Salerno marriage

[jml1991]

Another tough one for me ... this is a marriage record that might be (not sure) for my ancestor, Filippo Salerno, from Prizzi, Sicily, on 12 July 1716.

I think it says that he was a widower and his late wife was Vittoria (or is that his mother?) and he is marrying Vincenza lo Presti (is that correct?), who is a widow of Paolo (or is that her father?) I don't see any other names that I recognize, but aside from the (possible) late spouses, are there any parent names? If not, why wouldn't there be? Isn't it customary to have parents' names on a marriage record? Or are these names omitted when the people are marrying for the second time?

Thank you! This forum has been an amazing help for me!

[erudita74]

This record contains the names of the deceased spouses but not the parents' names. With regard to church records, there is no such thing as what was customary or not. The content of the records was at the discretion of the particular parish priest. The two names on the last two lines were witnesses.
Erudita

[jml1991]

Hi Erudita,

So would it be correct to assume that lo Presti is the surname of Vincenza's deceased spouse, not her maiden name?

Thanks so much!

[erudita74]

I am guessing it is the maiden name and not the name of the former spouse, but really don't know for sure, since I am not familiar with the church records in this town. In the records from my husband's one Sicilian ancestral town, the priest used the woman's maiden name, when there was a remarriage, and not the surname of the former husband. It was totally up to the discretion of the individual priest, so I don't make any assumptions and neither should you.

I did find a marriage record from 1710 of a Philip Salerno and Victoria Sticca (?). It's the last record on the right at the following link. He had never before been married but she was a widow. I think this is yours and she's the deceased Victoria in the record you posted.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903 ... cat=975783

Ok, Sticca is the surname of Victoria's former husband and not her maiden name. I see that info in the index, but need to find that marriage record, as I'm having trouble reading her surname in the index. If she wasn't married before that marriage, then the surname in the index should be her maiden name. The surname was Francaviglia, which was her maiden name, as she hadn't been married before she married Matteo Sticca (record is top left, second link below)

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903 ... cat=975783

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903 ... cat=975783

[jml1991]

Yes! Thank you! You have confirmed what I was just looking at today.

Also, I found a prior marriage for Vincenza to Paolo lo Presti on 20 Jan 1715, and a death record for Paolo, who died just months later on 17 Jul 1715. Vincenza's maiden name on that marriage record was Coniglio. So I think it all fits together now!

Thanks! You've been a huge help!

[erudita74]

You're very welcome. Glad I found the records to answer your question. As I previously stated, there is no set format for Church records, so you have to see where they lead you to get your answers.
Erudita