Requesting Translation for Birth Record Surname: Orientale

[TriciaFierro]

Hello! Is someone able to translate this birth record of Stella Oreientale for me? I appreciate it! Thank you!
- Tricia

[TriciaFierro]

If that link doesn't work this one should:
http://img25.imageshack.us/i/stellaorie ... threc.jpg/

Thank you!
- Tricia

[Tessa78]

The link worked, but the image, even when enlarged is too small to read.

Can you scan just the record for Stella?

T.

[TriciaFierro]

Hi Tessa!
Would you believe my scanner just broke yesterday? Well, actually I think I broke it while trying to clear a paper jam, but that's not the point..it's not working...lol!
Let's try it this way. Let me know if you can open it from here:
http://search.ancestry.com/iexec/?htx=V ... pid=734794

If Ancestry.com won't allow you to view from there then I can try another way. thank you!

[maestra36]

Tricia
I was able to read some of the record in the wee hours of the morning. I will be out most of today, and have to leave soon, but this is as far as I got with the record:

Dated Jan 2, 1875 at 10 A.M. in the Town of Roccanova, district of Lagonegro, Province of Basilicata appeared Anna Rosa Costantino, age 60, daughter of deceased Nicola, age 42, a spinner living in Roccanova. She reported that the abandoned baby was female, of the apparent age of 4 days,and found near various items which were left with her. There is a list of those items, but that's as far as I got. (anytime an infant was abandoned, a list of all items found with the child were recorded in the town hall in case the parents ever returned to claim it. There was no DNA in those days to prove whose child it was).

I'll do more of the record when I can, if someone doesn't do it first. Have to run for now.

Peg

[Tessa78]

Hi Tricia,

The link to Ancestry didn't work, but it looks like Peg has this one...

T.

[TriciaFierro]

Wow Peg, thank you! this is SO interesting and I am eager to see what else the record says. Most importantly, how did she get the surname of Orientale? I am shocked that there is even a birth record in 1875 for a baby that was abandoned! that is amazing! This gets more and more intriguing and I can't thank you all enough for your support and assistance. I am so lucky to have found you!

Thanks Tessa. I will figure out the easiest way to post documents eventually. The files when saved to my computer are too large to upload so I can't attach them directly. I thought Image Shack would be a good try but as you know it was too small. LOL!
- Tricia

[liviomoreno]

The name Stella and the surname Orientale were decided by the mayor of Roccanova, Felice Fortunato.

[TriciaFierro]

Really, Livio? Was that customary for abandoned children? Thank you!
- Tricia

[liviomoreno]

Yes, the name to abandoned children was given by the mayor or his substitute. "Orientale" is very peculiar and unusual, if we look at the full name, Stella Orientale, it means "eastern star"...

[TriciaFierro]

Wow, Livio that is so interesting! Thank you so much for that translation of her name! I only have two surviving grandchildren of Stella's still living where she once lived in the states and it's not far from me so I will be visiting them in few weeks. I am curious to know if any of Stella's children even knew her history. I can assure you that they don't know all of the info I have to share with them thanks to all of you here on this message board. I have a thread on the Italian Genealogy board about the Maimone family and Prospero and Stella's marriage record is posted there (it was before I noticed this translation forum). It does note that Stella's parents were unknown. Does the birth record speak at all about whom raised her? A family or an orphange possibly?

All of these bits and pieces of the details help complete the picture and I so appreciate it! Thank you!
- Tricia

[TriciaFierro]

Here is the marriage record of Prospero Maimone and Stella Orientale that I posted in the other forum before I noticed this translation forum.

Is someone able to translate this for me please? Thank you!

http://o.mfcreative.com/f1/file00/objec ... 423b-0.jpg

- Tricia

[liviomoreno]

The birth act states that Stella was given to Fortunata Miraglia, aged 30, daughter of the late Esposito

http://o.mfcreative.com/f1/file00/objec ... 423b-0.jpg

Date November 26 1893 at 11:00am in the town hall of Roccanova
Mayor Matteo Fortunato
Groom Prospero Maimone 24, peasant born and living in Roccanova son of Antonino and Maria Rosa Le Vigne
Bride Stella Orientale 18 peasant born and living in Roccanova parents unknown
Witnesses Federico D'Arretta, 27, musician and Vincenzo Mancino 23, shoe maker.

[maestra36]

I only have a few minutes, as I am on my way out again-

here's more of the birth record translation. Livio, the father of Fortunata Miraglia, was the late Cristoforo. His name wasn't Esposito.

Found near the baby was a white patched cotton cloth, an old diaper, and a cloth or canvas bag. Anna Rosa Costantino found the baby this past night at 11 on via Vico (Primo or Priano???) San Rocco, which was near her own house, which had the distinction of being number 13. She found the baby near the objects described above. The town official imposed the name Stella and the surname Orientale to the baby, and the objects that were found with her were disposed in this office of the civil state.

Then a wetnurse by the name of Fortunata Miraglia presented herself to the town official. She was the daughter of deceased Cristoforo and was a 30 year old peasant farmer living in Roccanova. The town official, through his authority, gave custody of the infant to her, permitting her to raise the child.

Witnesses were Eduardo Marotta, the son of deceased Carlo, age 53, and Vincenzo Robilotta, the son of deceased Giuseppe, age 65. Both were landowners living here.

The town official then gave a reading to all who had intervened. The wetnurse did not known how to write and did not sign. The document was signed by the two witnesses.

For your info-abandoned children were given to balie or wetnurses to raise, as there was no pasteurization of milk at that time and infants had to be breastfed. The wetnurse had to be a lactating woman, so it is possible that she had recently lost her own infant or had young children herself who were still being brreastfed. Women who were wetnurses in their own homes received a stipend from their towns. Poor women who were peasants often did this to supplement family income. Unfortunately, by so doing, they ran the risk of infecting themselves with Sphyllis (if the infant given had it but which would not manifest itself for at least a month), and infecting their husbands and other children.

Amalia's Tale by Prof David I Kertzer. Both T and I have read it. Heart wrenching story.

Have to go.

Peg

Peg

[TriciaFierro]

Peg, This information is so incredible! I had no idea about the wetnurses but I will definitely pick up that book. Is is available in most bookstores or must it be ordered?

Would you happen to know if it's worth my time to try to locate Fortunata's death record and see if Stella was mentioned? Or didn't the wetnurses that raised these babies consider them family so they weren't recognized as such. I found it odd that Fortunata wasn't mentioned in the Marriage Record if she did in fact raise Stella rather then to note that her parents were unknown.

Is it possible that Stella contracted Sphyllis and passed it on to any of her children, but that her children didn't have any problems, however her grandchild did? The reason I ask and why this is so incredible to me is because family folklore has it that my great-grandmother, Stella's first born, caught Sphyllis from her husband and passed it on to her son. He was crippled having one leg shorter than the other and needing special shoes and braces the rest of his life. This would have been Stella's daughter's son. I know nothing about the disease and how it manifests from one person to the next.

My family, as well as I, so appreciate your helping with this translation. I cannot wait to share it with her two granddaughtres and see if they knew anything about Stella's past. My father remembers being with her often and that everyone treated her as a queen. She wore long white dressings and had large gold hoop earrings. She and Prospero had 8 children and one of them, my great-grandmother, lived to 93. I believe all but one child, the one that was crippled, lived quite long lives. Still working on their exact birth and death dates at this time.

Thank you so much for helping with our family puzzle!

- Tricia