Archer and Varrisi

[redshank]

Hi,

I wonder if anyone can help me with this family please.

What I know is that William Spearman Archer, born c1815, was Deputy Assistant Commissary General for the Ionian Islands from 1838 and Assistant Commissary General from 1850.

He married Giovanna Varrisi, according to information passed down in my wife's family, and they had at least 8 children. I don't have any details of the marriage or of any baptisms.

Again, from family lore, their daughter Adelaide Archer married a Conte C. Vernazzi and had two children (at least) - Francesco born c1873 and Stephens born 1876. The story is that Stevens was killed in the battle of Adonte in Abbysinia in 1895.

I have the memoirs of my wife's grandmother, Edith Archer, in which she talks about visiting her grandmother (Giovanna) in Livorno around the beginning of the 20thC.

I wonder if anyone can tell me how to corroborate this and how to discover more about the Varrisi family, please.

Thank you for any help you're able to give - this is completely new territory for me and, I'm afraid, I don't have any Italian.

redshank

[BillieDeKid]

Hi Redshank and welcome to the forum. Do you know if Giovanna was in the town of Livorno in the province of Livorno or a different town in Livorno? Let me know, the town of Livorno has alot of scanned records dating back to the 1700's. If it's the town of Livorno I'll post the link for you.

Regards,
Elizabeth

[redshank]

Hi Elizabeth,

Many thanks for your welcome and for your reply.

The memoirs - which is what I have to go on for the fact that Giovanna and her daughter were in Livorno around 1900 - say: "It was decided that we should first go to Livorno in Italy" and "At Livorno we stayed with our Grandmother who lived with her daughter in a flat overlooking the Promenade".

Whether Giovanna was from Livorno originally or settled there (after her husband died?) is something I'm not sure about, but I'd be grateful for any possible leads.

Thanks,
redshank

[BillieDeKid]

Hi Redshank

There are many LDS films for the town of Livorno in the province of Livorno. You should be able to find birth, death, marriages etc. Here are the main links
http://www.familysearch.org/eng/Library ... umns=*,0,0

Click on any of the links and follow until you see "view film notes" in the upper right. Click on view film notes and you will see a list of films available. You have to do this for each main link. Write down the film numbers and details that you would like to view. Find a Family History Center (FHC) near you
http://www.familysearch.org/eng/Library ... et_fhc.asp

Cost per film is about $5.00 USD and takes about 4 weeks to receive.

Post back if you have questions.

Hope this helps.

[redshank]

Hi Elizabeth,

Thank you, that's very helpful - I will follow up the LDS films and see whether I can find the family there.

Thanks,
redshank

[BillieDeKid]

Great. Let us know what you find. You should be able to find the marriage of Giovanna and William as well as the birth of the 8 children. When you find Giovanna's marriage document it should list her parents (including her mothers maiden name).

Anxious to see what happens for you!!!

[Tweeddale1]

Hello Redshank,

This is a long shot as you last logged in 2008. I am doing the Archer and Varrisi family tree for one of my childhood friends. She is an Archer and is, perhaps, one of your cousins. Her father was William John Archer 1860. I emailed her and told her about Edith's Memoirs and she was VERY excited! She knows very little about the earlier family, it seems but has given me bits of info re her father siblings.

I would very much like to make contact with you, if that is possible and can give you my email address, if you reply ... meaning that you have seen my entry!

Penelope (UK)

[redshank]

Hello Penelope,

Thank you for this - I had forgotten all about this group but I had set this thread to send me an email if anyone replied to my message.

I'd be very keen to share information with your Archer friend - who is she? My wife is also descended from William John Archer (1860 or 61), although I'm surprised that he was your friend's father as that would make your friend over 100 I think!

Anyway, if you can give me an email address, I will contact you again.

Best regards,
John (UK)

[suanj]

abt the Vernazzi, I believe that the surname was Vernazzi Fondulo( Vernazzi Fondulo) and a Stefano Vernazzi Fondulo died in Eritrea, in 1896 http://www.teuliex.com/AlboOnore/alboOnore.php

abt the Archers in Livorno, english cemetery, it are this gravestones:
ARCHER William Spearman 1891

ARCHER Giovanna 1907

ARCHER Costantine Jarney 1892

ARCHER Joseph 1875

ARCHER Thomas 1888

http://mercantilivornesi.wordpress.com/ ... f-leghorn/

the advice given by BillieDeKid is very helpful...
regards,
suanj

[redshank]

Thank you for that, suanj.

I think you must be right about Stefano's correct surname, and I'm grateful for the confirmation that he was killed in the Battle of Adowa in 1896. What I have on the Italian relatives is all a bit vague.

I had found the website for Leghorn/Livorno English cemetery with the burials of several of my wife's family, but thank you for that too.

Regarding BillieDeKid's advice, I'm sure it is very good. My problem has been that the nearest FHC was only open about four hours per week and that was when when I'm working. I believe it is now closed, but I understand that the new familysearch site has more and more Italian records online to search or browse, and I'm hoping that they will get Livorno before too long.

Thanks again,
John

[Tweeddale1]

For: Redshank
Hello John,

I have sent you two private messages containing my email address but I have a feeling that you are, perhaps, not receiving them ... or I am nsot doing the process correctly which is also possible.

I am also on Ancestry under the name BJ/RT and my Username is Tweeddale1. I thought I saw you name on Ancestry but cannot find it now.

I would love to hear from you.

Kind regards,
Penelope

[MattArcher]

https://witscloud-my.sharepoint.com/:b: ... Q?e=5aWriu

I think this might be of use? I am an Archer and I can link William Archer who married Giovanni in my lineage.