Entry to USA 1830s

[Woodworm]

I would like to confirm how my g g grandfather Spiridione Gambardella gained entry to USA in 1830s. He was a political refugee and may possibly have come over on an american naval vessel?

Does anyone know how I can check this out?
He applied for a USA passport to come to England in 1841
I can't find anything on the Ellis Island records but that may not apply to a naval vessel?

Thanks everyone for the information up until now

[johnnyonthespot]

Not directly answering your question, but I found these on ancestry.com.

[johnnyonthespot]

Was he a portrait painter?

See this page. Active in England 1842-1868.

Born in Naples, perhaps? See this Google book, published in 1896.

One of his paintings is held by Boston's Museum of Fine Arts. This one says, "Spiridione Gambardella, Italian, active in U.S. and England 1835–1868"

[johnnyonthespot]

Also, this site is interesting as well. Spiridione is mentioned in numerous "letters", including one in which he is identified as, "Gambardella, Spiridione (see 13:300 and 15:189–90), Italian portrait painter and political exile; in U.S., 1835–40, before coming to Britain and being introduced to the Carlyles by a letter from Emerson." I suspect that if you go through these 63 entries carefully you may find further reference to his refugee status.

Further on, simply googling "Spiridione Gambardella refugee" turns up lots of interesting stuff. For example, a passage from this Google book which reads in part, "Spiridione Gambardella was born at Naples. He was a refugee from Italy, having escaped, the story was, on board an American man-of-war..."

[Woodworm]

That was quick! Thanks for the emmigration douments and the book references. He was indeed a artist. I am familiar with the Carlyle letters but not the books of Emerson/Carlyle correspondence so thanks again for that.
I wonder if there are any naval records in the US that I could investigate?

[johnnyonthespot]

A further search of Google books turns up so many interesting links that even I am finding myself drawn into them. A few examples:

http://books.google.com/books?id=OLY4AA ... la&f=false

http://books.google.com/books?id=nK9YAA ... la&f=false

http://books.google.com/books?id=tgoNAQ ... ee&f=false (scroll down several pages to find the reference to Gambardella

[johnnyonthespot]

By the way, if you haven't done so already, I would suggest seeking out his naturalization documents. From the other information we have found, we know his birthdate, location, and where he was living in the US, so should not be too difficult. His naturalization file may speak to his refugee status and certainly to his method of arrival in the US.

You can check the USCIS website for starters.

[johnnyonthespot]

From this site, "Naturalization records: duplicates of state court records and originals of federal court records of naturalization, 1790-1906, are available at the National Archives--New England region, 380 Trapelo Rd., Waltham, Ma 02154, (781) 223-2657."

Use the info from the naturalization index card I posted in an earlier message.

[Woodworm]

Thank you very much Johnnyonthespot this will keep me going for a little while. I have got some of these books already. You may like to know he also applied here in the u.k for naturalization in 1846.

Thanks again

[pink67]

For references, previous post:

http://italiangenealogy.tardio.com/Foru ... 14152.html

Laura