Frustrated with family search..need help

[Eleven]

I have been working on my family history for 23 years. I have always hit a stone wall on my husband's mother's side (for lack of a proper surname for her mother). My husband passed away 2 years ago and I am still at it.

I have found no passenger record for her..which is probably due to this surname issue. Every document (children births, SS card info for the children) gives me a different variation of the name...which is Veltra, or Vetri or Vitra or Vitro. What makes matters worse, is in a recent visit to the town, my husband's sister was told, no such surname exists in that town.

That said, here is my problem. After all of these years, family search finally got some records for this town of Paduli, Benevento. The date they came online was mid-July. When I would click to see the record, it said "image not available". So, I waited and every few days went back, only to see the same message.

Two weeks ago, I messaged them, there at family search to see if maybe there was some error on their end. I got no reply...however, the next time I tried to view a record, this is what it said:

These images are viewable:
To signed-in members of supporting organizations.
When using the site at a family history center.

I cannot get to a family history center. But, I was willing to maybe join one of these supporting organizations, if that was possible. So, I messaged them there, again, twice. No reply. I left 2 messages on 2 of their facebook pages. No reply.

I wondered if those on ancestry could access. I have no current account with them.

Oh, and I can still access records from other parts of Italy, that I used for other branches of the family. I just dont understand this.

I was wondering if someone with an ancestry account could possibly try to access these records..or if you belong to one of the other sites that links to family search, could give it a try.

You would have to go to the list of the Italian towns on family search and click on Italy, Benevento, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1810-1942, click to browse the images, then click Benevento, then click Paduli and try to click on an image.

I would love to view the town records that they have, but I am mainly interested in obtaining 2 birth records:
Vincenzo D'Alessandro b. dec 6 1872
Giuseppe D'Alessandro b sept 1892

Or any information how I can access those records without having to go to a center. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[dfdemar]

Have you checked out your local library? Many of them provide free access to Ancestry.

[Eleven]

I live in a small town. Our library has nothing like that.

I would love to know why family search did this all of a sudden.

I would join ancestry if I knew I could access those records. That's why I was asking if someone could check. I have no reason, at the moment to take an account with them because everything that they have that I needed, I have already.

[erudita74]

You can access the records for Paduli at the following link.

Here's Giuseppe's record. They have the last name indexed under the letter A

http://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.i ... ewsIndex=0

http://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.i ... ewsIndex=0

http://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.i ... 4.jpg.html

You can search the town name under each of the headings at this link

http://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.i ... Benevento/

Erudita

[Eleven]

Thank you so very much..because I just got a reply from family search and this is what they said:

I am sorry but the owner of the records changed the rights. This happens on a regular basis as contracts are negotiated the owners often times change permissions.

Funny..I thought family search owned those records.

[Eleven]

Wow..just wow.

Can someone take a look at the surname of the mother of Giuseppe in the above links. I just cant make it out.

[Tessa78]

Mother's name is Maria D'Itria, a name found in Paduli.

T.

[Eleven]

23 years...imagine..I have been looking for this woman for 23 years. I am just sorry my poor husband is no longer here to see this.

Thank you so very, very much. You will never know how much I appreciate this.

[Bette]

I have read this thread. Congratulations! This is a perfect example of why we need to reach out to others and join forces to solve some of these mysteries. I'm happy for you Eleven!

[Eleven]

Thank you Bette. I am almost in tears. I just emailed my husband's sister who is vacationing in Italy. She just visited Paduli a few days ago and emailed me. You have no idea how excited I am..no idea. This woman has been a mystery to us for all of this time. Maybe now, I can get more information...since I finally have a proper surname.

[Eleven]

I just want to say thanks again. From the information on that one birth record, I found my husband's grandfather's birth and the illusive Maria's birth. From those, I got their parents and grandfathers names. I am so thrilled.

[erudita74]

I can't find Vincenzo's birth record. Here's Maria's birth record, which you may have found. It has her marriage info in the margin to Vincenzo, in case you don't have that info.

Birth of Maria d’Istria on Nov 23, 1872 # 131
She was born on the 23rd in the house at #62 Strada San Donato. Her father was 27 year old Domenico d’Itria, the son of Antonio (d’Itria). Domenico was a farmer. Her mother was Anna Mastrovito, the daughter of Angelo (Mastrovito). Both Antonio and Angelo were living.

In the margin, there is a notation about her marriage to Vincenzo D’Alessandro. They married in Paduli on June 25, 1891, atto #25. Unfortunately, this record is not online.

http://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.i ... ewsIndex=0

[Eleven]

I am glad you posted this. I found a cert for Maria in 1873. I thought this was her. However, your information matches much more that the info I got from the Maria that I found. The father's name that I had already was Domenico. On the doc I found last night..it was Pietro. Because the children got the surname for her so wrong, I just assumed whatever else I had was wrong.

I concluded yours is correct, not what I found..because of the marriage date. This date also appears on Vincenzo's birth that I found last night. I had the wrong year for his birth. Last night I searched the birth using the year that was on the son's birth. I figured, he gave that info himself. The parents names for him, I already had..the only thing off was the spelling of his mother's surname, which was close enough. His birth was dec 1867.

I am not fluent in Italian and would like to know if someone can tell me this.

This is Vincenzo D'Alessandro's birth

http://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.i ... 3.jpg.html

It goes over to the next page:
http://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.i ... 4.jpg.html

On the top of both Vincenzo and Maria's birth, there appears the name Giuseppe D'Alessandro (which is also the name of Vincenzo's father). Was he the mayor or a town official? Is it the same Giuseppe as Vincenzo's father.

(I absolutely love you people, by the way!)

[mmogno]

On the top of both Vincenzo and Maria's birth, there appears the name Giuseppe D'Alessandro (which is also the name of Vincenzo's father).

Was he the mayor or a town official?
No, Giuseppe D'Alessandro is "assessore" of the Comune of Paduli, "delegato a compiere le funzioni di" = Councillor delegate to perform the functions of "Ufficiale dello Stato Civile".

Is it the same Giuseppe as Vincenzo's father.
No, at the bottom of the birth certificate there are two different signatures of two different Giuseppe D'Alessandro.

[Eleven]

Thanks..I am still to excite to notice a lot of detail like that.

Yes, but what is the position of the Giuseppe at the top..is he a mayor or an official?