Pons/ Bonz surname in Malta and Figliolante

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rachelselway
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Pons/ Bonz surname in Malta and Figliolante

Post by rachelselway »

Hi,
I am new to this board so please bear with me.
I have been researching my Maltese family for the past few years but am stuck on one of my direct lines which is Pons.
My great grandmother was Rosa Maria Pons and I have been able to go back 3 generations in Malta, although I cannot find the baptism of any of their children, only the marriages on the direct lines, back to William Pons or Bonz marriage to Maria Azzopardi on 12 Feb 1820 in Valletta.
The marriage record says William's residence was Valletta, but states his parents as a William Bonz and Antonia Figliolante, and of course I can find no record of a baptism for him.
His mother's name sounds Italian, and I was thinking Pons was either Spanish or French, I do not know. I know that my great grandfather Pons was in the military, I don't know if the military connection goes back this far.
Would anyone know how I would find perhaps a passenger or immigration/naturalization record and whether you think this family may be Italian?

Any help would be so appreciated, I can't figure out where they would have come from, but I know Pons is not Maltese as this family are the only Pons that I have found iN Malta.

All the best
Rachel Selway, nee Gatt
paola52
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Re: Pons/ Bonz surname in Malta and Figliolante

Post by paola52 »

Hi Rachel, and welcome!
If the original spelling was Pons, it points to Northern Italy, namely to the alpine valleys west of Turin.
http://www.cognomix.it/mappe-dei-cognom ... NTE/TORINO
It could very possibly be a Waldensian surname.
Maybe this can help you
ttps://familysearch.org/search/collection/results?count=20&query=%2Bsurname%3Apons~&collection_id=1861053
Good luck with your research!
Paola :D
Researching Provinces of Varese, Como and Milan and the valleys around Turin
paola52
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Re: Pons/ Bonz surname in Malta and Figliolante

Post by paola52 »

Sorry the above link doesn't work
This is the right one
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1861053
Ciao
Paola
Researching Provinces of Varese, Como and Milan and the valleys around Turin
rachelselway
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Re: Pons/ Bonz surname in Malta and Figliolante

Post by rachelselway »

Thanks Paola,

I'll try the links you sent.
On the Maltese registers, the later family were recorded as Bonz, I don't know whether that is just because there was no standardized spelling.
I had a quick look on family search - I know they have been working on the Italian records for a while, it looks like most of it is post 1800 though and the marriage I am looking for would probably be 1795.
Any other websites that I should be looking at?
Are there any of the marriage registers online at all? I know that would be like looking for a needle in a haystack - would there be immigration records, passenger records or anything?

Thank you so much.
Rachel
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Re: Pons/ Bonz surname in Malta and Figliolante

Post by paola52 »

Hi Rachel
For XVIII century records you must use church registers, but to do this you must have an idea of the parish where your ancestor was born/married
People usually married in the parish of the bride, so you ought to follow the Figliolante clue, but unluckily Figliolante is a surname that sounds Italian, but doesn't exist in to-day Italy, at least according to the White Pages.
Are you sure that William Pons/Bonz was actually Italian? Was it customary in 1820 Malta to anglicize the names of foreigner residents?
Ciao
Paola
Researching Provinces of Varese, Como and Milan and the valleys around Turin
Victor Zammit
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Re: Pons/ Bonz surname in Malta and Figliolante

Post by Victor Zammit »

Hi Rachel,

I found your post from Feb 2015. The names you mention also feature in my family tree, 6/7 generations back.

I am also curious about their origin and have been able to find very little infomation. My theory is that W Bonz and A Figliolante originate from the Balearic Islands in Spain, specifically Minorca, but till now I have found no way to confirm this.

I would be happy to discuss and share information, if you are interested.

Regards,

Victor
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Re: Pons/ Bonz surname in Malta and Figliolante

Post by suanj »

rachelselway wrote: 04 Feb 2015, 07:48 Hi,
I am new to this board so please bear with me.
I have been researching my Maltese family for the past few years but am stuck on one of my direct lines which is Pons.
My great grandmother was Rosa Maria Pons and I have been able to go back 3 generations in Malta, although I cannot find the baptism of any of their children, only the marriages on the direct lines, back to William Pons or Bonz marriage to Maria Azzopardi on 12 Feb 1820 in Valletta.
The marriage record says William's residence was Valletta, but states his parents as a William Bonz and Antonia Figliolante, and of course I can find no record of a baptism for him.
His mother's name sounds Italian, and I was thinking Pons was either Spanish or French, I do not know. I know that my great grandfather Pons was in the military, I don't know if the military connection goes back this far.
Would anyone know how I would find perhaps a passenger or immigration/naturalization record and whether you think this family may be Italian?

Any help would be so appreciated, I can't figure out where they would have come from, but I know Pons is not Maltese as this family are the only Pons that I have found iN Malta.

All the best
Rachel Selway, nee Gatt
William (Guglielmo) coming from, by marriage record, from Magonis (de Magonis=of Magonis). Magonis was the name of Portus Magonis of Menorca Island, currently the town is called Mahón. The William/Guglielmo father was also William/Guglielmo sr and the mother Antonia Figliolanta or Figliolando... So needs to search in Menorca...
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