Antonio CAMPAGNOLO adopted

[mercedesjay]

My great-grandfather, Antonio Campagnolo was born in 1885 in Sora, Provincia di Frosinone. Through court records I have found that he was born to unknown parents (da genitori ignoti). The officials at the Comune di Sora sent me a lengthy document describing how Antonio was found on the doorstep of Saverio Tersigni and that the said Tersigni brought the baby to the courts and asked to keep him. The officials granted the baby the name of Antonio Campagnolo and custody was given to Tersigni. So far I have hit a dead end as to finding his biological parents' names. He served in the Italian Army and I received those records and no parents were listed. The same was on his marriage certificate. I have been unable to locate his baptismal record. His death certificate listed his adopted parents. Several of Antonio's children are still living, the oldest will be 90 in April and I have picked their brains for any bits of information. All they can recall is that the adoption was never spoken of while they were growing up. What can I do? I hate seeing the blank spaces on my pedigree chart after only four generations and would love to be able to trace this line more in depth. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[ricbru]

Maybe you can find a chance to look for his bapt record, contact this parishes

http://www.parrocchie.it/gear/qlist.htm ... order=nome

Good luck, bye Riccardo

[mercedesjay]

Thank you Riccardo. I will definitely contact these parishes to see if they have record of his baptism. Antonio was married at Broccostella (his wife's hometown). I contacted the church there to obtain their marriage record and on it it says that Antonio was "residente nel comune di Sora (Parrocchia della Cattedrale)." At one time I had contacted Parrochia S. Maria Assunta Cattedrale and they informed me that they did not have the record. I had originally sent the request to S. Restituta and that church forwarded the request to S. Maria Assunta. So, apparently neither one has the baptism on record. Two of Antonio's daughters were, however, baptized at S. Maria Assunta in 1911 and 1913 and I obtained their records. I guess the only other thing to do is to write to the other churches and see if any of them have the baptism. Thanks for the link with all the parishes listed. It will serve as a wonderful help to my research. mercedesjay.

[suanj]

My great-grandfather, Antonio Campagnolo was born in 1885 in Sora, Provincia di Frosinone. Through court records I have found that he was born to unknown parents (da genitori ignoti). The officials at the Comune di Sora sent me a lengthy document describing how Antonio was found on the doorstep of Saverio Tersigni and that the said Tersigni brought the baby to the courts and asked to keep him. The officials granted the baby the name of Antonio Campagnolo and custody was given to Tersigni. So far I have hit a dead end as to finding his biological parents' names. He served in the Italian Army and I received those records and no parents were listed. The same was on his marriage certificate. I have been unable to locate his baptismal record. His death certificate listed his adopted parents. Several of Antonio's children are still living, the oldest will be 90 in April and I have picked their brains for any bits of information. All they can recall is that the adoption was never spoken of while they were growing up. What can I do? I hate seeing the blank spaces on my pedigree chart after only four generations and would love to be able to trace this line more in depth. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Hi mercedes, i understand that this is a problem for who search the roots.. but in all this cases is no possible to find more... However we can to try some idea about the birth... some illaction... for to exemple, it will be helpful to know if Tersigni had other children or no.. to know the Tersigni's neighbors... but just for to stimulate the mind..

in fact, normally the doorstep of a precise address it means that the mother of Antonio knew Saverio Tersigni and the family of him, so was sure about that this Tersigni would have helped the child....
so was a Sora's woman and no of some other village near Sora (as also it was very usual in Italy); this it could mean also that the natural mother manted the secret right of being able to see to grow the own son...
personally I would study a lot carefully the Sora LDS microfilms...
regards, suanj

[suanj]

on this ship's manifest of Antonio Campagnoli he have in sora Pasqua wife and joining the Luigi brother..( Luigi Tersigni?) also is in travel with Emilia Baldassini that joining Francesco Tersigni husband... so I know that Saverio had other children ... the Antonio mother wanted to give a family for the little son.. Antonio never adopted otherwise the surname was Tersigni and no Campagnolo/i, it only lived in Tersigni family ... I think that the Antonio mother knowed very well the Tersigni family.... regards, suanj

[mercedesjay]

Many thanks for the advice suanj! I never really thought about it but you are right-if Antonio had been adopted, his name would have been Tersigni, not Campagnolo/i. That makes perfect sense. I do know that Saverio Tersigni had several children of his own. Some of our family had often wondered if maybe one of Saverio's older daughters had gotten pregnant out of wedlock and the family covered up the birth of an illegitmate child by making it look as if the baby was "found" on the doorstep. I have met some of the descendents of Saverio Tersigni and they have told me that he was a very respected and a wealthy businessman of Sora. Is it possible that to save the family name from any shame of an illegitimate birth that they could have staged this and possibly kept the pregnant daughter out of sight once she started showing signs of pregnancy? Saverio was 54 years old when the baby was found. Why would a man of that age that had several children already feel so strongly about taking in a baby like he did? Whoever gave birth to the child certainly knew the Tersigni family and I agree 100% with you there. Thank you so much for your time and effort. mercedesjay.

[suanj]

Many thanks for the advice suanj! I never really thought about it but you are right-if Antonio had been adopted, his name would have been Tersigni, not Campagnolo/i. That makes perfect sense. I do know that Saverio Tersigni had several children of his own. Some of our family had often wondered if maybe one of Saverio's older daughters had gotten pregnant out of wedlock and the family covered up the birth of an illegitmate child by making it look as if the baby was "found" on the doorstep. I have met some of the descendents of Saverio Tersigni and they have told me that he was a very respected and a wealthy businessman of Sora. Is it possible that to save the family name from any shame of an illegitimate birth that they could have staged this and possibly kept the pregnant daughter out of sight once she started showing signs of pregnancy? Saverio was 54 years old when the baby was found. Why would a man of that age that had several children already feel so strongly about taking in a baby like he did? Whoever gave birth to the child certainly knew the Tersigni family and I agree 100% with you there. Thank you so much for your time and effort. mercedesjay.

Hi Mercedes,
now we know some other particular of Antonio story... no, no a pregnant daughter of Saverio, otherwise Saverio really it would have adopted the child... no.... it have no a logical sense...

perhaps a servant of Saverio..... this is more reasonable... if she was a servant in love to Saverio or some Saverio's son, in this case Saverio the child would not have never adopted ...
I think that was a woman that it knew this family very well and it knew that they would not have abandoned the child...and really the mother of Antonio has intentional to give a good family to child... perhaps was a servant pregnant .. .. for sure it seems that the choice of Tersigni family was no a casual choice... regards, suanj

[mercedesjay]

I see your point suanj about it not being a pregnant daughter of Saverio. Since he was supposed to be well-to-do then he may have had servants of some type and that makes sense. Again, thank you for your most welcomed advice and opinion! mercedesjay.

[suanj]

I see your point suanj about it not being a pregnant daughter of Saverio. Since he was supposed to be well-to-do then he may have had servants of some type and that makes sense. Again, thank you for your most welcomed advice and opinion! mercedesjay.

suanj

[StefaniaTersigni]

I have a Saverio Tersigni from Sora in my family as well...interesting

[pasqualedb]

Many thanks for the advice suanj! I never really thought about it but you are right-if Antonio had been adopted, his name would have been Tersigni, not Campagnolo/i. That makes perfect sense. I do know that Saverio Tersigni had several children of his own. Some of our family had often wondered if maybe one of Saverio's older daughters had gotten pregnant out of wedlock and the family covered up the birth of an illegitmate child by making it look as if the baby was "found" on the doorstep. I have met some of the descendents of Saverio Tersigni and they have told me that he was a very respected and a wealthy businessman of Sora. Is it possible that to save the family name from any shame of an illegitimate birth that they could have staged this and possibly kept the pregnant daughter out of sight once she started showing signs of pregnancy? Saverio was 54 years old when the baby was found. Why would a man of that age that had several children already feel so strongly about taking in a baby like he did? Whoever gave birth to the child certainly knew the Tersigni family and I agree 100% with you there. Thank you so much for your time and effort. mercedesjay.

Hello,

I was wondering if you had any information on the names of Saverio Tersigni's other children. My great 2x grandmother was Lucia Tersigni born in Sora, Provinca di Frosinone, in 1868. I have found that the name of her father was Saverio or Savario Tersigni and have found no information on him. She married into the D'Ambrosio family (either of Sora, or of the near by town of Balsorano, I am not sure from where). If you have any information relating to her that would be great! Thank you