Do you need help with Italy genealogy research? Or, even more intriguing, did you ever daydream about running away to join the circus? It’s the greatest show on Earth, right?! Eight-year-old me was sure circus life had to be exciting, daring, adventurous, and non-stop fun. Even now, the circus has a mystique that captures my imagination. When we discovered one of my client’s family lines had ties to the circus, I was thrilled to be a part of the discoveries. Birth, marriage, death records, and … [Read more...]
Digging Into Your Chinese Ancestry: Chinese Repatriation of Bones
Learn about the Chinese repatriation of bones and how you can uncover records related to your Chinese ancestors. The Chinese people were one of many cultures who immigrated from their homeland seeking better opportunities. Beginning in the mid-19th century, Chinese immigrants sought their fortunes in the Gold Rushes of the United States, Canada, and Australia. They significantly contributed to the labor forces by building railroads, working in mining and agriculture, and establishing … [Read more...]
Solutions for a Weed-Free Yard, Genealogy-Style: Genealogy Podcasts
I don’t know about you, but there are just some chores that I loathe to do, like weeding. Right now, with spring in full swing, my yard is growing a healthy crop of weeds. My solution to making it more enjoyable? Listening to genealogy podcasts! Here are five of my favorite genealogy podcasts that make the time fly when doing any mundane task: Genealogy Gems is hosted by Lisa Louise Cooke, and her podcast “helps you make the most of your family history research time by providing quick and … [Read more...]
Tracing Ancestry Through Medieval Italian Records
Family History: How Far Back Can You Go? As professional genealogists one question we are often asked is, “How far back can you take my pedigree?” While we’d all love to have a pedigree documented back to the beginnings of mankind, this just isn’t possible. And creating an accurate, documented and sourced family tree cannot be completed in the span of an afternoon--answering one of our other most frequently received questions--How Long Does It Take to Build a Family Tree? Genealogical … [Read more...]
Stolen Handkerchiefs and Convict Ships: Tracing a Convict Ancestor to Australia
This client project (shared with permission) delves into tracing the journey of a convict ancestor, sent to Australia for pickpocketing. One of our Australian clients came to us with an Oliver Twist-esque story about her teenaged ancestor who was convicted of pickpocketing in England in the 1820s and sent to the Australian penal colonies. She wanted to know—was he an impoverished pickpocket in a gang of young pickpockets, or might he have come from a respectable family and been wrongly accused? … [Read more...]
Uncovering the History Behind Surname Origins
*Legacy Tree successfully uncovers the rich family history of a client seeking to learn more about his unique surname origins. Shared with client permission. Paolo Zeppetelli contacted Legacy Tree Genealogists with a quest to learn more about his Italian heritage. The Zeppetelli name is not a particularly common surname in Italy, and he was curious to know of its origins. As he began collecting information, he concluded that uncovering the history behind the Zeppetelli surname origins would … [Read more...]
Hidden Italian Treasure – Processetti and Allegati Matrimonial Packets
One of the most useful record sets for extending your Italian ancestry quickly is the marriage supplements or allegati records. Allegati, also called processetti, is the name for the packet of documents that a bride and groom were required to present to the priest or mayor in preparation for their upcoming marriage. Depending on when the marriage occurred historically determines whether the packet was called processetti or allegati. 1804-1815: allegati 1816-1865: … [Read more...]
Finding Foundlings: Searching for Abandoned Children in Italy
I learned about foundlings - abandoned newborns - in Italy while tracing my own immigrant ancestor back to the province of Palermo in Sicily. My maiden name is Palumbo, but as I tried to move backwards from my immigrant ancestor, Salvatore Fortunato Palumbo, I discovered that Palumbo was not his original surname. Explaining this discovery in detail is beyond the scope of this blog post, but I have documented evidence that my paternal great-great-grandfather’s name was Salvatore Fortunato … [Read more...]