Anna Maria Brancato and Anna Maria Colucci from Satriana di Luciana - different names or different women?

[jlb59]

Hi, this is my first post so apologies if I've misformatted anything! I am hoping for some advice. I believe someone in my family tree was referred to by different surnames, but I am struggling to prove it.

An ancestor, Rosaria Faraone, married in Pietrafesa (now called Satriano di Luciano, Potenza) in 1815; her marriage record shows her father was Francesco Faraone and her mother Anna Maria Brancato, who were both alive at the time and consented to the marriage. Luckily, Pietrafesa's church records have been digitised on FamilySearch, so I have found the baptism record of Rosaria Faraone and her two younger sisters, Carmina (1801) and Angela (1809). All of the records show that their mother was called Anna Maria Brancato (or sometimes Anna Donati Brancato).

However, in the parish's Stato di Anime in 1818, Francesco Faraone is shown living with Anna Maria Colucci (born 14 November 1764), described as his wife, and his two younger daughters. This arrangement is repeated in Stato di Anime in 1828 and 1836 (she is called Coluccio in those). However, when Carmina married in Pietrafesa in 1828, her mother was still listed as Anna Maria Brancato and was said to be living in the comune. But when Angela married in 1835 (also in Pietrafesa), her mother was called Anna Maria Coluccio and consented to the marriage under that name, even though the baptism record included in the processetti is the same as the one mentioned above, which called her mother Brancato. Then, in 1841, I find that Anna Maria Brancato's death is registered in the Stato Civile in Pietrafesa; it does not give any details of marital status, but says she died on 3 October 1841, was born in Pietrafesa and the daughter of Donato Brancato and Rosaria Colluci. But the church burial registers show that Anna Maria Coluccio, said to be the wife of Francesco Faraone, died on 3 October 1841 aged 77 and was buried in the parish. Francesco Faraone then died in 1847 in Pietrafesa; both his Stato Civile record and his burial register entry stated that he was the widower of Anna Maria Brancato.

This has been confusing. Initially I thought that Francesco had simply remarried sometime between 1815 and 1818, but then I found the later marriage records and the death and burial records. I now believe that Anna Maria Brancato and Anna Maria Colucci(o) were actually the same person. But I was hoping to get some insight into whether this is possible or likely? If it is, is there anything else I can do to prove this?

My suspicion is that Anna Maria Colucci was born out of wedlock (illegitimate) to Rosaria Colucci in 1764; Rosaria then married Donato Brancato and thereby legitimised the children, but the church continued to use her baptismal name. I have managed to find the marriage of Donato Brancato and Rosaria Colucci at Pietrafesa in 1767 (FamilySearch, film 007958681, image 709 https://www.familysearch.org/search/fil ... at=1111367), but I have not yet found a baptismal record for Anna Maria or anything about legitimisation. Would anyone be able to help? As the handwriting is quite challenging to read, I wondered if someone might be able to look at the baptismal records for the 1760s and 1770s to see if anything useful is in there? (The baptism records are in FamilySearch film 007958683 https://www.familysearch.org/search/fil ... at=1111367, starting around image 230).

I will post a detailed list of evidence below. If anyone can offer any thoughts or even find any new evidence, it would be much appreciated. Thank you!

[jlb59]

The following is evidence for the information discussed in my original post.

Francisco Faraone and Anna Maria Brancato had at least three daughters who were baptised in Pietrafesa (modern name: Satriano di Luciana), Potenza:

1. Rosaria Angela Rosa, bapt. 7 August 1798, daughter of "Francisco Faraone et Maria Donati Brancato conjugibus". Godmother: Feliciana Lancone. [FamilySearch film 007958683, image 420]

2. Carmelia Angela, b. 11 June 1801 and bapt. 12 June 1801, daughter of "Francisco Faraone et Anna Maria Donati Brancato conjugibus". Godmother: Dominica Panza [FamilySearch film 007958683, image 441]

3. Angela Rosa Antonia, bapt. 13 November 1809, daughter of "conjug. Francisco Faraone et Anna Ma. Brancato". Godmother: Dominica Panza [FamilySearch film 007958683, image 493]


On 16 December 1815, the following marriage took place in Pietrafesa:

Number: 17
Groom: Francesco Gallucci, aged 23, contadino
Birthplace: Buccino [in Salerno]
Father: Nicola Gallucci
Mother: Maria dello Tartara
Bride: Rosaria Faraone, aged 17, contadina
Birthplace: not stated
Father: Francesco Faraone, aged 46, contadino
Mother: Anna Maria Brancato

This is an extract of the part concerning Rosaria Faraone:

"e comparsa equalmente Rosaria Faraone, di condizione contadina, di anni dicisette, figlia di Francesco Faraone di condizione contadino, di anni quarantasei, abitando colla medesima qui presenta, e dando il suo consenso, e di Anna Maria Brancato convivando col marito, qui presenta, e dando il suo consenso, domicilanta la medesima Rosaria nella contrada bopedale"

Which I have translated as:

"and equally appearing [before me] is Rosaria Faraone, peasant, aged seventeen, daughter of Francesco Faraone, peasant, aged forty-six, living with the same here presented, and giving his consent, and of Anna Maria Brancato, living with her husband, presented here, and giving her consent, domiciled with the said Rosaria in the district of the hospital."

[source: Antenati, Satriano di Luciana marriages, 1815, no. 17 (images 17-19)]


However, in parish of Pietrafesa's Stato di Anime survey of 1818, we find the following:

Casa propria
Francesco Faraone di ca. anni 50
Anna Ma. Colucci me. 14. 9bre. 1764.
Carmina figlia 10. Giugno 1801.
Angela figlia 11. 9br. 1809.

[source: FamilySearch film 007958678, image 314]


At Pietrafesa on 5 December 1828, the Stato Civile records the following marriage:

Groom: Carminantonio Taurisano, 26, contadino
Birthplace: Tito
Father: Vito Taurisano (deceased)
Mother: Teresa Laurino (deceased)
Bride: Carmina Faraone, 27
Birthplace: Pietrafesa
Living in strade ospedale
Father: Francesco Faraone (contadino, domiciled in the comune)
Mother: Annamaria Brancato (domiciled in the comune)

The processetti do not survive, but the following documents were submitted:
1. Fede di nascita dello sposo
2. Fede di nascita dello sposa
3. Certificato di morte del padre dello sposo
4. Certificato di morte della madre dello sposo
5. Fede di morte dell' ovo dello sposo.
6. Affisso della publicazione fatta in questro Comune.
7. Atto della publicazione fatta nel Tito.
Il consenso ella sposa e stato dato verbalmente da Francesco Faraone di loi padre presente all'atto.

The marriage itself took place on 7 December.

[source: Antenati, Satriano di Luciana marriages, 1828, no. 12, imgs 24-26]


At the Stato di Anime survey of 1828, we find:

Francesco Faraone di an. 60 ca.
Annamaria Colucci me. 14. Nov. 1764.
Angela f. 9 Nov. 1809.

[source: FamilySearch film 007958678, image 341]


The marriage of the third daughter was registered on 10 May 1835 and took place in church two days later:

Groom: Pasquale di Mensa, 26, contadino
Birthplace: Picerno
Father: Nicola di Mensa (domiciled in Pietrafesa)
Mother: Antonia Casale (domiciled in Pietrafesa)
Bride: Angela Faraone, 25
Birthplace: Pietrafesa
Father: Francesco Faraone (domiciled in Pietrafesa)
Mother: Annamaria Coluccio (domiciled in Pietrafesa)

The processetti consisted of the birth records of the bride and groom, notifications in Pietrafesa and Picerno, and "Il consenso e stato dato verbalmente allo sposo da Nicola di Mensa di loi padre, et alla sposa de di loi genitori Francesco Faraone, ed Annamaria Coluccio presenti all'atto".

[source: Antenati, Satriano di Luciana marriages, 1835, no. 8, images 16-18]


The processetti, however, reveals that the baptism record supplied by the bride was the same as the one quoted above, which showed the mother as "Anna Ma. Brancato".

[source: Antenati, Satriano di Luciana processetti, 1835, no. 8, images 56-61]


At the 1836 Stato di Anime, we find:

178: Franco. Faraone, ca. 68
Annama. Coluccio me. 14 9bre. 1764, 72
Angela fa. 9 9bre. 1809, 27
Pasquale di Mensa marito, 28 7bre. 1808, 28

[source: FamilySearch film 007958678, image 371]


The following death record is in the Stato Civile in Pietrafesa:

Deceased: Anna Maria Brancato
Date of death: 3 October 1841
Place of death: Pietrafesa
Birthplace: Pietrafesa
Father: Donato Brancato (deceased)
Mother: Rosaria Colucci (deceased)
Informants: Geranni de Muro, 30, contadino; Pasquale Pugano, 43, contadino.

There is no information about age or marital status.

[source: Antenati, Satriano di Luciano, deaths, 1841, no. 92, image 48]


The following burial record is in the church registers for Pietrafesa:

60. Anno dni 1841, Pietrfisiae, die tertia Octobris e vivis sublata est Annamaria Colucci, annor. 77., uxor Francisci Faraone, omnibus marita Sacramentis, atque in veteri Eccesia fuit sepulta. In fidem Confra. A. Gagliardi.

[source: FamilySearch, film 007958678, image 871]


In the death registers of the Stato Civile, we find:

Deceased: Francesco Faraone
Date of death: 16 April 1847
Place of death: Pietrafesa
Place of birth: Picerno
Father: Felice Faraone
Mother: not given
"vedovo di Annamaria Brancato"
Informants: Michele Catarino, 50, contadino; Antonio Casalaspeo, 40, contadino.

[source: Antenati, Satriano di Luciano, deaths, 1847, no. 16, image 10]


Finally, we have this burial record in Pietrafesa:

Anno Dni. 1847, Pietrefisiae die 13. Aprilis, obiit Franciscus Faraone, viduus Anna Maria Brancato annor 70 circr. repentino mo...do correptus; atque in veteri Ecclesia fuit sepultus. Onfidem Confs. Archipa. Gagliardi.

[FamilySearch, film 007958678, image 880]

[PippoM]

The fact that you (and me, either) couldn't find anna Maria's baptism and marriage makes me think she was born elsewhere, though her death record says she was born in Pietrafesa. At that time an "official" name did not exist, and for women it was even less important. So, maybe she also went by her mother's surname. But probably, people did not know her as "Anna Maria Brancato", nor "Anna Maria Colucci", but "Anna Maria, di Francesco" and a family nickname for her husband.

[jlb59]

The fact that you (and me, either) couldn't find anna Maria's baptism and marriage makes me think she was born elsewhere, though her death record says she was born in Pietrafesa. At that time an "official" name did not exist, and for women it was even less important. So, maybe she also went by her mother's surname. But probably, people did not know her as "Anna Maria Brancato", nor "Anna Maria Colucci", but "Anna Maria, di Francesco" and a family nickname for her husband.

Thanks so much for looking -- you have at least confirmed that she was not baptised or married there! The hunt continues!