Please translate birth record

[cargor]

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a193/ ... an0005.jpg

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a193/ ... an0004.jpg

Hello, if someone could translate my grandfather Panfilo Pollastri birth record please. I sent two images but the films were very old and dark plus the handwriting is hard to decipher. He was born March 15, 1887 in Civitaretenga to Antonio pollastri and Filomena DeSantis...that is all I could pretty much make out on the record. That you very much for any help possible.

[Tessa78]

You are right about the quality of the images.

It is correct that he was born March 15, 1887 in Civitaretenga. Father was Antonio, age 36, farmer/peasant (contadino), and mother was Filomena DeSantis, his wife, spinner/weaver (filatrice) residing with him.

Looks like Panfilo may have been born at 2:20 AM, and presented at 3:30 PM at the Town Hall by his father.

Witnesses:
Pietro Pisani (sp?), 36, farmer/peasant
Antonio Rosa (sp?), 38, farmer/peasant

T.

[Tessa78]

Looking at the documents again, it looks like Panfilo was born at 3:20 AM, not 2:20 Am.

T.

[cargor]

Tessa, Thank you very much for helping. I had been wondering if it mentioned their occupations ...so thank you for that information. I do have another couple of questions: 1) at the bottom of the birth record is more writing which is very difficult to make out, do you know what that says? and 2) I am wondering what the custom is in Italy when the baby is introduced or presented? Does that mean that the father gives the birth information to the officials and what role does the witnesses play? Are they considered godparents? Thank you .

[PeterTimber]

Fathers decided when to go to town municipal civil registry office and record the birth of a child. Witnesses were brought along to certify that the information provided by the father was true and correct.

The witnesses were not normally destined to be Godparents although they were also available for that status should they be selected at time of baptism. If a child was born in November/December some parents would wait forthe New Year so that the children could stay home longer before being conscripted for the army since the custom was in rural areas to get married when released from Army service. =Peter=

[cargor]

Peter, thank you for explaining the custom. It was exciting to finally find my grandfather's birth record. I did recognize one of the witnesses' surname as one in our family tree. I guess the next step would be to contact the church in Civitaretenga to see if I can get his baptism record. Thank you.

[PeterTimber]

Perhaps this woulde be a good time to become familiar with Italian Church Records for now and the future.

http://www.anzwers.org/free/italiangen/ ... cords.html

when contacting be sure to offer to pay for the time and effort to research for the document you seek.

Go to www.parrocchie.it for the full name and address of the church in NAVELLI (Civitaretenga is a frazione or an absorbed hamet into the town) =Peter=

[cargor]

Thanks again Peter! I am going to follow up on your leads.

[Tessa78]

Tessa, Thank you very much for helping. I had been wondering if it mentioned their occupations ...so thank you for that information. I do have another couple of questions: 1) at the bottom of the birth record is more writing which is very difficult to make out, do you know what that says?

The writing indicates that the people before him (father and witnesses) were illiterate and so he signs this document for them.

This was very common.

T.

[Tessa78]

My pleasure to be of help

T.

[cargor]

Tessa, once again, many thanks. This is all so exciting to me.