Charles Rinaldi of Massachusetts

[rinaldifiglio]

Hello, everyone! Buon giorno a tutti!

I'm trying to locate information on a very early immigrant to the US with an Italian surname. Charles Rinaldi was in and around Salem and Lebanon Massachusetts just after the American Revoluton. Family legend holds that the family originated in or near Turin and was French-speaking. (The usual family verbiage speaks of "Torino, Provincia di Torino, and Savoia" as the family's "seats." I am assuming that this essentially means Turin!)

Charles married Polly Warren in 1785, and information about her is also scanty. Their son, John Warren Rinaldi, moved to North Carolina and had a goodly number of sons including my ancestor Benjamin Franklin Rinaldi. There are quite a few Rinaldis of this specific line in the south today.

Clearly, this is a case of a very early Italian immigrant. I have no clue if there is kinship with the Rinaldis who came over during the great waves of Italian immigration in the 19th century. Furthermore, I don't know if he was the immigrant, or if a parent or parents came over before him. And why, and how!

Any suggestions or ideas? Any cousins out there?

mille grazie!

Giovanni

[jcsm400]

Hi rinaldifiglio & welcome to the forum!

Do you have this information?

Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s
about Charles Rinaldi
Name: Charles Rinaldi
Year: 1782
Place: Boston, Massachusetts
Source Publication Code: 9680
Primary Immigrant: Rinaldi, Charles
Source Bibliography: WESTCOTT, THOMPSON. Names of Persons Who Took the Oath of Allegiance to the State of Pennsylvania between the Years 1777-1789.... Philadelphia: Campbell, 1865. 145p. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, 1965.
Page: 94

This site maybe helpful, but you need to be a member to get the full benifits. It's also a society that you may want to contact.

http://www.newenglandancestors.org/

Also, you may want to contact the MA State Archives.

http://www.sec.state.ma.us/arc/arcidx.htm

And check out the "Books We Own" at rootsweb.com. Very helpful volunteers.

Hope this helps a little.

jcsm

[jcsm400]

From our member "vj" who is a member of NEHGS.
Thank you, Valarie!


from NEHGS
Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850
(transcriptions of original records)
All are Salem town marriages (* = intention also recorded)
1739 RINALDI David, of Salisbury, and Mrs. Anna Gale, Aug. 1, 1739. *
1767 RINALDI RINDGE (see also Ringe), Elizabeth, and David Kearney, both of Marblehead, Nov. 1, 1767.
1770 RINALDI Seth, and Anne Paterson, Nov. 25, 1770.
1785 RINALDI Charles [of Boston, int.], and Polly Warren, certif. Mar. 14, 1785. *
1794 RINALDI RING, Anna, wid., and William Phippen, Aug. 6, 1794. *
1794 RINALDI Seth, and Mehitable Motry [Mottey. int. and C. R. 1.], Sept. 25, 1794. *
1817 RINALDI Sally, and John Lane, Dec. 28, 1817. *
1823 RINALDI Eliza, and Abraham Kimball, June 5, 1823. *
1823 RINALDI Nancy S. [T. int.], and Elisha G. Bunker [of Boston, int.], May 11, 1823. *
1829 RINALDI Mehitable M., and Nicholas Lane, Apr. 27, 1829. *
1845 RINALDI Ann, and John Kelley, int. Aug. 10, 1845.
1849 RINALDI Bridget, and Mich[ae]l Cassidy [Welch, int.], both b. Ireland, Aug. 20, 1849.



You may also be interested in same of the films of the LDS Church.>

http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library ... umns=*,0,0

Also, check under just Massachusetts.

Hope this helps.

jcsm

[rinaldifiglio]

This is fantastic! Thanks for both replies! I haven't checked that book of passenger lists, but I will--great tip.

Best,

Gio-gio

[jcsm400]

Glad to help. Let us know if you need anything further, at anytime during your research.

Happy hunting!

jcsm

[rinaldifiglio]

hello, me again!

I am still working on information about the wife of Charles Rinaldi, Polly Warren. However, I would like to start work on the Rinaldi line. I believe he came from Turin, and you have kindly provided a date. What is the next step for me to take? Do you recommend passenger lists, or is it time to write to Italia? Where should I start the search for his parents?

Sorry to be so clueless! 8O

My Rinaldis subsequently moved to North Carolina and fought in the War of 1812 and also the Civil War.

Mille grazie ancora,

Giovanni

[Biff83]

Some Civil War Rinaldis who fought for the Confederacy in North Carolina Units.

Name/ Company/ Unit/ Rank at Induction/ Rank at Discharge

Albert Rinaldi/ B / 2 North Carolina Artillery. (36 State Troops.)/ Ord. Sergeant / Ord. Sergeant

Albert Rinaldi/ K / 18 North Carolina Infantry./ Private/ 1 Sergeant /

Benjamin F. Rinaldi/ B / 2 North Carolina Artillery. (36 State Troops.) / 1 Sergeant / 1 Sergeant

Benjamin F. Rinaldi/ K 18 North Carolina Infantry./ Private/ Captain

And one Rinaldi who fought for the Union

Charles Rinaldi/ I / 23 Connecticut Infantry./ Private/ Private

[jcsm400]

Hi Giovanni,

Welcome back!

Early passenger lists will not have his town information. I would suggest checking for church records him & his children, court records & deed records. Also check for bios on his descendants.

You may want to consult some of the films of the Family History Library.

http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library ... umns=*,0,0

These are only my suggestions. Perhaps another member will have some other ideas.

If you need more information on the films, the FHL, or on anything else. please let us know.

Hope it helps.


jcsm

[rinaldifiglio]

[quote="Biff83"]Some Civil War Rinaldis who fought for the Confederacy in North Carolina Units.<cut>

Grazie! Actually, you mention my direct ancestor, Benjamin Franklin Rinaldi. This is my very line, and I am related to most of the others you mention. As a northerner, I am sobered by my own connection to both sides of the Civil War...

From Charles Rinaldi and Polly Warren forwards (they married in 1785), I have a lot of information. It's going backwards from there that I could use help with, how to find Charles' place of origin (we believe Turin) and ancestry there.

There are family legends: he was Protestant, he spoke French, he was from "Turin, Provincia di Torino, Savoia." Probably somewhat garbled, but perhaps a clue is there? Were there French-speaking, Protestant folk in northwestern Italy?

This forum is terrific--friendly, eager to help, nice to a newcomer. Grazie ancora a tutti!

Giovanni

[rinaldifiglio]

Hi again-

I can add to the Rinaldi story for the Civil War.

Two of Benjamin F. Rinaldi's brothers, William and Eugene, died in the Civil war fighting in Alabama. William died at the battle of Poindexter's Farm, July 1862, fighting a New York City regiment; and Eugene--his death was terrible.

Eugene was imprisoned and died at Elmira, New York, the site of the most atrocious POW camp in the entire Civil War. A description of what happened there would be too graphic for this forum. You can easily look it up if you wish.

Another brother, Henry Rinaldi, fought in the war and survived. So did Benjamin, which is why I'm here today.

These guys were sons of John Warren Rinaldi, son of that first immigrant Charles. J. W. Rinaldi, incidentally, was involved in one of the great naval battles of the War of 1812, the battle between the USS Wasp and the HMS Frolic.

Wow! That's enough for one posting.

I'll also look up the wills, deeds, and other items---thanks for that advice.

Gio-gio

[Biff83]

There are family legends: he was Protestant, he spoke French, he was from "Turin, Provincia di Torino, Savoia." Probably somewhat garbled, but perhaps a clue is there? Were there French-speaking, Protestant folk in northwestern Italy?

Giovanni

Giovanni,

You might find this interesting relative to Protestant Italians in NW Italy who settled in NC.

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index ... hl=valdese

[rinaldi1781]

Greetings rinaldifiglio,
I saw your message and finally found time to contact you. I am a descendant of Hannah Rinaldi, sister to John Warren Rinaldi. Like you, I have some details on the Rinaldi family in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and I did trace John Warren Rinaldi's line a bit in the south (and his naval career, his earlier marriage to Ackermann, some questions about possible children in Maine- George Rinaldia, Charles Rinaldia).

As you know, this is a challenging family to trace. I live in California, but I have visited Portsmouth, Lebanon, and areas the Rinaldis' frequented. Still there are so many questions outstanding.

The biggest question is, as you put it, the origin of our Rinaldi family. I had been leaning toward Genova, based only on the shipping connections to America at that time. Genova is very close to Savoie/Torino, and I was figuring his origin might be somewhere in the Piedmonte area.

Actually my Hannah married John B. Lacoste, a French immigrant to the US in 1806. They lived with Charles Rinaldi for a while, and were involved in business with him briefly. 3 Years ago I visited the Bordeaux region of France tracing the Lacoste line. I hope, in the not too distance future, to seek out the Rinaldi city of origin..

I am very interested in getting in touch with you and exchanging information. Perhaps we can make a bit of progress on this together.

Hope to hear from you...
Best wishes,
Steve
rinaldi1781
(talley1812@gmail.com)