Mayors of Campobasso Italy

[Squigy]

My FHC will reopen next week and I will check the CB birth records circa 1889 for Elisa Grimaldi. I'll let you know if I find anything.

Thanks, you've been very helpful.

[JohnArmellino]

Thanks, you've been very helpful.

Prego!

[Squigy]

I did a little searching on Ellis Island for Elisa's adopted brother, and found his immigration record, with Elisa on it. It has her with her Godmother Filomena (this must be Florence, her caretaker) D'Andrea, nee Barill, going to see her Godfather Andrea (Andrew) D'Andrea. It also says her last residence was in Sepino, (which makes sense cause I knew she lived withe D'Andrea's) and that's just a half-hour away from Campobasso. Now the part that puzzles me is this. On the record it has her as Elisa Clemanni. I looked this name up, but could not find one other Clemanni. Do you think this was a mistake, and her name was Grimaldi? Anyway, I'm attaching a picture of the record, and would like to know what you think. Thanks.

http://img4.imageshack.us/i/tif2gif1.gif/

[pink67]

I want to make you see (just in the case you don't have) the 1910 census for the D'andrea family, maybe it can be helpful for your search:

1910 United States Federal Census
about Audy Dandy
Name: Audy Dandy
[Andy Dandy]
Age in 1910: 46
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1864
Birthplace: Italy
Relation to Head of House: Head
Father's Birth Place: Italy
Mother's Birth Place: Italy
Spouse's Name: Fannie
Home in 1910: Ellwood Ward 1, Lawrence, Pennsylvania
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Gender: Male
Year of Immigration: 1889
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Audy Dandy 46 head, born in IT, year of immigr. 1899, NA
Fannie Dandy 46 wife, born in IT, year of immigr. 1904
Pasqual Dandy 17 son, born in IT, year of immigr. 1904
Tony Dandy 12 son, born in IT, year of immigr. 1904
Rowe Dandy 5 daughter, born in PA
Nick Ross 18 boarder

[img=http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/6837/d ... sus.th.jpg]

Laura

[Squigy]

No, I don't have that (never would have thought to look up the name Dandy). This is them though. Fannie must be Filomena/Florence, Andy must be Andrea, and Tony is Gennaro. His teacher called him Tony cause she didn't want to use an Italian name. Unfortuanetly, this is after Elisa moved out. Also, the D'Andrea's are adopted relatives.

[pink67]

I looked this name up, but could not find one other Clemanni

.

Yes, Clemanni doesn't exist, sure it was a mispelling... a little bit strange as she was able to read and write (while all the D'Andrea weren't)...
Do you have for example her marriage certificate? Last name is Clemanni?

Laura

[Squigy]

I looked this name up, but could not find one other Clemanni

.

Yes, Clemanni doesn't exist, sure it was a mispelling... a little bit strange as she was able to read and write (while all the D'Andrea weren't)...
Do you have for example her marriage certificate? Last name is Clemanni?

Laura

She could read/write because her biological father was wealthy, and sent her to good schools, unfortuanetly, I don't know his name (I have explained a lot of this on the first page of this post). You will also notice, she paid her for her own ticket, and had 12 dollars on her. The only two plausible theories I have for why her name is listed as Clemanni are, 1. She changed it before she left Italy for some reason, and 2. It was a mistake on the manifest. As for her marriage certificate, the answer is no, I don't have it. She was married in America, so I'm going to contact the County she lived in and try to get them. They may have her adopted name on them, Giovannina/Jennie D'Andrea.

[JohnArmellino]

Squigy - I haven't forgotten about the Elisa Grimaldi lookup. My FHC delayed its reopening, first by one week, now for an additional two weeks. I guess I'll check in two weeks. I'll also keep an eye out for Clemanni, although that is not a campobassani surname.

[Squigy]

Squigy - I haven't forgotten about the Elisa Grimaldi lookup. My FHC delayed its reopening, first by one week, now for an additional two weeks. I guess I'll check in two weeks. I'll also keep an eye out for Clemanni, although that is not a campobassani surname.

I didn't think you forgot. I just did a little research in the mean time, and wanted to know what you thought about the name. (By the way, I looked up Clemanni and couldn't find a thing).

[JohnArmellino]

Squigy - I just got an e-mail from my FHC. Now it will reopen on Oct 11. That will make a 10-week closing -- if it actually reopens on that date. It will probably reopen just in time for the Thanksgiving closing!

[Squigy]

I thought mine was bad because they put their opening off by a week. But they're operated by volunteers, so it must be hard to maintain a good schedule. By the way something has been bothering me. I saw a few post about foundling infants, and it fits too well with what I have to leave this unsaid. #1. A local official made up names for the babies. This could be why her name is Clemanni/Clunanni (A name we know does not exist). #2. They put her in the care of a woman who just lost a child. Filomena D'Andrea had recently lost her baby. #3. The Sindaco of the town paid for the children until age 14-20, this could be why she thought the he was her grandfather. My cousin just sent me an e-mail saying she was illegitimate, is it possible she was an put in the d'Andrea's care because of this? Also, if they did this, would she be able to visit her parents and siblings? Elisa told her daughter (my great great aunt) she visited them. She said her mother didn't seem to care much for her, but her father did. She also said when she was 12, her father told her he wanted her back, this implies that he gave her up at one point. What do you make of this?

[JohnArmellino]

By the way something has been bothering me. I saw a few post about foundling infants, and it fits too well with what I have to leave this unsaid. #1. A local official made up names for the babies. This could be why her name is Clemanni/Clunanni (A name we know does not exist). #2. They put her in the care of a woman who just lost a child. Filomena D'Andrea had recently lost her baby. #3. The Sindaco of the town paid for the children until age 14-20, this could be why she thought the he was her grandfather. My cousin just sent me an e-mail saying she was illegitimate

The same thought occurred to me --- Elisa might very well have been a foundling, or proietta. The facts you mentioned all fit the pattern. A foundling was not necessarily illegitimate. Sometimes a family was just too poor to care for another child. However, in many cases the child was, in fact, illegitimate. In Campobasso, a foundling was usually placed in the care of a woman who had just lost a child. In the larger cities there were professional wet nurses and there appears to have been a few of these in CB. However, the majority of foundlings were placed with ordinary families.

would she be able to visit her parents and siblings? Elisa told her daughter (my great great aunt) she visited them. She said her mother didn't seem to care much for her, but her father did.

Although the anonymity of the parent(s) was supposed to be protected when a child was abandoned, I suspect that sometimes the actual identity of the parent(s) was generally known. This might be the case here. If so, Elisa may have known who her father was and actually did visit him. Perhaps his wife wasn't the mother and, thus, did not care too much for her.

She also said when she was 12, her father told her he wanted her back, this implies that he gave her up at one point.

There was a procedure whereby a parent who had abandoned a child could reclaim or recognize that child. In fact, a child was sometimes left with a token or note that would enable the parent(s) to later identify and reclaim the child. This was memorialized in records called Atti di Recognizioni. These records were kept with the Atti di Diversi. In 19th century CB, only 3-4% of abandoned children were either reclaimed as children or recognized later on in life by their parent(s).

When I check the CB records I will also look for Elisa Clemanni/Clunanni among the proietti records.

[Squigy]

Do you think they would give the name Clemanni/Clunanni? Also, would it say on her birth record what the token of identification was? Oh by the way, I'm posting a picture of Elisa. I thought you might want to know what she looked like. It's a picture of her wedding day age 17. The pic is a little blurry. http://img2.imageshack.us/i/200982217424q.jpg/

[JohnArmellino]

Do you think they would give the name Clemanni/Clunanni?

In Campobasso, there was no hard and fast rule with respect to the selection of names for proietti. In the early church records, a proietto was sometimes referred to simply by a given name with no surname indicated. During the early part of the 19th century, the town often used the surnames Esposito and Fortunato. However, by the middle of that century, they predominantly used variations of common surnames, e.g., Angellillo becomes Angellini. By the end of the 19th century, you start to see more imaginative surnames. The nicest assigned surnames I have run across (IMHO) are Cuorgiusto [true heart] and Fiorebello [beautiful flower]. Clemanni/Clunanni might easily be a name given to a proietto.

Also, would it say on her birth record what the token of identification was?

The date of abandonment and the name given to the foundling were recorded in the Registri della Stato Civile, together with an estimate of the foundling’s age and [usually] the name of the wet-nurse (and her husband) into whose care the foundling was given. The record would also state whether the child was or was not left with a token or other sign. On a couple of occasions I've seen records where the abandoned child's given name was included in a note attached to the child and described in the record. On one occasion the Mayor used this name and on the other occasion he gave the child a different given name.

PS: The picture is great.

[Squigy]

John,

I was just wondering if your FHC has opened yet, and if so, have you had time to check their records for Elisa? I don't want you to feel like I'm pressuring you at all, because I'm not. I was just wondering. I have also contacted Elisa's brother (Pasquale D'Andrea's) daughter, and am going to try and see if she has any idea who Elisa's biological parents are. I'll let you know if I find something out.


-Squigy