CARABINIERI REALI

[missymess]

Not sure if this is the right place or the genealogy section. But here goes. My great grandfather died in San Francisco in 1896. Offical records lost due to the 1906 earthquake and fire, but I was able to locate the undertaker that did the funeral and their records were intact.

On their ledger sheet it shows that FOA - Foresters of America gave $15 towards his funeral but that also "CARABINIERI REALI" gave $50. Considering the bill was $68.00 that was a considerable amount.

Anyone have any ideas of what context that could be? Why would they do that?

[mfjp]

Hi missymess,

What line of work was he in? I guess he died tragically?

My GGrandfather was killed in the mines in B.C. Canada (1911), the city gave him a funeral and a big beautiful gravestone... He was earning about $2 a day...

It does sound like a considerable amount... I too would want to know why...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carabinieri

mfjp

[missymess]

He was a musician. He played violin and harp. Someone suggested that he was perhaps retired from the Carabinieri Reali. If so I am hoping that a record survives. I have emailed the official Carabinieri Reali site and will await a reply.

Yes, he died horribly. He was either was given, or took sulphuric acid in wine. It was headline news in San Francisco in 1896. It was followed two years later by his widow and children being forcibly evicted from their home because someone (a "lawyer") presented a deed they had supposedly signed over to him. In the trial, my great grandmother (who could neither read nor write) said she put her mark on the paper, but it was supposed to be that this person was finding a buyer for the house.

[suanj]

Hi most probable your ancestor was a"Carabiniere reale" when he made a militar service as Carabiniere... and for this interest most probable also he was distingued in this militare service and so the Army (Carabinieri reali) was grateful.. for better to know you must ask the "ruolo Matricolare"(effective militar service) of your ancestor in the Provincial Archive of birth... regards, suanj

[missymess]

Thanks for that suggestion. I'll work on checking those records.