Customs House Ship Manifest

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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Customs House Ship Manifest

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This is customs house ship manifest of ship arriving from Antwerp, 1894, with possibly my grandfather, the top line, Luigi Balsama (Balsamo prob misspelled). He was a tailor. The age also is close.

I have been looking a long time for a manifest which matches him as much as possible, and I haven't had any success. I would like to know if there is a unique way to go about confirming this is him. The early manifests, especially customs house ones have very little detail, such as where the person is going, and where they came from.

The only information I have on him regarding his timeline in NYC, was he married in Manhattan in 1900. Then about 1902 he moved to Canada (Montreal). After exhaustive research of the 1900 US Census for NYC he does not appear because his building was missed. He does not appear on the 1890, nor the 1892 census's either.

I also cannot find any record of naturalization or citizenship after a lot of research, including all the indexes for all courts in all counties, federal and state, county.

I do know his brother, Federico, arrived in 1893, and naturalized in 1898, in Westchester County.

(Generally he used the name Luigi, or Louis once he arrived in America, but his birth name in Italy is Vincenzo. I also did some research under the Vincenzo name, and did not have any good results.)

I'm confused by the citizenship column which says he is citizen of US, which i would highly doubt, especially in 1894. There are very few Balsamo's immigrating in that period, and even fewer tailors, named Luigi, however I'm not convinced it's him. I did find several Luigi Balsamo's on the after 1900 US Census's, who claim they immigrated between 1890 and 1900, but none of their other data fits. These immigrants from the census I checked, generally didn't appear on the ship manifests.

Any tips to go about confirming it's him is appreciated.
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LuigiBalsamoArrivalNY1894(p2)(Unsure).jpg
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Re: Customs House Ship Manifest

Post by Tessa78 »

May I ask why you are not searching for Vincenzo Balsamo - his birth name?
The manifests were written from official passports or travel papers which would have had his "real" name...

You say Luigi married in NYC in 1900 - was that to Maggie O'Connell?
O'Connell Maggie Jan 7 1900 #910 Manhattan
Balsamo Luigi Jan 7 1900 #910 Manhattan

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Re: Customs House Ship Manifest

Post by stfrancis »

Hello Tessa, thank you

You are probably correct, regarding the first name. I still have to do the same exercise again with Vincenzo, but a fairly solid previous efforts didn't result in anything. The reason I concentrated on the other name, is because his NYC marriage certificate and all his official government documentation in Canada use the name Louis (Luigi)...but I do understand your comment and it makes a lot of sense :wink:

He married Lilly Florio. It might be under BalZamo. I think I have the index in another thread. They lived on Broome St. I have no other US documentation for him. I also had the US NARA and USCIS do searches, under both names.
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Re: Customs House Ship Manifest

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stfrancis wrote: 03 Apr 2018, 03:19 Hello Tessa, thank you

You are probably correct, regarding the first name. I still have to do the same exercise again with Vincenzo, but a fairly solid previous efforts didn't result in anything. The reason I concentrated on the other name, is because his NYC marriage certificate and all his official government documentation in Canada use the name Louis (Luigi)...but I do understand your comment and it makes a lot of sense :wink:

He married Lilly Florio. I think I have the index in another thread. They lived on Broome St. I have no other US documentation for him. I also had the US NARA and USCIS do searches, under both names.
Found it!
In the NYC marriage index his name is spelled with a "z"
Balzamo Louis Apr 26 1900 7829 Manhattan

BTW - can you tell me his approx. year of birth - and his town?

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Re: Customs House Ship Manifest

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Yes, the Z is VERY rare, its a mistake.

The Italian birth, its with S, BalSamo. There are none with a Z in birth index. Born in Afragola, near Naples, 1870. Father is Pasquale. Mother is Celestina Moccia.

I also verified his brother, Federico, and his sister Rose, who cam over around 1892, with some relatives, and he does not appear on their ships.

My initial reasoning was he would have arrived in US close to marriage, then came up to Canada (Montreal) soon after marriage. No naturalization, and no other trace in NYC. He married Lilly, who was 2nd generation born in NYC (1880).
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Re: Customs House Ship Manifest

Post by Tessa78 »

Thank you for the additional information...

Yes, Balzamo is rare, but it IS found in small numbers in Afragola.

Will see what we can find.

EDIT TO ADD


I know you mentioned that his brother Federico was naturalized in Westchester County in 1898 - could that have been first papers? AND... could this be Federico and wife (Rosina) and son (Pasquale) in the 1900 US Census residing in Bronx, NY? His arrival is listed as 1893. His birth date is given as March 1857. He is a blacksmith.
The address is in the northern part of the Bronx, not too far from Westchester.
NOTE: The surname is spelled with a "z" :-)
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/76 ... PUBJs=true



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Re: Customs House Ship Manifest

Post by stfrancis »

I thank you.


Preliminary check in Family Search ship list, gives 7 Vincenzo's none match. Using S spelling :wink:

More work to do....
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Re: Customs House Ship Manifest

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Correct Tessa,

I dont have access to Ancestry right now, but YES that is the brother. He arrived in 1893, first papers in 1895, certificate in 1898. On the actual nat docs it is spelled BALSANO.
On most documents here in Canada, surname appears as Balsamo, some Balzamo, plus numerous other spelling ! (Afragola birth is BALSAMO).

I have done quite systematic verification in Ancestry, Ellis Island, Castle Garden, FindMY Past, and FamilySearch for ship list using various most common spellings on given name and surnames, for Luigi, and Vincenzo. I find about a dozen or fewer for each in the time period interested (say 1890 to 1900). I find no other who are TAILORS.

I then did a similar exercise on US Fed & NY Census, for NY, between 1890 and 1930, to track the same immigrants as above or others with similar names, who claim they immigrated before 1901. I find about a dozen or fewer.

SO far, I find only ONE other person with those possible names, and who is also a TAILOR. He is a Louis Balsamo on the 1910, and 1920 Census's, wife is Carmella. He claims he immigrated around 1900. Born ca 1872. He seems to disappear after.

I do NOT find this particular Tailor on the ship lists around 1900. I don't believe this is the same Tailor I found, (Luigi Balsama), on the 1894 ship list I posted, but it's difficult to rule him out based on the criteria we have.
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Re: Customs House Ship Manifest

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I was thinking is there anyway of surrounding when Louis would have left Italy, based on any Italian information or Italian archived documents.

He was born in Afragola, and I assume he lived there when he left to come to NYC. I believe he had a brother, Giuseppe, who remained in Afragola, and Im working to trace that family (his children).

Would any Military documents help me determine the family situation around 1890's ? I assume Emigration documents in Italy do not exist ?
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Re: Customs House Ship Manifest

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I have been searching for a birth act for Vincenzo/Louis in 1870, in Afragola, but without success. Do you have a copy of his birth?

According to the US Census for Federico his birth is stated as March 1857, and you mention another brother Giuseppe. Do you know if he was older or younger than Vincenzo/Louis?

I do not know how Military documents would help. They contain the same information that you would find in the birth act UNLESS he served in the military. Someone else here at the forum might speak to that.

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Re: Customs House Ship Manifest

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Vincenzo birth (no. 466). Searching births for this name is difficult because there is no image of dedicated multi-year group index for the letter "B".

His father died in 1872 in Italy. His mother Celestina immigrated in 1905.

His brother Giuseppe was born in 1863. He married Giovanna Moccia, and they had at least 3 children. None of this group seems to have come to NYC (but I have more work to check...). He also had a sister, born 1860, Rosa who immigrated in 1892. So Vincenzo (Louis) is the youngest. There are 2 more siblings who are born later and immigrated but they are from a different father...
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Re: Customs House Ship Manifest

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Thank you for posting the birth act.
I think you should look for his arrival under the Vincenzo given name. Many immigrants adopted other names/Americanized names after arriving for a variety of reasons.
The only information I have on him regarding his timeline in NYC, was he married in Manhattan in 1900. Then about 1902 he moved to Canada (Montreal). After exhaustive research of the 1900 US Census for NYC he does not appear because his building was missed. He does not appear on the 1890, nor the 1892 census's either.
Are you basing this on the address you found on his marriage document from NYC?
Can you provide the address? - I will also look for it in the Census... Many times the missed addresses/people are included at the end of a section, or in an addendum page.

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Re: Customs House Ship Manifest

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I do not know if you have this US Passport for Pasquale Balsamo (born NYC), son of Federico Balsamo (born Afragola - arriving 1893/4)
There is much information about Federico and his family traveling and residing several times in Casoria during the period 1912 through 1924.
Also includes photo of Pasquale Balsamo, and a reference to an Uncle Raffaele Balsamo

Page 1
https://s31.postimg.cc/7onc7z1bf/Balsam ... ssport.jpg
Page 2 and 3
https://s31.postimg.cc/7r77ur7iz/Balsam ... _and_3.jpg
Page 4 and 5
https://s31.postimg.cc/5mmutqqhn/Balsam ... _and_5.jpg
Page 6 and 7
https://s31.postimg.cc/fjxvmug3v/Balsam ... _and_7.jpg

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Re: Customs House Ship Manifest

Post by stfrancis »

Yes, I have it, thank you anyway. Pasquale is the only child of Federico. Federico moved back to Italy and died there. Raffaele is Louis & Federico's half- brother (from different fathers).

Re. the address: the April 1900, marriage of Louis shows 388, Broome St. His son, Michael, was baptized in 1902, and shows 329, Broome St.

Louis's wife, Lilly Florio, is showing at 46 Mulberry St on the marriage. Lilly's name does not appear either, at the Mulberry address.

The indexing is horrible, many names are illegible. I used Stephen Morse "ED finder", and searched for all the above addresses, and especially Broome street for the ED's (Electoral Districts). I went through the whole lot of pages for the ED. I believe I have the buildings on either side, but not his. I think I had also checked the cross street because it is a corner building :shock:. I may have missed some detail, so you are welcome to try :idea:

I think the Census was done in the summer, so there is also a very small possibility he may have moved to another location between the time of the marriage and the baptism. In this case it would be a matter of finding how the name was indexed differently...

I checked the NY 1905 Census also, for the same addresses, and their names do not appear at the locations.

Also, I checked the Manhattan directories from early years and after, he does not appear, BUT I think the witness from the marriage appears at the 388, Broome address in the 1899 to 1901 directories. His name was Satollaro in the marriage document, and Scotellaro in the directories. He owned a dry goods store in the building.

The other witness at the marriage, looks like Maria Cava, and she matches with Lilly's 46, Mulberry address, on the 1900 Census.

So it looks like have both witnesses at the right addresses.
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Re: Customs House Ship Manifest

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I verified the corner building in the 1900 Census again, using 388 Broome/178 Mulberry. The pages seem continuous and the building doesnt appear.

According to this Google search, the current building was built in 1900, the same year as the Census, so maybe thats what the problem is. The addresses appear in the Manhattan directories for 1899, and after.
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388Broome Build 1900.PNG
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