigration with a "Foster Mother"

Post by VaDeb »

After much searching I have finally found a passenger record for my grandmother and am hoping for help in interpreting terms.

Grandmom (Mary) had been “adoptedâ€
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Post by ptimber »

They did make it to ellis island were off loaded due to some adminsitrative or immigration problem on 7-3-1911 and were later admitted 8 days later from ellis island into masinland USA on board another vessel (didn't you note the dates???) where their names appear. Now why she was foster mother is something that will have to be explored. Go to the www.jewishgen.org/infofiles/manifests for the guide to interpreting passenger list annotations which may resolve this isssue for you. Woman in Italy never lose their identity and so she would retain her maiden name. At time of her entry into the USA any child under 16 unaccompanied by or not coming to one or both parents was a ground for exclusion which I suspect was at least one of the reason they were detained at Ellis Island for the 8 days. Since this obstacle was overcome she must have had some legal authorization from Italy toi claim FOSTER MOTHER title to the child. Peter
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Post by ptimber »

If you go to the home page of this website there is a discussion of adoption which may be helpfulk to you. Peter
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Post by VaDeb »

Hi Peter,

I have been to the web site you recommended and it has been very helpful in interpreting notations on passenger manifests. It is a must for anyone using these records.

This is my interpretation:

Mother and 2 bio children had booked passage on ship to arrive on 7-3-1911. Since the names had a line through them they did not travel on this ship. I thought entries that were crossed out meant passengers did not travel on that vessel.

Mother and 2 bio & 1 "adopted daughter" did arrive on 7-11-1911 on a different ship.

At least I did find when they arrived. Would be interesting to know if they were detained for 8 days at Ellis Island, or due to some unknown reason delayed their journey.

Do you know the method for listing passengers on the manifest? Did they get listed as they boarded, or pay and make a "reservation" to travel. This second method seems what the manifests show. Often find names crossed out, and most of information blank, as if passenger did not travel.

I appreciate your help and thoughts.

Debbie
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Post by ptimber »

When the line was ruled thru their names, it meant that they were not admitted to the USA and they were of loaded at Ellis Island for whatever reason, medical, legal or adminsitrative reasons. I tiold you in your case they were detained for 8 days since they came in on the next available ship when they cleared up their problems...didn't you read what I had written???? In your case it was the foster chiuld who held everybody up I suspect since there was no other reason. When I said the next availablke ship, I meant that while on ellis island the next passenger liner that pulled in they were put on and admitted to the USA on that ship . Peter
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Post by ptimber »

Post Script: Where did you get the idea that if a passengers name was ruled out on the manfiest they naver sailed from Italy??????????????????It means that these people were never admitted to the USA and were most likely deported and/or detained on ellis island or whatever detention facility existed in the ports of arrival. Peter
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Post by VaDeb »

Hi Peter,

I had read the following quite awhile ago. It was on the web site you recommened for interpreting passenger record annotations.

Markings on the Manifest's Left Margin

Often passengers booked to sail on a given ship did not depart. Perhaps they missed the ship, or changed their travel plans, or became ill and health officials prevented them from boarding the ship. Whatever the case, in some instances the change or decision occurred so late there was no time to amend the passenger list. Their names and passenger information remain on lists for ships upon which they never arrived.

To indicate the record is meaningless, steamship company employees would mark the record in one of several ways. The most common was to "line out" the entire record with dark grease pencil or ink. Some of the lines are straight across and can be difficult to differentiate from scratches on the microfilm. Others are deliberately "wavy."

That is why I interpreted the family as not traveling on the first ship, but leaving Italy on the second ship that arrived 8 days after the first ship. Also the foster child, Maria was not on the first ship. She was on the second ship, but not listed with her family, but at the very end of the manifest.

My guess is there was a problem with the family leaving with Maria, thus they could not travel on the first shipl. They rebooked their passage, hoping to obtain whatever they needed to take Maria iwth them. This happened and Maria was added to the manifest at the end, thus explaining why she was not listed with her family.

I do understand why you are saying about the family being detained for 8 days, until the next passeger ship arrived, but Maria was not with them on the first ship.

Debbie
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Post by suanj »

Hi Debbie:
Probably Mary was not really adopted, but associate, that with rights of daughter, but without having the last name of adoptive father, maintaining therefore the last name of bio father. It is an species of adoption much diffusing in Italy. Regards, suanj
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Post by ptimber »

Perhaps I was in error but this is the first time when time between departure and arrival at US was separated by 8 days! which made it seem reasonable that they were detained at Ellis Island instead of Italy. The fact that her name was not on the original manifest escaped me since I believed she may have appeared under her biological fathers surname but I guess not. We alklk learned something this time. Peter
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Post by VaDeb »

Peter and Suanj,

Thanks to both of you for your thoughts and suggestions.

Debbie
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Post by ptimber »

Your a very sweet person. Peter
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Post by suanj »

hi Debbie: I send to you a private message, with a surname Muto Raso's passenger list, but misspelled..please read..I must understand better your question in order to help better from Italy ...

thanks.. :wink: :wink: :wink: suanj
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Post by suanj »

Hi Debbie, moreover my search on Muto Raso surname:
Francesco Muto Raso, as he happened in that age, had two surnames, the first was of the father, Muto.
In the past in order to indicate branch Muto's family in Amantea, joined with elements of other origin' s place, Raso surname,( to the age of institution of identifying registries of Common), written also the surname mother of other birth place.
In fact Raso surname (anciently Rasu originated from the barber trade), sure present in years interested in Brancaleone and Cittanova towns(both in Reggio Calabria province). Probable mother Francesco not been born in Amantea, but married in Amantea. Moreover I continue search Maria's specific argument ...regards, suanj
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Post by VaDeb »

Hi Suanj,:

Thank you for your help and advice. I will keep these things in mind as I continue my search. Hopefully the microfilm birth and marriage records from Amantea will provide some answers. It seems to take 3-4 weeks to get film from my local Family History Center. I will let you know what I find. I appreciate the help and advice you and Peter provide.

Debbie
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Post by suanj »

Hi Debbie: moreover an F.(only initil first name) Muto date of arrival in Usa
1893, age 25 (Francesco born in 1868) coming from San Fili (Cosenza province) image of Passenger's list not available:

http://www.ellisisland.org/search/viewT ... 3189130120
This town is very near Amantea
http://www.kalabrien.biz/provincia_cosenza.html (map)
could be he?
:roll: , suanj
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