Hi,
I have a question about orphans. It is said in my family that my great-grandfather was adopted in Caltanissetta, Sicily. He was born in 1878. Is there any way to verify this and discover his genetic parents?
Thanks
Question about orphans
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bbivona
- Master
- Posts: 1154
- Joined: 21 Jul 2018, 00:43
- Location: Texas e Sicilia, provincia di Trapani
Re: Question about orphans
You might well find him in the birth records in Caltanissetta, assuming he was born there.
http://dl.antenati.san.beniculturali.it ... anissetta/
If he ended up in the orphanage as a child born outside of marriage, it may only list one parent. If that happened it's possible that later on there was an act of recognition filed by the father later on in life where he acknowledges that he is the father. I saw this in a document I translated for someone earlier this week. https://www.italiangenealogy.com/forum/language/43584
If he ended up in the orphanage because his parents died or mom died and dad couldn't care for him, certainly the birth record should be there with full information. The attachments to the marriage records, if available, would likely have useful information there.
All that said, it's also very possible that he just shows up in all local records as "of unknown parents."
http://dl.antenati.san.beniculturali.it ... anissetta/
If he ended up in the orphanage as a child born outside of marriage, it may only list one parent. If that happened it's possible that later on there was an act of recognition filed by the father later on in life where he acknowledges that he is the father. I saw this in a document I translated for someone earlier this week. https://www.italiangenealogy.com/forum/language/43584
If he ended up in the orphanage because his parents died or mom died and dad couldn't care for him, certainly the birth record should be there with full information. The attachments to the marriage records, if available, would likely have useful information there.
All that said, it's also very possible that he just shows up in all local records as "of unknown parents."
Researching Gibellina, Sicily surnames Bivona, Bonafede, Zummo, Ponzio, Bevinetto, Beninati, Fontana, Cipolla, Bruno, Manfrè, Lanfranca, and Navarra
Re: Question about orphans
My grandmother always said her father was orphaned. But in reasearch, I found on his marriage record (Italy), he listed his father as living in the US and mother dead. I’m guessing his mother died while his father was in the US. Does this sound likely. Would he have actually been placed in an orphanage, or was this a turn of phrase used by her father. On the ship record he went to the US in 1915 (first immigration) and listed his father as his contact in the US. It turns out he wasn’t really an orphan.
Re: Question about orphans
It is certainly possible that his mother died while his father was in the USA. Many Italian men came here to earn money to either bring back to Italy or to send back to Italy.
A child who "loses" a father to immigration and a long absence, and then loses his mother may certainly have felt like an orphan, especially if raised by others (family or not.)
Family stories to "evolve" as the years go by
Happy to know that he had a father to join when he came to USA!
T.
A child who "loses" a father to immigration and a long absence, and then loses his mother may certainly have felt like an orphan, especially if raised by others (family or not.)
Family stories to "evolve" as the years go by
Happy to know that he had a father to join when he came to USA!
T.