Domina? Trubia? A Cognome Mystery in Petralia Soprana

[sgb10]

I am assisting a friend with her genealogy, and I would be incredibly grateful for any help with this confusing situation. She is a descendant of Giuseppe Mirabella, who died in Villarossa (Enna) in 1918. I located his death record (link 1). He was born in Petralia Soprana (PA). His father is listed as Girolamo Mirabella (deceased). His mother is listed as Leonarda Trubia (deceased). I was then able to locate his 1836 birth record in Petralia Soprana (link 2). His father is Girolamo Mirabella. His mother is listed as Leonarda Domina Trubia. Girolamo’s 1854 Petralia Soprana death record lists him as the widower of Leonarda Domina (link 3). I was unable to locate a death record for a Leonarda Trubia in Petralia Soprana between 1836-1854, but I was able to locate one for Leonarda Domina in 1850 (link 4), and this lists her as the wife of Girolamo Mirabella. This death record also lists her parents as Giovanni Domina and Carmela La Placa. I was able to find Petralia Soprana death records for Carmela La Placa in 1826 (link 5) and Giovanni Domina (link 6). Giovanni Domina’s parents are listed as unknown. I have found additional records for births, deaths, and a marriage of various children of Leonarda and Girolamo (too many to link unless you think could will be helpful). I did not see the Trubia name listed on any of these records. I found the death record of Leonarda’s brother Carmelo in 1822, (link 7) but it also only says Domina, with no mention of Trubia.

This leaves me with a few questions. I am now assuming that Leonarda’s correct cognomen is Domina. So how does the Trubia name become associated with Leonarda’s name? What does this mean?

Leonarda’s father’s death record (link 6) lists his parents as “Ignoti.” He died in the hospital, not at home, so I am uncertain whether he was a foundling or whether the people working at the hospital just didn’t know the names of his parents and said “Unknown.” I would love your thoughts about this. But if he was a foundling, it is possible that the Trubia name has something to do with that? However, why would the Trubia name not appear on her father Giovanni’s death record (or most of the records associated with the family)?

Leonarda married Girolamo Mirabella sometime prior to civil registration, so I have been unable to locate a marriage record, but she couldn’t have married much before civil registration (she has a child in 1821 named Santo, after Girolamo’s father in 1821, giving her age as 20 years – link 8 ), and I have not found any records of them naming a child Giovanni after her father – this also seems strange.

Help! I am so confused! I would love any thoughts, insights, ideas, conjectures, or wild speculations about any of this! I am not linking all of the children’s birth and death records that I located (as none of the others said Trubia), but I would be happy to link them if anyone thinks they might prove helpful.

Thank you for your thoughts on this mystery that is driving me crazy!

1.) Link 1 – Death Record of Giuseppe Mirabella, Villarosa (EN), 1918:
http://dl.antenati.san.beniculturali.it ... ewsIndex=0

2.) Link 2 – Birth Record of Giuseppe Mirabella, Petralia Soprana (PA), 1836:
http://dl.antenati.san.beniculturali.it ... ewsIndex=0

3.) Link 3– Death Record of Girolamo Mirabella, Petralia Soprana, 1854:
http://dl.antenati.san.beniculturali.it ... ewsIndex=0

4.) Link 4 – Death Record of Leonarda Domina, Petralia Soprana, 1850:
http://dl.antenati.san.beniculturali.it ... 1.jpg.html

5.) Link 5 – Death Record of Carmela La Placa, Petralia Soprana, 1826
http://dl.antenati.san.beniculturali.it ... ewsIndex=0

6.) Link 6 – Death Record of Giovanni Domina, Petralia Soprana, 1844:
http://dl.antenati.san.beniculturali.it ... ewsIndex=0

7.) Link 7 – Death Record of Carmelo Domina, Petralia Soprana, 1822:
http://dl.antenati.san.beniculturali.it ... ewsIndex=0

8.) Link 8 – Birth Record of Santo Mirabella, Petralia Soprana, 1821:
http://dl.antenati.san.beniculturali.it ... ewsIndex=0

[erudita74]

I think "Domina Trubia" is a double surname. The double surname issue in something I have encountered in one of my husband's Sicilian ancestral towns in Messina Province and, even the town official there, who originally retrieved for me some of the earliest civil records which, at the time, weren't available on microfilm or online, was baffled by what he found in his registers.

The ancestor furthest back in the civil records had the double surname "Pinto Arcodia" but then his children had the surname "Arcodia Inquisito Pinto" or just "Inquisito Pinto" without the Arcodia. A son who married in another town used the surname "Inquisito Arcodia" but then his children were named in the records with the surname "Pinto Arcodia". My husband's great great grandfather's wife just had the surname "Pinto" in her death record in the town in the 1870s, but her 1829 marriage had all of the surnames in it.

Double surnames are believed to have developed to distinguish large branches of the same family living in a small locality. In some cases, the second name was actually a nickname.

[sgb10]

Erudita, you continue to amaze me! Thank you so much for your answer!!!

[sgb10]

Erudita, you continue to amaze me! Thank you so much for your answer!!!

[erudita74]

Just a lot of years of going through records like these and running into similar issues. As always, happy to help you.
Erudita