question about liste di leva

[kerrymck]

Hi, could some kind person help me please with a letter I have received from the Comune di Genova? I wrote asking for a copy of my great grandfather's (Giovanni Abba) birth certificate and ttheir reply was that there was no record of him in "liste di leva militare della citta di Genova (1814-165) e nelle liste di leva di mare del compartimento marittimo di Genova (1840-1843)". This sounds like they looked in the military and navy records? Is that the only births registers/records they would have for that period?

kerrymck

[Italysearcher]

I don't think Geneova has civil records before 1870 or so. Someone else will be more precise I am sure. Maybe your ancestor came from the area and not the city of Genova

[johnnyonthespot]

[deleted by Carmine]

[kerrymck]

Thanks Ann. So another question: if he came from the area and not the city, is there anywhere else I can write to about locating records for him?

kerrymck

[johnnyonthespot]

Thanks Ann. So another question: if he came from the area and not the city, is there anywhere else I can write to about locating records for him?

kerrymck

I'm not Ann but I play her on TV.

No, no, that's not right...

Anyway, generally speaking, the only place you can expect to find birth/marriage/death records is in the comune in which the event occured.

Perhaps we can help you figure that out. What information do you have so far concerning your ancestor? Have you located a passenger manifest? Draft cards? Naturalization papers?

[Saviane]

Hi!
I'm from Genova, Italy
The answer you got is probably from the Archivio Storico of Genova.
They probably tried to look for the name of your ancestor in the records they have.
If Giovanni Abba was born after 1866 in Genova, then you have to write to the "Ufficio di Stato Civile" of the Comune di Genova (Adress it to Mrs. Gnecco, she's really an efficient woman), and wait for a reply.
If Giovanni Abba was born before 1866 in Genova, then the birth records were held only as baptism records by the Parish. In that period Genova had quite a lot of them, and you need to know precisely which one.
If Giovanni Abba was not from Genova, but from the province, you need to know the exact town of origin, to ask for the birth records, as they are not held on a province basis, but each town has one.
A way to overcome this difficulty is with the Registro di Leva, which listed all males in their 18-19 yrs, living in the province of Genova, for ex.