help with birth record

[delfgill]

Hi everyone,

Record #470, page 1326, I'm trying to verify if Giuseppina Pezzin is the biological mother:

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903 ... 19&lang=en


Thanks!

[AngelaGrace56]

Yes, Giuseppina Pezzin is the biological mother.

Angela

[delfgill]

Thank you!

[AngelaGrace56]

The record says that both Gustavo and Giuseppina were single, so they weren't married at this time. They were possibly living common law. The baby wasn't presented to the official which was normally always the custom. The official gave a dispensation from the father doing so for hygiene? reasons. It is interesting that there is a signature there for Giuseppina?

Angela

[delfgill]

Yes, I noticed that her parents were both single when she was born. I don't understand what the hygiene reference means. I was also surprised to see Giuseppina's signature, which led me to second guess whether she was the mother.

[AngelaGrace56]

Yes, I noticed that her parents were both single when she was born. I don't understand what the hygiene reference means. I was also surprised to see Giuseppina's signature, which led me to second guess whether she was the mother.

I’d say that the mention of “hygiene” refers to health reasons. I notice that the baby was registered five days after the baby was born. Generally babies were registered soon after the baby was born. My thinking is that either the baby was unwell, born prematurely or both, and therefore vulnerable to the cold winter conditions or to any winter bugs that were circulating at that time.

Yes, I thought it was interesting that the mother was also present at the registration. She must have left the baby with family? To me, it looks like Gustavo’s signature has been written by the Clerk whereas I would say Giuseppina has signed herself so maybe that is why she appeared, so that her legit signature would be on the document???

Angela

[delfgill]

Usually, the mother did not attend the recording of birth due to the 40-day purification period following childbirth. I don’t know if Jewish culture followed the same practice. In any event, I’m sure there were exceptions to this rule.

I found info online that explains why the mother might be absent, but not the father:

The “hygiene excuse” would explain the mother’s non-attendance at the registration. Due to “reasons of hygiene” a euphemistic reference to the postpartum period or other vague circumstances. While a specific “hygiene excuse” would not appear on an Italian birth record, references to poor hygiene or social conditions were a euphemism used to conceal the illegitimacy of a child.

[liviomoreno]

Yes, I noticed that her parents were both single when she was born. I don't understand what the hygiene reference means. I was also surprised to see Giuseppina's signature, which led me to second guess whether she was the mother.

The hygiene excuse is used in all the records of this register.

[delfgill]

Thank you for pointing that out.

[delfgill]

I found the 1912 marriage record for Leoni and Pezzin, which mentions the children born prior to their marriage; however, I'm having a hard time separating the names. Could someone please help:

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903 ... d=M98G-Q8D

This is what I have:
The spouses explained to me that from their natural union they have three children, the 1st was born on April 20, 1896 in Verona, number 679, part one, as the daughter of unknown parents, with the name of Carmela Ines Melini; the 2nd a male born on July 8, 1905 in Venice, number 2239, part one, volume III, as the son of unknown parents, with the name of Ferdinando Gagnetti; the 3rd, female, was born on February 6, 1908 in Milan, number 470, part I, series D, with the name of Fani Leoni, and is the daughter of both spouses. I wasn't able to find the birth records for Carmela or Ferdinando, but I did find Ferdinando's death record.