Need some help tracking my great-grandfather

[Axel]

Hi everyone!

Mi name is Axel, I'm from Argentina, and I'm trying to find some information about my great-grandfather who, from what I know, was Italian. Unfortunately, everyone from that part of the family has passed away, so I'm only know his name (and last name, obviously), but everything besides that is a blank like where he was born in Italy, if he WAS born in Italy (I'm pretty sure this is so, but right now I have no evidence), or when. I only know my grandfather was born here in Argentina in 1909, so I can extrapolate that he must have been born before or around 1980 at the latest.

I have tried searching in http://www.apellidositalianos.com.ar/ and this page which searches the ship records, but unfortunately I have not been able to find anything. The only place I can even FIND my last name is here: http://www.gens.labo.net/it/cognomi/genera.html which gives me some locations where that surname has been registered.

My great-grandparent's name was Antonio Rosaspini, and he married Ana Reynolds here in Argentina.

Thanks in advance.

[johnnyonthespot]

The Italian telephone directory lists 12 and only 12 Rosaspini's throughout modern Italy. With such a small number, you may want to write some letters and see what turns up.

PS: Unless you can speak/write Italian fluently, I suggest you write a detailed letter in English and then have it professionally translated. Using an online tool such as Google's translator will only produce gibberish which will not likely get a meaningful response.

[PeterTimber]

I checkede Argentina arrival records of incoming immigrants inthe surname of ROSASPINI and there were none listed.I doublechecked with CEMLA inBuenos Aires and there is noi record for ANY immigrant with that surname. Is this spelling correct ? =Peter=

[Axel]

The Italian telephone directory lists 12 and only 12 Rosaspini's throughout modern Italy. With such a small number, you may want to write some letters and see what turns up.

PS: Unless you can speak/write Italian fluently, I suggest you write a detailed letter in English and then have it professionally translated. Using an online tool such as Google's translator will only produce gibberish which will not likely get a meaningful response.

Thanks for the quick reply. A friend of mine is fluent in Italian, so I'll probably ask her to write me a letter I can send to all of them and see what comes out.

I checkede Argentina arrival records of incoming immigrants inthe surname of ROSASPINI and there were none listed.I doublechecked with CEMLA inBuenos Aires and there is noi record for ANY immigrant with that surname. Is this spelling correct ? =Peter=

Peter, thanks for your answer. Yeah, I checked those as well and couldn't find anything. The spelling is correct, and unfortunately I have no way of knowing whether it was his actual surname or a mis-spelling somewhere along the line (it happens here in Argentina), but in my grandfather's (his son) birth record the surname is spelled ROSASPINI (like mine).

[PeterTimber]

The 1895 Argentina Census only has 3 Rosaspini listed Natalino and Alfonso arrived from Italy (no known placeof origin) There is a birth of a MARIA 1893 in Buenos Aires with ROSASPINI surname and no other information.

Since there is no record listed for Rosaspini listed there will be no record since a portion of the immigration records were destroyed around the turnof the century covering several years. The earlier church records may have to be researched....

=Peter=

[PeterTimber]

The family may come from Lierna (Provincia lecco) Lombardia. It may have been within the province of Como at one time.

Th LDS family history library shows Rosaspini 1850's coming from Lierna. www.nonsolocap.it =Peter=

[Axel]

Thanks again.

I have an appointment with the local Civil Registry, and I should be getting my grandfather's birth certificate and my great-grandfather's death certificate (since he died here, they should have it on record still) so that should give me more information like birth date (and with any luck place of birth as well). I should have some more information to go after that.

[PeterTimber]

The only other place listed for Rosaspini is the cvity of Genova so that youonly havwe to write to Lierna or Genova...there is another town in Lombardia with one or three Rosaspini which you should not bother with unless everything turns sour

Youcan write for birth records if you have full names and approximate birth years (they usually will check for one decade) =Peter=

[Axel]

I managed to dig some more information while waiting for the registry office to contact me, and I'm getting a better picture of my family.

I contacted a Rosaspini here in argentina, looks like we may be related after all (there were 4 of us in the phonebook, and the other 2 are his kids). Looks like his grandfather's name was Carlos rosaspini, which is the same name as my great-grandfather's brother. I think it's a bit too much of a coincidence, so I'm going to go out on a limb and say they are the same person.

He told me that his family comes from either the Como or Lecco comunes. I tried taking a look around their respective websites, but haven't been able to turn up anything yet. Unfortunately I still don't have birthdates, but I may have them next week.

On the other side of the family, My great-grandma (Ana Reynolds) had a sister named Mary Reynolds who married a Spaniard called Francisco Maceira. I took a look at the ship records for Irish immigrants and found this:

Reynolds Mary Anne 25-Jun-64 Liverpool Paraguay
(Name, arrival date, departure port and ship)

which seems to fit the bill nicely, but I can't find any references to "Ana Reynolds" anywhere. Any idea where I can look with this new info?

Thanks again.

/edit: There are two Antonio Rosaspini in ancestry.com, both from Como and Lecco, Lombardy, Italy, one diedin 1904 (my grandfather was born in 1909, so this rules this one out) and the other doesn't have a date of death, but I can't access them because I don't have a subscription. =/

[suanj]

Hi Axel,
seeming that Rosaspini is a surname originated in Lierna town( Lecco province),
regards,
suanj

[Axel]

Suanj, thanks for the info, that helps narrowing it down.

Could anyone with an ancestry.com account take a look at those two record for Antonio Rosaspini and paste the info here? It would be incredibly helpful.

[suanj]

the two records are abt same person ( one in 1904 and the folder of 1914), born in Lierna, resident in Lierna single, 39 old, son of Giovanni and Maria Alippi , died in 1904 at mental home; also Marianna Rosaspini, born in Lierna, resident in Lierna, married at Antonio Cerri, daughter of Lodovico and Francesca, died at mental home( yes: also Marianna!)

[PeterTimber]

The only Ana Reynolds for that area is in Bolivia withthebirth of Ana Reynolds Miranda July 26, 1924 Potosi Bolivia, Her mother is Angela Miranda Guerra and her father is Ipifanio Reynolds Vega. May or may not relate to your Mary Anne. No Other Reynolds for southern South America!!!(argentina, chile, Paraguay, Bolivia) on Mormon ancestor search. =Peter=

[Axel]

the two records are abt same person ( one in 1904 and the folder of 1914), born in Lierna, resident in Lierna single, 39 old, son of Giovanni and Maria Alippi , died in 1904 at mental home; also Marianna Rosaspini, born in Lierna, resident in Lierna, married at Antonio Cerri, daughter of Lodovico and Francesca, died at mental home( yes: also Marianna!)

Then he's not my great-grandfather... oh well, back to the start...

The only Ana Reynolds for that area is in Bolivia withthebirth of Ana Reynolds Miranda July 26, 1924 Potosi Bolivia, Her mother is Angela Miranda Guerra and her father is Ipifanio Reynolds Vega. May or may not relate to your Mary Anne. No Other Reynolds for southern South America!!!(argentina, chile, Paraguay, Bolivia) on Mormon ancestor search. =Peter=

No, that's not her... looks like today's not my day.


Thank you both kindly for your efforts in this, it means a lot.

[suanj]

yes it is not your grandfather; for that, in my previous post, I no wrote it...