Montemurro handwritten documents

[khoney]

The 1860 Matrimoni, processetti for Maurizio Montesano and Maria Vittoria Pesale contain some documents that are completely handwritten I am having difficulty translating. I have typed what I think I understand but much is uncertain. Some of the documents give the same date,16 Dec 1857, about 2 ½ years before the marriage. Any help in understanding these documents would be greatly appreciated.

The Matrimoni, processetti begins at

http://dl.antenati.san.beniculturali.it ... 7.jpg.html

and the particular hand written documents are as follows

Caterina Di Fina, daughter of Domenico and deceased Virgilia Bianculli and the wife of Pietro Montesano

http://dl.antenati.san.beniculturali.it ... ewsIndex=0

deceased Donna Maria Emmanuella Padula, age 47, landowner, resided in Montemurro, daughter of Don Nicola and deceased Donna Elis Antonia ?

http://dl.antenati.san.beniculturali.it ... ewsIndex=0

(next image) Donna Maria Emmanuella Padula, daughter of deceased Nicola and Elis Antonio. Widow of Giovianni Pesale

Maria Vittoria Pesale is about all I understand. I would guess this has to do with her both her parents are deceased and therefore cannot consent to her marriage.

http://dl.antenati.san.beniculturali.it ... ewsIndex=0

Thank you,
Karen

[erudita74]

Karen

The last document is a Family Council Meeting document. Since both parents of the minor bride (she was only 19) were deceased, and therefore not alive to give their consent to her marriage, family members convened to deliberate whether the potential spouse was worthy of being united in matrimony with their relative. This council would consider things like was the potential spouse of good moral character. If the council meeting was for a minor male, then they would deliberate whether the potential bride, in addition to being of good moral character, had a sufficient dowry to bring to the marriage. If you look through the list of names of the individuals who made up this family council (mostly on the next page), they were uncles and cousins of the bride. Sometimes relatives were not available, and a council meeting would be comprised of family friends and neighbors. The priest who requested the council was related to the bride as well. She was his "sorella germana." That means she was his own sister, as they shared the same parents. Once the deliberations were completed, council members would vote. If the vote was unanimous, as in this record, then consent was given for the minor to marry. I've never seen a family council meeting record in which its members were not in agreement and consent wasn't given.

I can't help you with the other records until later, if no one else helps you first.

Erudita

[erudita74]

Caterina Di Fina died on Dec 16, 1857. You have her parents' and husband's names.

Oddly enough, the next record is also dated Dec 16, 1857-The name you need is Elisantonia Pellegrini

[liviomoreno]

On Dec 16 1857 there was an earthquake with several casualties

[erudita74]

On Dec 16 1857 there was an earthquake with several casualties

Livio
When I first looked at the record, I deciphered in occasione del and then I thought the next word was for earthquake=which I believe is terremoto, but the word in the record looks like terminato to me, which I was I changed my mind.

Erudita

[khoney]

Thank you Erudita and Livio,

I had read of the Family Council Meetings but this is the first time I have come across one. The explanation you provided has much greater detail than what I previously read and is much appreciated. I also followed up on the horrific “Great Neapolitan earthquake” of 16 December 1857 which destroyed much of the town and, according to some sources, resulted in 10,000 fatalities in the region.

Following up on the Family Council, I tried to transcribe the family members but cannot recognize their relationship if it is stated. Some of the other names I could not recognize at all. Any corrections would be appreciated.

Persale, Nicola, son of deceased Giovianni, age 29 (bride’s brother the Priest)

Padula, Francisco, son of deceased Francisco, age 23

Padula, Giovanni, son of Pietro, age 46

Padula, Nicola, son of Michael, age 34

Bianculli, Cristofaro, son of deceased Venezio, age 30 (Bianculli is a family name on the grooms side. Would someone from the groom’s family be involved or is the surname just a coincidence?

The attachments included the death record of Donna Maria Vittoria Persale’s paternal grandfather and great-grandfather but not for Nicola Padula, her maternal grandfather. Would that not normally be included or did I miss it somehow?

Again, thank you,
Karen

[erudita74]

Thank you Erudita and Livio,

I had read of the Family Council Meetings but this is the first time I have come across one. The explanation you provided has much greater detail than what I previously read and is much appreciated. I also followed up on the horrific “Great Neapolitan earthquake” of 16 December 1857 which destroyed much of the town and, according to some sources, resulted in 10,000 fatalities in the region.

Following up on the Family Council, I tried to transcribe the family members but cannot recognize their relationship if it is stated. Some of the other names I could not recognize at all. Any corrections would be appreciated.

* Karen, the first five of the six council members have the title Don, which was used for both priests and property owners. The first three members are from the bride's father's side of the family, and the last three from her mother's side

Father's Side:

1. Persale, (Don*) Nicola, son of deceased Giovanni, age 29 (bride’s brother the Priest

2. Padula, (Don*) Francesco, son of deceased Francesco, age 23, uncle of the minor

3.Padula, (Don*) Giovanni, son of Pietro, age 46, uncle affine of the minor (uncle through marriage)

Mother's side:

1. Padula, (Don*) Nicola, son of Michele, age 34, cousin of the minor (the bride)

2. Bianculli, (Don*)Cristofaro, son of deceased Vincenzo, age 30 (Bianculli is a family name on the grooms side Would someone from the groom’s family be involved (no) or is the surname just a coincidence? (coincidence). He is a cousin of the minor (the bride)

3. Michelangelo Infantino, of deceased Michelangelo), age 54, uncle of the minor (bride)

I have to go back and look through the processetti before I answer your last question.

[erudita74]

as per Karen- "The attachments included the death record of Donna Maria Vittoria Persale’s paternal grandfather and great-grandfather but not for Nicola Padula, her maternal grandfather. Would that not normally be included or did I miss it somehow?"

Karen

There is no death record for a great grandfather. What you have are death records for Maria Vittoria's father and her paternal grandfather (Giovanni -her father, and Nicola her paternal grandfather). There is no record for her maternal grandfather, Nicola Padula. You haven't missed it. Normally the death records for grandfathers I have seen in the processetti are in the male line, of either the groom or the bride, the latter as in this case. The list usually says "avo paterno," as it does here, to indicate that it is the grandfather on the individual's father's side of the family. I found it interesting that image 514 is actually a list of the contents of the processetti, although the names of the corresponding individuals are, unfortunately, missing from that list.

So you have:
the birth act of the groom
the birth act of the bride
the death certificate for his mother who died in the earthquake

for the bride-you have the death certificate for her mother who died in the earthquake
the death record for her father
the death record of her paternal grandfather
the family council act

Lastly, you have two other documents: the act of notification and a copy of the solemn promise

So, all of the records listed in image 514 are contained in the processetti for this marriage, and you have all of them.

Erudita

[khoney]

Thank you so much Erudita!
Karen

[erudita74]

You're very welcome, Karen.
Erudita