One very important question..

[uther]

This is very important.

Would it be customary at the turn of the century 1800-1900 for an italian woman, when asked to give or list HER maiden name, give HER mother's name instead of her father's name? This would concern marriage documents, birth documents or any official document. This concerns turn of the century. Please, explain your findings or answers. It is very much appreciated.

[JamesBianco]

It is not typical, I have not seen it happen (apart from a transcription error due to the informant not understanding the information desired) unless the parents were not legally married. In this case it is certainly possible for a woman to list her mother's maiden name as her own, even though she may have known the identity of her father and at other times (while living outside of Italy) claimed his surname as her own.

Can you give us more detail?

Thanks

Jim

[uther]

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[uther]

This is some personal recollection from my mom about Theda Bianchi's siblings. Excerpts from an email.

Hi Chris: Mom having a brother named Anthony is news to me. As far as I know, her brothers were Joseph, John, and Peter and her sister was Lucy. I remember a Aunt Amelia being talked about, but I don't remember seeing her at all. As far as mom's mother, I know that she wasn't born in the US because she didn't speak any english. She didn't even go to any of the shops to buy anything, even the kids shoes, because she couldn't speak english.

If it helps, mom's dad owned the house where the family lived in New Haven, CT at 43 Ward Street.