Palladini/Bombiani from Patrica

[KMaryP]

I'm trying to locate the following information for my great-grandparents who were born in Patrica, Italy and immigrated to Ambridge, PA in 1913-14:
parent's names
marriage date
dates of death

Here's what I know:

Great-grandfather:
Giovanni Palladini
b. 25 Jun 1873, Patrica
d. between 1920 & 1930, Ambridge, PA

Great-grandmother:
Maria Bombiani
b. 24 Oct 1877, Patrica
d. between 1930 & 1945

I've found 1920 & 1930 census records from Ambridge, ship manifests, and a petition for naturalization (which was dismissed without prejudice for some reason?). Pennsylvania doesn't make their vital records searchable online, so I can't even figure out when they died.

Is it time to start a letter writing campaign to Pennsylvania vital records (for death records) and to Patrica for birth and marriage records, or can this information be found online somewhere?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

[Tessa78]

Hello and welcome!

I took a look at the manifest for Maria Bombiani arriving Sept. 1914 with children Giuseppe 6, Arnaldo 6, and Severina.

Maria's mother's name is Angela according to the manifest.

Since you know the place of birth of your GGP's, and their dates of birth, you can write directly to the comune of Patrica for their records... (birth and marriage). These will give you information about their parents, and their marriage date.

Address your letter to:
Ufficio dello Stato Civile
Via del Plebiscito, 1
03010 Patrica (FR)
ITALY

You should write your letter in Italian. Use the following links for form letters ...
http://circolocalabrese.org/resources/l ... civile.asp
http://www.angelfire.com/ok3/pearlsofwi ... tters.html

For Death information...you will need to write to Pennsylvania...

T.

[Tessa78]

Because of Italian naming patterns, it's a good bet that Giovanni (John)'s father's name was Luigi since he named his first son Luigi

T.

[kontessa]

Is it possible for the name to be spelled 'Bompiani' instead? I've seen this spelling of the name in and around Patrica.

[KMaryP]

Thank you both! I hadn't noticed the mother's name before. Am I seeing things or is Angela's last name Palladini? (first letter is definitely "P", the top of the second "L" is cut off as is the top of the "D" and then the last "NI" is cut off completely. I don't think the writing of "Palladini" in the passenger name column is a fair comparison because that looks like someone else's writing to me.

Bombiani manifest - line 25

What do you think?

Thank you for the links to Italian records requests. I can see where this is heading. Once I get the records for Giovanni and Maria, then I write to request their parents' records. Do people just keep asking and at some point do the Italian archivists tell you to go away and leave them alone?

[Italysearcher]

In Patrica you can only get records after 1873 (and they are not great at responding if you don't have dates).

[Tessa78]

On the manifest that is the town name after Angela..."Patrica" not Palladini. Angela would be identified by her maiden name as was the custom in Italy..

T.

[vj]

Hi!
Just in case you don't already have this
from footnote. com

1916 Declaration
http://a.imageshack.us/img844/2008/decl ... ention.jpg

Publication Number: M1537
Publication Title: Naturalization Petitions of the U.S. District Court, 1820-1930, and Circuit Court, 1820-1911, for the Western District of Pennsylvania
Publisher: NARA
Record Group: 21
State: Pennsylvania
Short Description: NARA M1537. Naturalization petitions of the US District Court, 1820-1930, and the Circuit Court, 1820-1911, for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Court: US Circuit and District Courts, Oct 1820-Sep 3, 1906
Year: 1916
Date: 9 May 1916
Immigrant Full Name: Giovanni Palladini
Document Type: Declaration of Intention
Home Country: Italy
Witness Full Name: [Blank]
Year Immigrated: 1897

note: stated his first trip was in 1897, it may have been 1898
http://a.imageshack.us/img7/3985/1898x.jpg

[KMaryP]

The declaration I have seen, but not that manifest. I wish I could read the name of his final destination so I could be certain it's him.

The 1897 immigration date has been bothering me because I couldn't find him on the Patria in that year. I'm certain that's his declaration because I located the petition showing his wife and kids' names and it references the number on the declaration. But, the census states he immigrated in 1912 and that the rest of the family came in 1916. I know for a fact the family came in 1914, except Luigi who came over with him (Giovanni) the year before. I'm confused!

[KMaryP]

Is it possible for the name to be spelled 'Bompiani' instead? I've seen this spelling of the name in and around Patrica.

Kontessa, I believe you may be right. Thank you for pointing that out. I'll see what I can find.

[vj]

... I wish I could read the name of his final destination so I could be certain it's him...

It appears that he was traveling with several people to 115th Street at 2nd or 7th Ave, NY
According to his 1913 manifest, he was also in Woodlwan (Beaver) PA 1909-1913

[KMaryP]

Yes, you're right. That makes me wonder if it's him. Although I just discovered that my other ggfather went to NY first too, so maybe that's what they did on their first trip.

If he was telling the truth on his declaration and he really did come here in 1897/98, the timeline still seems odd to me:

1898 - manifest showing him going to NY
1900 - son is born in Italy
1907 - twin sons born in Italy
1908 - daughter born in Italy
1909 - manifest showing him going to Marsteller, PA
1909-13 living in Woodlawn per 1913 manifest notes
1913 - manifest showing him going to Woodlawn, PA with oldest son
1914 - rest of family comes over

He had to have gone back home by 1899-1900
then again in 1906-1907...seems like a lot of back and forth for someone so poor, doesn't it?

[vj]

It wasn't uncommon at all for folks to make several trips back and forth
They would keep going back to the US to earn enough money to bring their families over
Gaps in his children's ages can be a good indicator of when he was out of the country
Although 1909 is a lined-off manifest (did not sail) it indicates that he was in NY 1903-1904(?)

[KMaryP]

So he either went back and stayed in Italy from 1900-1909 or there should be more manifests to find. I'll keep looking.

Thanks for all of the help!

[kontessa]

It wasn't uncommon at all for folks to make several trips back and forth
They would keep going back to the US to earn enough money to bring their families over

Exactly. KMaryP, keep in mind that some of the info that you are gathering is not always correct, especially those census documents. Naturalization records for my GGF show 1906 as his year of immigration to the US, but it was documented as 1898 on a federal census. He was going back and forth from the US to Italy for 8 - 10 years before his wife and child emigrated. Perhaps your ancestor was moving around looking for work, staying with other family members, etc.. (I recall seeing boardinghouses filled with Italians during my search of the federal census.)

BTW...I think that there were a number of people from Supino (town right next to Patrica) and Patrica who ended up in Woodlawn, Pa. Was this the community that was renamed Aliquippa? I also have a Palladino that married one of my ancestors from Supino! Interesting...