Maccario Family From Vintimille Italy - Agustino Maccario SA

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ReasonedFaith
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Maccario Family From Vintimille Italy - Agustino Maccario SA

Post by ReasonedFaith »

My story is a rather tragic, heartbreaking and perplexing one. My great grandfather, Agostino Maccario came to Pietermaritzburg South Africa in 1901 as a railroad construction worker from Vintimille Italy, son of Carlo Maccario. He spent time living in Durban and Pietermaritzburg n this period. He subsequently met my great grandmother who was black and had 8 children with her, 3 of which died very early on and he bought a farm and became a winemaker living with her. All of the children, my grandmother included assumed his surname and all were given Italian names. I have obtained records and affidavits relating to this. Due to the laws in South Africa at the time, interracial relationships or marriages were not permitted so they lived together for 16 years. Unbeknown to my grandmother and the family, my great grandfather had another family in Italy. A common law wife and 7 other children.

I have records in my possession, which I just got hold of today, in which my great grandfather made a formal application for his common law wife and children from Italy to come and live with him in South Africa in 1901. The request from the Italian Vice Consul refers to him as being an Italian citizen. The irony behind this is that at least 3 of the childrens names listed in this document from his common law wife are exactly the same as those given to the children he had in South Africa, my grandmother included. The names listed in the request are as follows at the time of of request, 12 November 1901:

Angela Macario (Aged 36)
Vincenzo Macario (16 Male)
Elvira Macario (14 Female)
Ernesto Macario (13 Male)
Quinto Macario (10 male)
Gioachino Macario (8 Male)
Iilma Macario (5 Female)
Antonio Macaio (2 Female)

What is starnge that this request also bears the name of another Italian trying to bring his family over. They were probably friends. The other name was Carlo Garbini. The list of names for his request were as follows:

Guilia Garbini
Antonio Garbini
Maria Garbini
Pietro Garbini
Luigi Garbini

From 1917 onwards my great grandfather started suffering mental problems and my grandmother and her siblings were sent to an orphanage due to his inability to care for them. Because my grandmother and her siblings were classified as coloured (mixed race) their paternal mother was not permitted to care for them due to her being black and the laws not permitting this sort of thing. My great grandfather was then committed to an asylum in Pietermaritzburg in 1918 until his death there in 1922

In over twenty years, my great grandfather did not send for any of the members of his other family nor did any of them ever hear from him again in that time. I have a letter in my possession from one of his sons, Jerome Maccario who was in Menton France at the time of writing 4th January 1922 requesting information on his by then deceased father. I have official documentation in the form of old lawyers, court, consulate and embassy records to corroborate the story above. I would really like to get in touch with Maccarios from this region or who may know of the names listed here or make recommendations on what I can do to piece this sad story together. It would give myself and both families a sense of closure. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
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suanj
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Re: Maccario Family From Vintimille Italy - Agustino Maccari

Post by suanj »

Hi,
it are several Maccarios in Ventimiglia (Imperia province, Liguria region, IT)
http://www.paginebianche.it/execute.cgi ... &om=0&be=0
maybe you can write here http://www.cumpagniadiventemigliusi.it/#indirizzo
at Luigino Maccario that is the webmaster of the aforesaid website..
Luigino maybe can help you in the search...
all the best,
suanj
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ReasonedFaith
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Re: Maccario Family From Vintimille Italy - Agustino Maccari

Post by ReasonedFaith »

suanj wrote:Hi,
it are several Maccarios in Ventimiglia (Imperia province, Liguria region, IT)
http://www.paginebianche.it/execute.cgi ... &om=0&be=0
maybe you can write here http://www.cumpagniadiventemigliusi.it/#indirizzo
at Luigino Maccario that is the webmaster of the aforesaid website..
Luigino maybe can help you in the search...
all the best,
suanj
Thank you so much for your valuable post and recommendations. I am just struggling to translate the Italian websites in order to get contact information. You have already helped me tremendously already with your post and I hate to burden you further but would it be possible for you to give me the contact email addresses for the website administrators with the Maccario surname? Im truly appreciative of your assistance.
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Re: Maccario Family From Vintimille Italy - Agustino Maccari

Post by suanj »

the email address is:
ventemigliusi @ libero.it ( NO SPACES!!)

and you can write a email with this email subject: cognome Maccario

and with this txt:

Gent.mo Sig. Maccario,
mi chiamo ...( your name) e le scrivo perchè spero che lei possa aiutarmi in qualche modo.
Io sono di origini italiane; il mio bisnonno si chiamava Agostino MACCARIO ed era di Ventimiglia, figlio di Carlo.
Venne in Sudafrica nel 1901 per la costruzione della ferrovia. Si unì a una donna locale ed ebbe 8 figli a cui diede il cognome Maccario. Alcuni morirono bambini, ma non mia nonna.
Ho diversi documenti ottenuti dal Consolato, e ho scoperto che aveva anche fatto l'atto di richiamo per la sua moglie italiana e per i suoi figli italiani il 12 Novembre 1901.
La moglie si chiamava Angela ed i suoi figli tutti di Ventimiglia erano:
1.Vincenzo Maccario
2.Elvira Maccario
3.Ernesto Maccario
4.Quinto Maccario
5.Gioacchino Maccario
6.Iilma Maccario
7.Antonia Maccario

Fece anche l'atto di richiamo per queste persone:
Giulia Garbini
Antonio Garbini
Maria Garbini
Pietro Garbini
Luigi Garbini

Non credo che siano venuti in Sudafrica.
Verso il 1917 Agostino Maccario iniziò a soffrire di disturbi mentali, venne internato e morì nel 1922. Tutti i figli nati dalla donna in Sudafrica vennero messi in orfanotrofio e so che la madre di Agostino non potè richiamarli in Italia a causa delle leggi razziali dell'epoca.
Ho anche in mio possesso una lettera di un figlio italiano di Agostino, abitante a Menton, Francia, e di nome Jerome Maccario, in cui chiedeva notizie del padre.
La lettera è del 4 gennaio 1922.
Mi chiedevo Sig. Maccario se lei riconosca qualcuno dei nomi che ho citato, e se mi può dare qualche informazione.
La ringrazio molto della pazienza nel leggermi e spero di non averla importunata, se così fosse me ne scuso.
In attesa di una sua cortese risposta,
la saluto distintamente,
............ ( your name)
[hr]
suanj
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Re: Maccario Family From Vintimille Italy - Agustino Maccari

Post by ReasonedFaith »

I cannot thank you enough SuanJ. Thank you. You have no idea how greatful i am for this.
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suanj
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Re: Maccario Family From Vintimille Italy - Agustino Maccari

Post by suanj »

Hi, in the previous txt I added abt Agostino: "figlio di Carlo" (=son of Carlo) so maybe can be helpful; send it and let me know if you receive the reply...
all the best,
suanj
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ReasonedFaith
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Re: Maccario Family From Vintimille Italy - Agustino Maccari

Post by ReasonedFaith »

suanj wrote:Hi, in the previous txt I added abt Agostino: "figlio di Carlo" (=son of Carlo) so maybe can be helpful; send it and let me know if you receive the reply...
all the best,
suanj
Thanks SuanJ, I sent it. Just praying that I get a response from him in order for us to locate the birth certificate. Thank you for all your help. I wish there was a **Hugs** emoticon.
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Re: Maccario Family From Vintimille Italy - Agustino Maccario SA

Post by Kentdm »

Hi,

I just posted a query about finding details of my grandmother’s birth certificate. I happen to just do a search of ‘Garbini’ on the site and Maria Garbini came up.

Your post.

I am the youngest grandchild of Maria Susanna Simona Garbini, born in Italy 1909 and came here to South Africa, we think around, 1915. I see you have documents stating that a Carlo Garbini was asking for his family from Italy and the one name is Maria. Could this be the same Maria and Carlo Garbini is my grandfather?

Would love additional information if you have any to share?

Thanks
Kent
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Re: Maccario Family From Vintimille Italy - Agustino Maccario SA

Post by Kentdm »

Edit correction : Could this be the same Maria and Carlo Garbini is my great grandfather?
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