Huge dilemma!

[melissah23]

My father and I have been searching desperately for several years to find our family's Italian roots.

The only information we have is this;

My great grandfather is Francesco Roselli (born about 1884) in an unknown part of Italy. His parents are listed on several documents as Salvatore Roselli (died before 1912) and Lena George.

Salvatore was listed on Francesco's Scottish registration record as a farmer.

Francesco appears to have been a military police officer in Italy before leaving for Scotland, judging by a photo we have.

Francesco emigrated to Scotland sometime before 1917 and married an Annie Buchanan in 1912. They had several children together, my grandfather included. Francesco died in Scotland in 1934.

I do not know if Francesco had any siblings, how he travelled to Scotland from Italy, if his parents names are exact or just loose translations from when he arrived in Scotland or if his family stayed behind in Italy when he left.

Is there anyway I can try to find out more information on him without knowing where exactly he is from?

Thanks!

Melissa

[tonyric]

Pass this information to your local consulate. They may be able to point you in the right direction. If he were in the Italian Military, they should have records of where is home town was.

[PeterTimber]

Go to www.BMD.org.uk and select all types and nothing other than ROSELLI and check out the entire Roselli indixes in that website. Go to www.findmypast.com whichis a paying site and its free if you just put inRoselli and nothing else!!! and then when the next screen is cleared scroll down to a list of numbers under BMD, Census Army etc and select those items with less than 10 numbers in each category and then you will see the first name of the Roselli's listed and where they lived and theirlisting by year.

Youmay not find an immediate connection to Italy but if you find your family roots you might be able to pick up their italian origin. Keep me posted. =Peter=

[PeterTimber]

In additon go to www.freeBMD.org.uk and under search sleect all types and put in Roselli as well. =Peter=

[BethW]

Hi Melissa,

I looked at the images you posted on Ancestry. (At least I'm assuming that was you.) Have you tried the Scotland's People site at all - www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk ? I know it's a pay site, but in my own experience you get a lot for your 6GBP. I poked around a little and it looks like they have the marriage register entry for Francesco and Annie. If so, that might have more information. They also show two Roselli births before 1912. My credits are expired so I couldn't go any farther to check them out.

Good luck.
Beth

[melissah23]

Thanks all for your input - we've searched all over Scotland for records and thus far have only found his marriage record, death record and his alien registration card which another family member had.

There seems to be no record of his entry to Scotland at all, and with such vague information about his parents it's been nearly impossible to find anything else.

So frustrating!

[melissah23]

I should mention that it's not really finding information in Britain that's the problem, it's finding information in Italy because we're not sure where in Italy he's from.

[PeterTimber]

Dear Melissah This is the rub!! What we are trying to do is locate some shred of information indicating a region, province or Mercifully a city,town or village of origin. In Italy most records are in the place where a BMD occurred. Is there any possiblity that family oral history has any such indication?? A patron Saint? a Church name? a feast day or Name of the patron Saint, old letters, photographs (photographers names sometimes appear and location)... Have you scrutinized the www.findmypast.com?? That website, a paying site, may be the way to go. =Peter=

[melissah23]

We've scrutinized findmypast.com, scotlands people, have had people in the UK scouring the Mitchell library archives, ancestry.com, freebmd, you name it we've looked!

The records we have found are his marriage registration - no info about where he comes from, his death certificate - no info about where he comes from, and his alien registration - and you guessed it, no info about where he comes from (other than Italy).

My grandfather was VERY young when his father passed away and has nearly no recollection of him at all - neither do any of his siblings. We only have 2 photos of my ggrandfather - one on his Alien Registration card, which does not list a place of origin, and one in a military uniform which is here...

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p199 ... o5B15D.jpg

with no other info attached to it.

His children all had very Scottish names, so even that doesn't give us a clue.

[PeterTimber]

DOES ANYBODY KNOW WHAT DIALECT HE SPOKE?? =Peter=

[BethW]

I saw that you came across a possible lead on Genealogy.com a while back - Antonio Roselli (b. 1885) of Piedimonte San Germano, son of Salvatore Roselli and Maria Elena di Giorgio. Did anything come of that?

[PeterTimber]

There is even one Roselli currently living in residence in Piedemonte San Germano too!! www.pagi nebianche.it and may be worthwhile if you either call that Roselli there or write him a letter in Italian (www.mangeruca.com for potential relative letter in Italian. =Peter=

[PeterTimber]

www.paginebianche.it =peter=

[melissah23]

Beth - we compared pictures with the woman who had the information on Salvatore and Maria, and none of their sons were my ggrandfather unfortunately Just a coincidence!

[Marisa6]

Hi Melissa

You may already know this, but Italians in Scotland generally (but not exclusively) come from one of three locations. There are a very small number from around Borgo Val di Toro who settled up in the north. The remaining two groups are from the Comino Valley – around the area of Picinisco, and the Barga area of Tuscany. The groups came across at different times. Before about 1870 Italian immigration into Scotland tended to be craftsmen who came over singly. From about 1870 to 1910-20 the main group came from the Picinisco area. After that it was the Tuscans. Your ancestor is a little difficult because he is just after one lot, and just before the other.

Roselli is quite a diffuse name. Its difficult to pinpoint exactly where in Italy it originates. I’ve had a look at some Rosellis in Scotland on various censuses and certificates. There is a Frances Roselli on the 1901 census. He is too old to be your Francesco, but as most immigration at that point was ‘chain migration’ he could well be a cousin. Francis is living with two other men, a Picozzi and a Verrecchia. Verrecchia is mostly a Comino Valley name.

There were two Roselli children born in Scotland prior to 1912. They lived in the Coatbridge area which is just to the south of Glasgow. They may also be relatives. The parents of these children are Nicandro Roselli and Antonia Paone. Their place of marriage is given as Pozzilli. Pozzilli is in Molise and not far geographically from the Comino Valley. I think this would be a good place to start your search.

Hope that helps

Marisa