Foundling Baptismal Document

[CiaoThina]

I think I may have found my great grandfather's baptismal record after a ton of searching. I think its his although I'm trying to read the cursive. It looks almost like his name is written as "joseph" vs Giuseppe and the "foundling home matron's" as "Joanna" vs "Giovanna". The dates line up, and according to the birth record (which is also accurate as far as birth town/dates) also has the matron of the home with the last name as Cavallaro. So I'm pretty sure this is his. Its #181

I roughly translated the latin, so it seems pretty cut and dry, basically they named him? Anyone else have more insight?

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903 ... cc=2013622

My next goal is to figure exactly where he went after he was born. By all accounts he was loved by whomever raised him. He remained in contact with her long after he came to the US and sent money back to her until her death. He even named his first daughter after her (and not his MIL who they lived with , no worries named their second daughter after MIL)

Anyway been slowing unraveling this story. I've never felt closer to someone who died when I was just a kid

[Tessa78]

The margin note states that Josephus(Latin)/Giuseppe Failla married Maria Cristina Tracina on 25 April 1925.
She was age 21, the daughter of Caietani/Gaetano [Tracina], and Agathae/Agata Fabiano.

T.

[CiaoThina]

I think that was for a different person, record #180, unless I’m reading the name/margins wrong. The person I think is my great grandfather is #181. I pretty sure he wasn’t married in Sicily in 1925 because he was already in the US by that time.

[Tessa78]

Yes, you are correct. I erroneously read #180.

T.

[CiaoThina]

Unless my Great Grandfather had a whole other life! But I doubt it. I can account for his whereabouts during that time I do find it interesting the Latin spelling of his name. He tended to use the Joseph vs Giuseppe, and if I go for citizenship, I was concerned about that being an issue, since his name flipped back and forth. It turns out his baptismal name was “Josephus” so that explains some of it.

Now to figure out how to track down the records of who raised him. I suppose citizen ship records? Would he be on those? I was looking on death records for any child who may have died with the surname of the woman who named him in the few months before he was born, only because I know there were a lot of rules for wetnurses. They had to prove they weren’t nursing their own child, by either having weaned their own, or having lost a child. They also had to be “in good standing” so they’d be a family on the books...not in the shadows or underground.

Back to searching

[mmogno]

Have you his birth record?

[CiaoThina]

Yes, I believe you and Tessa translated it. He's number #321 on the bottom right and it continues to the next page

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903 ... cc=2043496

I'm nearly certain this is him, the dates and town match up. That's why I'm fairly certain this baptismal certificate is his as well. Also it appears the foundling home Matron's name was Giovanna Cavallaro. I still don't know who Antonina Gangemi is and how she plays a role in everything. Was she his mother? Aunt? Relative? It seems she brought him there, unless she too worked at the home and was the one who found him first?

That being said at that time it appears there was an actual home for unwed mothers that allowed them to give birth and kept the names of the mother's sealed but should the child be raised in the confines of the walls of the home they'd be given that info (still fact checking that bit). I'm in the midst of some research regarding the specific home in Catania. It seems they went to a lot of effort to prevent infanticide. Apparently they also realized the sooner foundling infants were given to wet-nurses (in the country was deemed better than city ones) the better, they had a much higher rate of survival if fostered immediately. Foundling infants had a high mortality rate, but efforts were made to decrease that. I never realized I'd be so interested in this topic.

[Italysearcher]

There are a lot of posts on my website about foundlings that you may find interesting.

[Tessa78]

Yes, I believe you and Tessa translated it. He's number #321 on the bottom right and it continues to the next page

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903 ... cc=2043496

I'm nearly certain this is him, the dates and town match up. That's why I'm fairly certain this baptismal certificate is his as well. Also it appears the foundling home Matron's name was Giovanna Cavallaro. I still don't know who Antonina Gangemi is and how she plays a role in everything. Was she his mother? Aunt? Relative? It seems she brought him there, unless she too worked at the home and was the one who found him first?

That being said at that time it appears there was an actual home for unwed mothers that allowed them to give birth and kept the names of the mother's sealed but should the child be raised in the confines of the walls of the home they'd be given that info (still fact checking that bit). I'm in the midst of some research regarding the specific home in Catania. It seems they went to a lot of effort to prevent infanticide. Apparently they also realized the sooner foundling infants were given to wet-nurses (in the country was deemed better than city ones) the better, they had a much higher rate of survival if fostered immediately. Foundling infants had a high mortality rate, but efforts were made to decrease that. I never realized I'd be so interested in this topic.

If you are truly interested in learning more on this subject, you might consider reading "Sacrificed for Honor: Italian Infant Abandonment and the Politics of Reproductive Control" by David K. Kertzer.

T.

[CiaoThina]

Funny you should mention that. I found that author and have one of his books on order. My library can order books from all over the country, so I believe it’s coming from Boston. He’s written a few books, that may be the one I’m waiting for.