Something strange on a Racalmuto birth record...

[LeandraCat]

Hi all,

I have been looking at Racalmuto birth records and found something interesting. I have never seen this on ANY other birth record for Racalmuto or other towns. A baby boy was born and under his name, it says FIGLIO NATURALE. Why would it say that?

Thanks!
Julia

EDITED: Ok, I just found another birth record for these same parents, and again it says FIGLIO NATURALE. I just searched and found out this means ILLEGITEMATE child, but why would it say that if BOTH parents are clearly listed??!

[johnnyonthespot]

...
I just searched and found out this means ILLEGITEMATE child, but why would it say that if BOTH parents are clearly listed??!

I believe it means the parents were unmarried. Depending on the year and location, this may indicate the parents were (or were not) married in the eyes of the church, but had not had the proper civil ceremony as well.

Are these birth records timely - that is, were these births recorded within 48 hours of actual birth, or weeks/years later?

Does the section showing the mother's name indicate "sua legittima moglie" (his lawful wife) as is typically seen?

[LeandraCat]

I wish I could post the records for you, but it is saying the quota for attachments has been reached!

In one of the records, after the mother's name it says: "non coniugata" or something like that.

[johnnyonthespot]

I wish I could post the records for you, but it is saying the quota for attachments has been reached!

In one of the records, after the mother's name it says: "non coniugata" or something like that.

Not married.

The board has a very small limit on files which can be posted directly. Instead, use an image hosting site like imageshack or, my favorite, http://postimage.org (no ads or annoying pop-ups; account not required).

Using postimage.org, click the Browse button and find the image file on your drive. Click the Family Safe radio button, then Upload. After uploading has completed, click the Copy to Clipboard button alongside "Thumbnail for Forums (1)". Return to this forum and paste the link (Ctrl-V) into your message.

[LeandraCat]

Grrr, all the image hosting sites are blocked for me at work.
Anyway, I think you answered my question...so they were NOT officially married! Wow! Ok, so the 1884 birth record says FIGLIO NATURALE and the 1885 one, but they also had a daughter in 1876 and that one doesn't say FIGLIO NATURALE, although it still says NON CONIUGATA....

This is odd. Did this happen a lot back then? Did they just not have a Church ceremony, is that it?

[johnnyonthespot]

Again, I think much depended on the time and location. In Trafford R. Cole's Italian Genealogical Records: How to Use Italian Civil, Ecclesiastical & Other Records in Family History Research on page 19, he states:


free image hosting

http://books.google.com/books?id=i_qgMM ... le&f=false

[LeandraCat]

Got it! Thank you

[Sandyctx]

It means that the parents were not married, that they just lived together. Many children, from many past generations have the same "label" on their birth certificates.

[LeandraCat]

Thanks!