Foundling Birth Record Handwriting Help

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katpenloan
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Foundling Birth Record Handwriting Help

Post by katpenloan »

Hello! I found a birth record for my great-grandmother (Ida Fusori) and I know enough Italian to translate the first page. But I am having trouble reading the handwriting on the second page. A translation would be great, but even if someone could tell me what it says in Italian, I can figure out the English. I would be so appreciative.

Also: As you can see, the surname is in a different font -- can I assume that it was given to her later? Maybe the last name of her "foster" family? It certainly doesn't fit in any of the typical naming conventions for foundlings, though she supposedly had a "brand" (like for cattle!!) on her heel and I thought maybe they'd named her fusori (as in forno fusori) to address that "burn." :)

Thank you so much for any help you can provide!!!!!! Mille grazie!

Kathy
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Tessa78
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Re: Foundling Birth Record Handwriting Help

Post by Tessa78 »

Basically, the paragraph states that the declarant made such an announcement as witness to the birth of the child who is to be delivered to the abandoned infant home. (Ospizio dell'infanzia Abbandonata)
The official read the record to the participants and only the witnesses signed with him.

As to her name - the Large Italics are used in some towns to make it easier to see the name in the record.

As an abandoned infant, she would have been given her names by the official. The surname was a "fantasy" name that was usually not recognizable as a local surname. The surnames Esposito, Trovatello, Trovato, Proietti, were also common, but had the consequence of identifying the child as abandoned.

T.
katpenloan
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Re: Foundling Birth Record Handwriting Help

Post by katpenloan »

Thank you so much! I had hoped that it said something about her condition at birth (especially to confirm or clarify her story about having a "brand" on her heel) or something, but that's helpful. As is the information that the surname was definitely given to her at the time her birth was recorded (and not later). That will stop me from my so-far-fruitless search for other Fusoris to find her "foster" family.

Thank you SO much!
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Tessa78
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Re: Foundling Birth Record Handwriting Help

Post by Tessa78 »

Would you post the entire record, or a link to it?

T.
katpenloan
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Re: Foundling Birth Record Handwriting Help

Post by katpenloan »

Sure - here's the link and I've attached the whole record.

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VBRL-4HF

She was brought in by a midwife, and the address listed as her birth place doesn't seem to exist (anymore, though I'm not sure where it would have been because the street ends and the buildings pre-date her). Makes me wonder if midwives ever made up addresses as an additional way to keep the mother anonymous.
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Tessa78
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Re: Foundling Birth Record Handwriting Help

Post by Tessa78 »

Thank you for posting the link.

Corso Palestro exists today, but in a metropolitan city like Turin I'm sure there have been many changes since 1879.

As to the veracity of the midwife... a mystery.

No mention in the record of marks, items left with the child, etc . as you could see.

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katpenloan
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Re: Foundling Birth Record Handwriting Help

Post by katpenloan »

Yes, I "walked" down Corso Palestro on google maps - today it only goes up to #15 and then ends because it hits (is perpendicular/a "T" intersection) into the MASSIVE barracks, which was built before she was born. So, if there ever was a #45, who knows where it would have existed. I had hoped to find the actual building to see if I could learn about its history (just curious whether that was a midwife home, a home for unwed mothers, or ??). Since we obviously aren't going to find out who her parents were, I am trying to find out every last little detail that I can about her birth/life in Italy before emigrating. :) There are some other documents from the Turin orphanage that are somewhere in my mother's records, so I guess I will just have to pursue that history instead.

Thank you again!
paola52
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Re: Foundling Birth Record Handwriting Help

Post by paola52 »

Hi
The area of Corso Palestro was heavily bombed during WWII and then rebuilt, what you see today is very different from Ida's times. It is an area in the hearth of the city, with the mix of popular housing and official buildings that is typical of Turin.
The Museo of Torino has a lot of documents, including old photos, maybe they can help you
https://www.museotorino.it/site
Ciao
Paola
Researching Provinces of Varese, Como and Milan and the valleys around Turin
katpenloan
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Re: Foundling Birth Record Handwriting Help

Post by katpenloan »

Thank you!!!! That is very interesting (though sad). I didn't realize the buildings were that "new."

I will definitely check out the Museo -- thank you so much!

Ciao,
Kathy
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