Death acts not witnessed by family or friends/neighbors

[MarcuccioV]

Also, in no act (birth death or marriage) during my research (be ancestors or not) was the birthplace left blank or crossed out. Not once.

[darkerhorse]

I don't think it's that unusual for an informant to know the spouse or parent's actual place of birth and not know their surname.

Have you perused neighboring records to see if there's a pattern?

For example, to tell if the clerk was just recording what the informant(s) said or recording the town's name by default when it was not provided or known.

In looking at other unrelated Valmontone records, I have found a few cases where other communes were listed -- but in most cases these were birth or marriage acts. I believe even in most of those the commune listed was one of the 2 neighboring communities, Artena or Labico, and not far-off regions...

I didn't mean neighboring towns. I meant records adjacent to your relatives' records in the same town ledgers, presumably recorded by the same clerk.

[MarcuccioV]

I didn't mean neighboring towns. I meant records adjacent to your relatives' records in the same town ledgers, presumably recorded by the same clerk.

Yes, that's what I meant. Sorry for the misunderstanding. Also, some of the above were subsequent clerks, no doubt. The oldest records follow the pattern I described, with no missing or crossed-out birthplaces.

[darkerhorse]

Have you tried perusing older records for Castiglione di Sicilia?

The surname is relatively common there today.

[darkerhorse]

It's more accurate to say it's found there more frequently than it's found in other towns.

[bbivona]

Death acts declared by the grave diggers (becchino) can have errors but not of the type you are describing. If a person dies at home (Parte 1) the becchino can declare the death taking information about the deceased from family members. Since they are not usually educated, occasionally names get mixed up.
If a person dies outside the home (in a ditch, street, etc) these acts are in Parte II or even III. In this case the declaration is clear, especially if the deceased is not known to anyone or his origins are not known. (John Doe) The clerk doesn't make 'educated' guesses about his origin. He records what he is told, and if the facts are unknown then it is crossed through.
Good luck in Valmontone.

If there was foul play, like a murder, how and where would that be recorded?

This is anecdotal but in the 1880s in Gibellina one of my ancestors murdered his brother in law. The death record was in with the main body of records (Part I). While death cause isn't normally listed, this one states that on that day he died at the hands of another man. In this case he was known, died locally, and it was known what happened. What I see in the Part II tends to be ones where the deceased's body is found elsewhere. (I have one where an estate guard died of frostbite in the guardhouse in a rural area and was found later. I have seen another where an unidentified body was found along the road in a rural area.)

[Italysearcher]

Specialized workers from other parts of Italy often came to towns devastated by earthquakes or other natural disasters to help with the reconstruction. They often married a local girl and stayed.

[darkerhorse]

Do any airlines have flights to Rome, connecting through Salt Lake City?

LOL. I'll be in Rome at the end of this month, and in SLC a year from now...

Will you be visiting Madre Sicilia?

Let us know if Pippo resembles his picture.

[MarcuccioV]

Do any airlines have flights to Rome, connecting through Salt Lake City?

LOL. I'll be in Rome at the end of this month, and in SLC a year from now...

Will you be visiting Madre Sicilia?

Let us know if Pippo resembles his picture.

Unfortunately it's a package tour so no such luck as much as I would like to, especially Agrigento province. Maybe I'll have another opportunity in a few years. This trip is Rome/Florence. Not my choice, but...

[MarcuccioV]

Specialized workers from other parts of Italy often came to towns devastated by earthquakes or other natural disasters to help with the reconstruction. They often married a local girl and stayed.

Not sure about any disasters (until WWII), but the commune grew somewhat starting around the late 18th century. Perhaps skilled laborers were needed and came from other places.

Looking at the records, the population grew exponentially over the years.

There has to be an explanation as to why I show so much of other regions in my DNA. The science is hard to deny; paperwork errors not so much...