Witness to Discoveries: Analysis of Witnesses and Sponsors Leading to Potential Family and Birthplace for Thomas Donnelly

Thomas Donnelly was said to have been from County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, though no evidence had been found to confirm his townland. According to multiple records, Thomas Donnelly was born about 15 Feb 1859¹ in Ireland. He immigrated to the United States sometime between 1875-1877 according to the census records^2,3 and settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.

Thomas married Mary J. Campbell on 11 Oct 1885 at St. Anne’s Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  According to the marriage information, the witnesses included James McGlone and Agnes Moran.⁴  Thomas was living at 2500 N. 2d Street and Mary was living at 971 Richmond St according to the marriage license application.¹

Thomas and Mary had 4 children, two of whom, Anna and Catherine, lived to marry and have children.

Children of Thomas Donnelly and Mary Campbell	Birth	Death
Anna Mary Donnelly	2 May 1886	16 Sep 1959
Catherine R Donnelly	2 Mar 1888	Unknown
Thomas Donnelly	1 Sep 1892	12 Feb 1894
Mary Dolores Donnelly	5 Jan 1895	13 Oct 1918

The baptismal records for all four children were located on FindMyPast.com in the Philadelphia Archdiocese Roman Catholic Baptismal Records.  The dates as well as sponsors were listed for each child. All four children were baptized at St. Edward the Confessor Parish in Philadelphia.

Thomas Donnelly and Mary Campbell's Children's Baptismal Dates and Sponsors

Child	Baptism Date	Sponsors
Anna Mary Donnelly5	24 Oct 1886	James Mallon and Anna McAnany
Catherine R Donnelly6	11 Mar 1888	Jno Quinn and Catherine Campbell
Thomas Donnelly7	11 Sep 1892	William and Jane Donnelly
Mary Dolores Donnelly8	20 Jan 1895	Joseph McGurk and Catherine Campbell

The only son of Thomas Donnelly and Mary Campbell was sponsored by William and Jane Donnelly.  Employing a well known technique of researching family, acquaintances and neighbors (or FAN),and thinking there may be a relationship between Thomas initial searches of William led to interesting results. A 1900 U.S. Census record for a William and Jane Donnelly in Philadelphia⁹, in the Kensington area of Philadelphia was located and the address is close to where Thomas and Mary Donnelly lived in 1900.  William and Jane had two children in 1900, Jane, aged 8 and William, aged 6.

1900 U.S. Census William Donnelly

Name	Relation	Age	Place of Birth	Year of Immigration
William Donnelly	Head	40	Ireland	1882
Jane Donnelly	Wife	30	Ireland	1885
Jane Donnelly	Daughter	8	Pennsylvania	N/A
William Donnelly	Son	6	Pennsylvania	N/A

William is a saloon keeper.  He and Jane have been married 10 years.  They are living on Montgomery Avenue in the 18th Ward of Philadelphia.  A marriage license was located for 1890 between William Donnelly and Marion Jane Gaven.⁶  A search of the Philadelphia Catholic Baptisms on FindMyPast for Jane Donnelly, born about 1892 resulted in her baptismal record for 1891.⁷  The sponsors for Jane were identified as Thomas Donnelly and Catharine Campbell. Thomas' mother-in-law was Catharine Campbell, thus the records continue to link Thomas Donnelly and William Donnelly.


Jane Donnelly Baptismal Record (Philadelphia, 1891)

William Donnelly’s petition for naturalization was located from 1890.⁸  Thomas Donnelly, of 2500 N 2d Street in Philadelphia, signed as witness and citizen.  Thomas Donnelly, as previously indicated, was known to be living at 2500 N 2d street.  This represents the third record that links Thomas and William in some way. Though, nothing is explicit to their connection, it is likely that William Donnelly and Thomas Donnelly are related.  According to the petition, Thomas Donnelly, was a citizen by 1890 though his petition/naturalization records have not been located.

Petition for Naturalization of William Donnelly (Philadelphia, PA) 

Continued research into William Donnelly resulted in the discovery of his passport application. William Donnelly indicated he was born in Cookstown, Tyrone, Ireland on 7 Oct 1859.  The application lists his father as John Donnelly (deceased).  William was traveling to settle an estate.  Thomas Donnelly’s death certificate listed his father as John Donnelly, which if they are related might suggest that William and Thomas are brothers.  Incidentally, a passport application for William’s wife, Jane Donnelly was found as was William’s son, John Joseph Donnelly.

Passport Application for William Donnelly (1923)

William indicated his date of birth as 7 October 1859 on his passport application.⁹ Comparing William's birth date to Thomas Donnelly's birth date, which was noted to be 15 Feb 1859, would make it unlikely they could be brothers.  However, birth dates were not always accurately recorded or known. Thus, there could be evidence to indicate one birthday or the other is not correct.

Further research into Irish records resulted in a baptismal record for a William Donnelly dated 7 Oct 1859, father John Donnelly and mother, Alice McGurk.¹⁰  William was baptized on 7 Oct 1859 in the Diocese of Armagh and the Parish of Desertcraight, in County Tyrone.  Additional searching resulted in a baptismal record for a Thomas Donnelly, father John Donnelly and mother Anne MaGlone dated 15 Feb 1855 in the parish of Lissan, Tyrone, Ireland.¹¹  The townland may be Dramora or more likely Dunmore.  Cookstown is a downland situation central to both Desertcraight (Desertcreat) and Dunmore.

Map of County Tyrone from www.ulsterheritage.com Showing Relationship of the Parish of Lissan and Desertcreat

William Donnelly Baptismal Record (Ireland, 1859) 

Thomas Donnelly Baptismal Record (Ireland, 1855) 

A final record was found for the marriage of Anne Maglone to John Donnelly in the parish of Lissan, Tyrone,Ireland, dated 15 July 1852.¹² The marriage record indicates they were married in Moboy, a townland just west of Cookstown. The witnesses appear to be Lester Toal(?) Mallon and Peter Maglone.

Marriage Record (Ireland, 1852) of John Donnelly and Anne Maglone  

It is impossible to conclude from the data the exact relationship of Thomas Donnelly to William Donnelly.  However, the data is suggestive that Thomas and William knew each other well and were likely related as they sponsored each other’s children. The relationship was originally proposed to be brothers, but the birthdates being both in 1859 speak to either an issue in exact dates or different mothers. Thomas Donnelly listed a birthdate of 15 Feb 1859, so perhaps he changed the year or did not recall the exact year, or the evidence is purely coincidental and these are not the same people.

Once again focusing on witnesses and sponsors for various life events of Thomas and William, an interesting find is that a sponsor for Mary Dolores Donnelly, Thomas’ daughter, was a man named Joseph McGurk, the last name of William Donnelly’s mother from the baptismal record.  Furthermore,  James McGlone was witness to Thomas’ wedding.  This may be a spelling difference to Anne MaGlone.

In conclusion, it is likely that Thomas Donnelly and William Donnelly are related in some way.  Both were reported to have a father named John, however each also reported being born in 1859 only 8 months apart.  The two separate baptismal records may suggest different mothers if it is the same John Donnelly.  The additional names of McGurk and McGlone/MaGlone represent areas for additional research to identify the connection. A possible family tree is provided with tentative linkages.

Family Tree created with SVG Utility created by Tony Proctor of Parallax-viewpoint

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1 Philadelphia, PA, marriage certificate no. 33 (11 October 1885), Thomas Donnelly and Mary J. Campbell; Philadelphia City Archives, Philadelphia. ^↩
2 Ancestry.com, 1900 United States Federal Census (Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623, 18;), Year: 1900; Census Place: Philadelphia Ward 18, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Roll: 1460; Page: 2B; Enumeration District: 0355; FHL microfilm: 1241460. ^↩
3 Ancestry.com, 1910 United States Federal Census (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2006;), Database online. Year: 1910; Census Place: Philadelphia Ward 35, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Roll: T624_1404; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 0862; Image: ; FHL microfilm: 1375417. ^↩
4 St. Anne Marriage Records, 11 Oct 1885, St. Anne Church; Philadelphia Archdiocesan Historical Research Center, Wynnewood, PA. Thomas Donnelly and Mary Campbell. ^↩
5 St. Edward the Confessor (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), , , Anna Donnelly Baptismal Record, 24 Oct 1886; digital images, FindMyPast.Com (FindMYPast.com : downloaded 6 July 2017). ^↩
6 St. Edward the Confessor (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), , , Catherine Campbell Baptismal Record, 11 Mar 1888; digital images, FindMyPast.Com (FindMYPast.com : downloaded 6 July 2017). ^↩
7 St. Edward the Confessor (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), , , Thomas Donnelly Baptism, 11 Sep 1892; digital images, FindMyPast.Com (FindMYPast.com : downloaded 6 July 2017). ^↩
8 St. Edward the Confessor (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), , , Mary Donnelly Baptismal Record, 20 Jan 1895; digital images, FindMyPast.Com (FindMYPast.com : downloaded 6 July 2017). ^↩
9 Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. Year: 1900; Census Place: Philadelphia Ward 18, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Roll: 1460; Page: 2B; Enumeration District: 0349; FHL microfilm: 1241460 ^↩
10 Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Marriage Indexes, 1885-1951," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JJJG-1FM : 25 September 2017), William Donnelly and Gaven, 1890; citing license number 38417, Clerk of the Orphan's Court. City Hall. ^↩
11 St. Anne (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), , , Jane Donnelly Baptismal Record, 27 Sep 1891; digital images, FindMyPast.Com (FindMYPast.com : downloaded 25 November 2017). ^↩
12 National Archives; Washington, D.C.; ARC Title: Naturalization Petitions for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 1795-1930; NAI Number: 6; Record Group Title: M1522. Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, Federal Naturalization Records, 1795-1931 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Certificate #1160. ^↩
13 National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; NARA Series: Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925; Roll #: 2206; Volume #: Roll 2206 - Certificates: 260350-260849, 27 Mar 1923-28 Mar 1923. Volume: Roll 2206 - Certificates: 260350-260849, 27 Mar 1923-28 Mar 1923. Certificate #260397. ^↩
14 Ancestry.com. Ireland, Catholic Parish Registers, 1655-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016. Catholic Parish Registers, The National Library of Ireland; Dublin, Ireland; Microfilm Number: Microfilm 05585 / 01. Year Range: 1839 - 1880. ^↩
15 Ancestry.com. Ireland, Catholic Parish Registers, 1655-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016. Catholic Parish Registers, The National Library of Ireland; Dublin, Ireland; Microfilm Number: Microfilm 05585 / 01. Year Range: 1839 - 1880. ^↩
16 Lissan, Archdiocese of Armagh, Counties of Tyrone, Baptisms: July 22, 1839-Dec. 30, 1880; Marriages: Sept 1, 1839 - Nov. 20, 1880 Transcription". Online database, FindMyPast (http://findmypast.com). Database by National Library of Ireland (accessed 9 Dec 2017); page 89, John Donnelly and Anne Maglone, July 15, 1852. ^↩

Finding Sarah’s Name - Wild Card Clues Offer Potential Link to Benjamin Mac/Mack and Andrew Entz

The family stories from Marie D. Barrett (née Hurst) indicated that Hiram Hurst married Sarah Mock/Mack.  Joseph A. Barrett passed the story of Sarah being either expelled/excommunicated from her church after a visit to her cousin’s home where she wore their clothes.  The family believed Sarah may have been Amish or Mennonite, possibly from the Lancaster area or King of Prussia in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.  The cousin’s were believed to be in Philadelphia, which is where Sarah likely married Hiram Hurst eventually settled in the Mt. Airy area of Philadelphia. A final family story was that Sarah’s father may have fought in the Civil War but there was never any indication of his name.

Hiram Hurst and Sarah were living in Philadelphia according to the 1880 U.S. Census on Allen Lane in Germantown.¹  Sarah was 26 years of age and the census indicated they had two children, Theodore, 3, and William, 1 month.  Sarah’s father is reported to be born in Pennsylvania and it appears her mother was born in Germany. By 1900, the Hurst family is living on Springer Street in Philadelphia.  Sarah is 46, listing her birth as October 1853.  The census indicates they had been married 24 years, which would indicate a marriage date of about 1876.  Sarah reported having 7 children, 5 were living.²  The household as of 1900 was as follows:

Name	Relationship	Birth (Month and Year)	Age
Hiram Hurst	Head	July 1853	46
Sarah	Wife	Oct 1853	46
Wm Verner	Son	May 1880	20
Benjamin R	Son	Oct 1884	15
Susan	Daughter	Sept 1886	13
Bella M	Daugter	Feb 1888	12
Andrew	Son	Aug 1894	5

The death certificate for Theodore indicates he died 17 Nov 1883 in Philadelphia.³  Similarly, a death certificate for Eugene Orville Hurst was discovered indicating that he died 9 July 1890 in Philadelphia.⁴  Eugene’s was born 4 Feb 1890,⁵ and he was baptized on 29 Jun 1890.⁶ No maiden name for Sarah was provided in either record. In addition, the marriage record for Hiram Hurst and Sarah has not been located from various searches.

Sarah died 16 Apr 1938 in Philadelphia.  Her death certificate listed Wm. Mac Verner as her father and her mother is unknown.  The informant is listed as Verner Hurst, which is her son, William Verner Hurst. The record appears to confuse Sarah's family with that of Hiram's based on the potential name of Mac and the name Verner. Prior research on Hiram Hurst identified his parents as Joseph Hurst and Rebecca Verner.  Rebecca Verner is thought to be the daughter of William Verner.  A potential theory is that William Verner Hurst confused the names of his grandparents between the Mack/Mac/Mock name and Verner surname. 

A search was performed in the Pennsylvania Death Certificates on Ancestry.com for the death certificates of Sarah's children, which may provide additional information regarding her maiden name. The certificates for William Verner Hurst⁷ and Susan May Elder (née Hurst)⁸ were located while the New Jersey death certificate for Benjamin Russell Hurst⁹ was obtained from the New Jersey Bureau of Vital Statistics. The three records identify both parents’ as follows:

Child	Date of Death	Father	Mother
William Verner	2 Nov 1963	Hiram Hurst	Sarah E. Mack
Benjamin Russell	31 May 1947	Hiram Hurst	Sarah Mock
Susan May	21 Nov 1957	Hiram Hurst	Sarah E. Mac

The SS-5 application of Benjamin Russell Hurst listed his mother as Sarah Mock¹⁰  providing further evidence that Sarah was a Mock/Mack/Mac. However, the marriage record application for Andrew Entz Hurst presented conflicting information.  Andrew indicated his mother as Sarah Entz¹¹ while his WWI service record indicated his mother as Sarah Walsh Hurst.¹²

Marriage license application of Andrew Entz Hurst

Andrew E. Hurst’s marriage license application reported Sarah’s birthplace as Norristown, PA. Norristown is about 4 miles from King of Prussia, both in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The application information seems to align more to the family stories indicating King of Prussia as Sarah’s birthplace rather than Lancaster county.

It is difficult to conclude if Sarah is a Mac/Mack/Mock or an Entz. Her son, Benjamin Russell indicated in his application for social security that his mother was Sarah Mock. Her other son, Andrew, whose middle name is Entz, identifies his mother as Sarah Entz in his marriage application. The death certificates for three of her children indicate she was Sarah Mac/Mack/Mock, with Sarah’s grandchildren as the source of that information. Examining the names of Sarah and Hiram’s children provide additional clues.

Naming patterns are common throughout genealogy, and with little else to refer to the names of Hiram and Sarah’s children were explored relative to what was known. Hiram Hurst’s mother was Rebecca Verner. Rebecca’s father was William Verner. Thus, William Verner Hurst, Hiram and Sarah’s second son, may have named their second child after Hiram’s maternal grandfather, William Verner. None of the other children were named for any known Hurst family members. The question is who, if anyone, might Theodore, Benjamin Russell, Susan, Bella, Eugene and Andrew Entz be named after?

No notes available for William|Verner (abt|1800-unk)

No notes available for Eliza|UNKNOWN|(1802-unk)

No notes available for Joseph|Hurst (abt|1814–1863)

No notes available for Rebecca|Verner|(1832–1856)

No notes available for Hiram Hurst|(1853–1920)

No notes available for Sarah Entz|or Mock|(1853–1938)

No notes available for Theodore|Hurst|(1876–1883)

No notes available for William|Verner|Hurst|(1880–1963)

No notes available for Benjamin|Russell|Hurst|(1884–1947)

No notes available for Susan M|Hurst|(1886–1957)

No notes available for Bella M|Hurst|(1888–1971)

No notes available for Eugene|Orville|Hurst|(1890–1890)

No notes available for Andrew Entz|Hurst|(1894–1970)

No notes available for selected family

No notes available for selected family

No notes available for selected family

Andrew Entz Hurst's middle name seemed unique that a search for Entz's in the area of Montgomery County, PA led to a 1860 U.S. Census record for the family of Andrew Entz in Norristown, Montgomery, Pennsylvania.¹³   Andrew Entz was married to a Susan and had a son named Theodore.  This record is interesting in that it hit on the name, Andrew Entz, such that the family of Andrew and Susan may represent an unidentified connection. In addition, Hiram and Sarah’s firstborn son was named Theodore and their first daughter was named Susan, while their youngest is Andrew Entz Hurst. The similarity in names appears more than a coincidence.

1860 U.S. Census - Andrew Entz, Norriton, Montgomery, Pennsylvania

Name	Age	Occupation	Place of Birth
Andrew Entz	28	Daylabor	Pa
Susana Entz	27		Pa
Theodore Entz	3		Pa

Wild-card searching, a valuable tool for genealogy research, offers the ability to do single letter substitutions or multi-letter substitutions to broaden searches including various spellings.  Multiple searches using various wild-cards for the Mock/Mack/Moc/Mac in and around Montgomery County led to the 1870 U.S. Census record for a Benjamin Mack and family living in Norristown, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.¹⁴  Among the children was Sarah Mack, born in 1854. The birth date is similar to multiple reported dates of Sarah in the U.S. Census records. Sarah was reported to have been born in Morristown, per Andrew E. Hurst's marriage application, the place identified the 1870 census for Benjamin Mack and family.

1870 U.S. Census - Benjamin Mack, Lower Ward, Norristown, Montgomery, Pennsylvania

Name	Age	Occupation	Place of Birth
Benjamin Mack	46	Coach Trimmer	Pennsylvania
Christiana Mack	47	Keeping House	Pennsylvania
Sarah Mack	16	At Home	Pennsylvania
Christiana Mack	12	At Home	Pennsylvania

Building on the name research, Sarah and Hiram’s third child was Benjamin Russell Hurst, such that if the evidence continues, is possibly named for this Benjamin Mack. A further search using wild card techniques and varying the spelling led to an 1860 U.S. Census record for a family of Benjamin Mac living in Whitemarsh Twp, Montgomery, Pennsylvania.¹⁵   Whitemarsh Township is adjacent to Norristown in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Within the family was a Christiann Ence, age 60. Once again relying on various spellings, this may represent a connection between the name Entz and Mac/Mack. If Christiann is related, her age would suggest that she may be mother-in-law to Benjamin Mac. This might be another link for the Entz name and the Mac/Mack/Mock family.

1860 U.S. Census - Benjamin Mac, Whitemarsh Twp, Montgomery, Pennsylvania

Name	Age	Occupation	Place of Birth
Benjamin Mac	40	Coach Trimmer	Pennsylvania
Louisa Mac	40		Pennsylvania
Sarah Mac	10		Pennsylvania
Christiann Mac	2		Pennsylvania
Christiann Ence	60		Pennsylvania

However, notable differences are observed between the 1860 and 1870 census records. The ages are not 10 years apart when comparing each person in the census. Benjamin's wife in 1860 is Louisa/Louesa, while in 1870 his wife is Christiana.  Yet, Benjamin's occupation in both years census is the same, coach trimmer, making it likely that this is the same Benjamin.  Thus, the question is whether Benjamin's spouse in each census is the same and is Louesa actually Christiana, having gone by a different name to distinguish herself from Christiann Ence and Christiann Mac, a daughter or did Benjamin remarry if Louesa died between the 1860 and 1870 census records.

A marriage record was located for Andrew Entz. The record identifies his wife as Susannah Arp, and they were married in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania in 1854.¹⁶  Andrew’s parents were identified in the record as Jacob and Christiana Entz.  This may link the Christiann Ence from the 1860 Census, the Mac/Mack/Mock family from 1860 and 1870 an the Andrew Entz family from the 1860 Census.  The record indicates the ceremony was contracted as Lutheran.

Based upon the information, there is nothing to confirm Amish or Mennonite heritage. It appears that Sarah Mac/Mack was from the Norristown area of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Additional research on Benjamin Mack may determine if he fought in the Civil War.

A proposed family tree is represented suggesting that Andrew Entz and Louesa/Louisa/Christiana were siblings.  Andrew and his family may represent cousin’s from family stories. Sarah likely moved to Philadelphia, met Hiram and married between the 1870 Census and the birth of her first son, Theodore in 1876.

A special thanks to Tony Proctor of Parallax-viewpoint for sharing the SVG program to generate a more legible and interactive family tree.

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1 Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1880 United States Federal Census (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2010;), Database online. Year: 1880; Census Place: Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Roll: 1181; Family History Film: 1255181; Page: 520C; Enumeration District: 457; Image: 0673. ^↩
2 Ancestry.com, 1900 United States Federal Census (Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623, 18;), Source Citation: Year: 1900; Census Place: Philadelphia Ward 22, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Roll: 1464; Page: 2B; Enumeration District: 0500; FHL microfilm: 1241464. ^↩
3 Index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VKDG-NST : accessed 22 Nov 2012), Theodore Hurst, 1883, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803-1915, index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VKDG-NST : accessed 22 Nov 2012), Theodore Hurst, 1883. ^↩
4 Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803-1915," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JK76-1W1 : accessed 22 Nov 2012), Hiram Hurst in entry for Eugene Hurst, 1890. ^↩
5 Ancestry.com, Pennsylvania, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985 (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2011;), Historical Society of Pennsylvania; Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records. ^↩
6 Ancestry.com, Pennsylvania, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985 (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2011;), Historical Society of Pennsylvania; Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records. ^↩
7 Ancestry.com, Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1924 (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2014;). ^↩
8 Ancestry.com, Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1924 (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2014;). ^↩
9 New Jersey, Department of Health, Death Certificate (31 May 1947), Benjamin Russell Hurst; Bureau of Vital Statistics, Trenton ^↩
10 Benjamin Russell Hurst, 197-09-5794, 30 March 1937, Application for Account Number (Form SS-5), Social Security Administration, Baltimore, MD. ^↩
11 Pennsylvania, County Marriages, 1885-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939Z-18RN-4?cc=1589502&wc=Q6V1-397%3A1590243059%2C1590262660 : 16 December 2016), Schuylkill > Marriage license applications, 1923, vol 51, no 100-598 > image 144 of 358; county courthouses, Pennsylvania.^↩
12 Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, WWI Veterans Service and Compensation Files, 1917-1919, 1934-1948 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. ^↩
13 Year: 1860; Census Place: Norristown, Montgomery, Pennsylvania; Roll: M653_1145; Page: 453; Family History Library Film: 805145 ^↩
14 Year: 1870; Census Place: Norristown Lower Ward, Montgomery, Pennsylvania; Roll: M593_1378; Page: 35A; Family History Library Film: 552877 ^↩
15 Year: 1860; Census Place: Whitemarsh, Montgomery, Pennsylvania; Roll: M653_1145; Page: 649; Family History Library Film: 805145 ^↩
16 Pennsylvania, County Marriages, 1885-1950", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KHNX-2J8 : 24 June 2016), Andrew Entz and Susannah Arp, 1854. ^↩

The Transatlantic Journeys of Ricardo Chialastri - Settling in America and Identifying Family in Italy from Ship Manifests

 

 

Immigration to the United States has occurred over many years in waves, from those seeking freedom from religious persecution, land, escaping wars or to make enough money to return home more comfortable than when they left.  Italian immigration to the United States reached a peak in the decade of 1900 - 1910 with over 2 million Italians coming to America.¹ The number of Italian immigrants to the United States was thought to have topped 4 million with 30% - 50% returning back home after taking advantage of higher wages in America.

 

Ricardo Chialastri came to America on the SS RE D’Italia at the age of 19 in 1911.   

 

 

 RE D’Italia  

 

He boarded in Naples, Italy on 1 February 1911 arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 17 February 1911. The ship manifest² indicates that Ricardo, 19, was from Cave, Italy and single.  His father Salvatore was the nearest relative “In country whence alien came” and Ricardo was headed to Atlantic City, New Jersey.

 

 

 

According to the manifest which spans two pages, Ricardo had never been to the United States prior to this visit.  He arrived with $40 and was described was described as 5’ 5” and unable to read or write English.  An entry on the manifest asks “Whether going to join a relative or friend: and if so, what relative or friend, and his name and complete address.”  Ricardo was going to see his cousin, Pietro Milani, on 25 Mississippi Avenue.  A scan of other immigrants led to the name, Umberto Lupi, who was noted to be visiting the same cousin, Pietro Milani.    

 

 

 

Prior research led to the marriage record of Ricardo Chialastri to Maria Sapochetti which was recorded in Cave, Italy on 4 Dec. 1912.³  Thus, sometime between Ricardo’s arrival in February of 1911 and his marriage in Cave, Italy in December of 1912, he departed the United States back to Italy.  

 

Riccardo and his wife of 2 months, Maria Sapochetti were located in an immigration record coming to the United States in February of 1913.  They departed on the  S.S. Berlin from Naples, Italy on 24 January 1913 arriving in New York on 5 February 1913.⁴  Ricardo and Maria are both 20 years of age, he is either a peasant (farmer) or farmhand, though the writing is unclear.  Maria is listed as a housewife.  Neither is able to read or write English.  Ricardo’s father Salvatore is listed as the nearest relative whence they came (Cave, Italy) and Ricardo and Maria are headed to Atlantic City, New Jersey.  

 

The second page of the manifest indicates Ricardo has paid for their passage on the Berlin.  He indicates previously being in the United States for 10/12 months.  Assuming his arrival in February 1911 was the previous time in the United State, Ricardo likely left the U.S. for Italy around November 1913, arriving back in Cave before marrying in early December.  

 

SS Berlin

 

 

Continuing the analysis of the 1913 immigration record, Ricardo and Maria were going to join their cousin, Alessandro Chialastri who lived on North Mississippi Avenue, possibly 12 North in Atlantic City, New Jersey.  A survey of the record reveals that the passenger listed above Ricardo and Maria was visiting the same cousin, Alessandro Chialastri.  The passenger was  Antonio Coluzzi, the record indicates that the closest relative whence he came (in Cave, Italy) is Rosa Chialastri, who according to family stories may be the sister to Ricardo.  

 

 

 

The  WWI registration card for Ricardo, dated 5 June 1917 indicates he was employed by Shore Fast Line Railroad as a track walker.⁵ 

 

Ricardo and family were found in the US Census of 1920 living on South Mississippi Ave. in Atlantic City, NJ.⁶  Ricardo (listed as Antonio) was employed as  a laborer at the Railroad yard. In the 1922-23 Atlantic City  Directory, the family was living at 6 N. Mississippi Ave.⁷  Ricardo  (listed as Antonio) was employed as a laborer.

 

 

 

The family left for Italy in 1927, arriving in Italy 1 September 1927. Ricardo and his family lived in Cave for about 2 months, when according to an immigration record the family boarded the Conte Rosso on 23 November  1927 setting sail from Naples, Italy and arriving in New York on 2 December 1927.⁸  The ship manifest indicates they intend to settle permanently in the United States.  

 

Conte Rosso

 

Riccardo and Maria, both 35 years of age as of 1927 when they arrived in the United States.  Their children were listed as follows: Elisabetta, 14, Nannina, 12, Salvatore, 10,  and Amelia, 6 (spellings according to the ship manifest).  Riccardo was described as being 5'5" with a  natural complexion and chestnut hair and eyes.  Maria was 5'3" similar  descriptive features.  Elisabetta was 4’9" with natural complexion and chestnut hair, Nannina, Salvatore and Amelia did not have those entries filled out in the manifest.   

 

 

 

 

A final clue from the manifest indicates that the nearest relative in the country whence they came (Cave, Italy) was Eugenio Pasquazzi, listed as Ricardo’s brother.  Elizabeth (Chialastri) Sacco had indicated that Ricardo, her father, had a brother named Pasquazzi as well as several other siblings from the Pasquazzi line, including an Emilia and Estherina.    

 

Ricardo made three trips across the Atlantic Ocean prior to settling in the United States.  The manifests helped piece together the timeline for these trips.  In addition, the manifests offered additional clues to the family history by providing names of potential family from Cave, Italy including the Pasquazzi and Coluzzi name, and Rosa Chialastri.

 

 

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1 “Italian - The Great Arrival - Immigration...- Classroom Presentation | Teacher Resources - Library of Congress.”^↩
2 Ancestry.com, New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2010;), Database online. Year: 1911; Arrival: , ; Microfilm serial: T715; Microfilm roll: T715_1630; Line: 4; List number: .^↩
3 Ricardo Chialastri and Maria Sapochetti, 4 December 1912; digital image, Antenati Gli Archivi per la Ricerca Anagrafica (http://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.it/v/Archivio+di+Stato+di+Roma/Stato+civile+italiano/Cave/Matrimoni/ : downloaded 22 July 2017); Portale Antenati.^↩
4 Year: 1913; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: T715, 1897-1957; Microfilm Roll: Roll 2011; Line: 5 and 6; Page Number: 159.E^↩
5 Registration State: New Jersey; Registration County: Atlantic; Roll: 1711901; Draft Board: 2. Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.^↩
6 Year: 1920; Census Place: Atlantic City Ward 4, Atlantic, New Jersey; Roll: T625_1015; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 31.^↩
7 Atlantic City, New Jersey, City Directory, 1922. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.^↩
8 Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, Dec. 1, 1927 (Name: National Archives, Washington, DC;), 680 of 1043; Roll 4178; Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1897-1957. Microfilm Publication T715, 8892 rolls. NAI: 300346.^↩

New Family Lines for Riccardo Chialastri and Maria Sapochetti - Stepping Back Generations Through The Portale Antenati (Ancestors Portal)

Italian records present an ideal chance to reach through the generations and build the family tree. The digitization of Italian State Archives records in Italy and published via the Italian National Archives on what is generally called the “Antenati” has been invaluable to those with Italian ancestors and lucky enough to have their State records published online.  According to the Anetenati website (http://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.it), 49 state archives are available totaling over 57 million images.  These records are valuable when researching both the male and female lines, but particularly for the female.  The reason stems from the fact that the taking of the husband’s name upon marriage is not practiced uniformly across cultures.  I and Specifically, Italian women often kept their maiden names upon marrying making the records valuable since the female surname’s could be across birth, marriage and death certificates.

A critical component to researching ancestors who immigrated to the United States or any country is being able to identify where your ancestors came from in the old country.  The identification of the exact town will be very helpful to narrow a search when using the Antenati records.  The Chialastri-Sapochetti line was stalled at the parents of Riccardo Filippo Antonio Chialastri and Maria Flavia Sapochetti, who were married in Italy, immigrated to the United States and are the focus of this analysis.  

Riccardo and Maria were from Cave in the province of Lazio and the state of Roma. Cave is located about 40 km southeast from Rome. 

Cave is on the western side of Mt. Prenestini between its slope and the Valle del Sacco. 

Riccardo’s daughter, Elizabeth (Chialastri) Sacco passed down the information that Riccardo was born in 1892 in Cave to Salvatore Chialastri and Anna Maria Scacchetti.  Riccardo married Maria Sapochetti, daughter of Salvatore Sapochetti and Anna Maria Cleri in Cave.  Maria was also born in 1892 in Cave.  Ricardo and Maria Sapochetti had the following children all born in Atlantic City, New Jersey¹,²: 

•     Elizabeth Chialastri was born 19 November 1913. 
•     Nannina Chialastri was born 7 May 1915. 
•     Salvatore N. Chialastri was born 29 April 1917. 
•     Emilia Chialastri was born 12 February 1921. 
•     Richard Chialastri was born 26 November 1931. 

Elizabeth told how sometime between 1921 and 1931, the family left the United States for Cave, Italy.  According to these family stories, the children, Elizabeth, Annie (Nannina), Sam (Salvatore), and Mim (Emila) were upset with leaving the United States and threatened to leave as soon as they were old enough such that Riccardo and Maria finally settled in the U.S. prior to their last child, Richard’s birth.  The immigration will be covered in a separate analysis since the focus of this work is trace the ancestors in Cave.

The 1930 U.S. Census³ entry provided the first clue to search the Antenati for marriage records for Riccardo and Maria.  A census question asked the age at which they married, both indicated 20 years old. Since both were listed as 38 years old in 1930, the likely year of marriage for Riccardo and Maria in Cave was approximately 1912. 

Cave records for various years for birth, marriage and death certificates were available on the  Antenati website.  The “Pubblicazioni  di Martimonio"⁴, which is essentially the declaration of Riccardo and Maria to marry, typically a marriage bann.  The record is dated 24 October 1912 and contains a trove information related to Riccardo and Maria.  

Riccardo is 19 years old with occupation of “contadino”, farmer.  His father, Salvatore, is 62 years old, also a farmer and Riccardo’s mother is Anna Maria Scacchetti, no age provided.  They are all residents of Cave.  Approximate birth dates calculated from the ages suggests Riccardo’s was born about 1893 close to 1892 and presents a range to search, while his father, Salvatore was born about 1850, again providing a range to search for birth records if available.

Maria Sapochetti is 20 years old, providing a birth year of about 1892.  Her father, Salvatore is 65 years old, born around 1847, and he works as a farmer in Cave.  An important notation is also on the form relative to Maria’s mother, it reads, “della fu Cleri Anna Maria”.  This identifies her mother as Anna Maria Cleri, but the designation of “della fu” in Italian records indicates she is deceased.

The witnesses to the bank are Pietro Milani and Vincenzo Foschi.  The document is signed by Riccardo, Pietro and Vincenzo.

Searching the records resulted in the Atti di Matrimonio or Act of Marriage is the actual certificate for the marriage of Riccardo and Maria.  This was found as well in the Antenati records for Cave.  The marriage date was 4 December 1912⁵, no new information was noted on the record. 

A family tree with some additional data was constructed based on these records. 

Initial information was that Anna Maria Cleri died after giving birth to Maria. Focusing on Maria Sapochetti (b. 1892), specifically her mother, Anna Maria Cleri, who died before the Publicazzioni in October of 1912 a potential range of search years spans 1892 to 1912. The Atti di Morte for Cave includes this range and the record for Anna Maria Cleri was found, she died according to the record 1 June 1901⁶.  The record confirms this is the wife of Salvatore with the statement, “moglie di Sapochetti Salvatore”, with moglie meaning wife of.

The record indicates that Anna Maria was 48 years old when she died (quarantotto) indicating a birth year of approximately 1853.  The record also identifies Anna Maria’s parents as Giovanni Cleri and Giacinta Milani.  Giacinta Milani is deceased by the preposition “fu” prior to her name.  It is unclear what designation proceeds Giovanni.  The identification of the next generation provided enough information to search for a marriage record for Salvatore Sapochetti and Anna Maria Cleri.

The marriage record for Salvatore and Anna Maria was located in Cave records on the Antenati website and provides a marriage date of 30 December 1874⁷.  The handwriting is difficult to discern but from the left side, it is certificate #11.  An important note is Salvatore is the son of Antonio, who is likely alive by the use of “di” while Anna Maria is the daughter of Giovanni, with the designation “fu” typically used if the parent is deceased.  This might help clarify what precedes Giovanni from Anna Maria’s Atti di Morte where the writing was unclear. 

The marriage record lists the parents for Salvatore Sapochetti and Anna Maria Cleri.   Salvatore’s parents are listed as Antonio, as previously noted, and his mother is Francesca Calajacomo. The designation preceding both parents is “di” indicative that they were living at the time of the marriage.  

Anna Maria’s parents are Giovanni, as previously mentioned, who appears to have died prior to the marriage.  Her mother is Giacinta Renzi.  This is different from what was listed in her Atti di Morte, where Giacinta Milani was identified as her mother.  It is not clear from the record whether the mother is living or not.  The records provided details to Maria Sapochetti’s parents and helped provide a generation back.  

The focus turned to Riccardo and his family.  The Atti di Morte for Anna Maria Scacchetti was located, certificate #1 dated 13 January 1918.⁸  Anna Maria is listed as “moglie di Chialastri Salvatore”, the wife of Salvatore Chialastri.  Anna Maria was 65 years of age when she died in Cave, putting her birth year at approximately 1857.  Anna Maria Scacchetti’s parents are identified and both appear to have the “fu” designation indicating by 1918 they are deceased.   Her father is Francesco Scacchetti and her mother is Annafelice Traversi, both of Cave. 

Salvatore Chialastri, Riccardo’s father, Atti di Morte was found and indicates he died 16 September 1919 at the age of 69.⁹  This suggests he was born about 1850.  He is predeceased by both parents as noted again by the “fu” prior to their names.  Salvatore Chialastri’s father is identified as Filippo and his mother is identified as Anna Moroni.  A cross-check with regards to his wife, Anna Maria Scacchetti is provided with the statement, “vedovo di Scacchetti Anna Maria”, where vedovo means widower, aligned with the previous record for Anna Maria Scacchetti.

A final discovery was the Atti di Morte for Anna Moroni “fu Domenico” dated 3 December 1891.¹⁰  This information can add another generation to the tree with the identification of Anna Moroni’s father.  The record indicates Anna is “vedova di Chialastri Filippo”, the widow of Filippo Chialastri.  Her father is Domenico, deceased and her mother, Giroloma Fari, is also deceased as noted by “della fu”.  Anna Moroni was 76 when she died, putting her birth at about 1815.

The records found in the Antenati provided enough information to create the most current family tree, and yielded important information to continue searching the records.  Through analysis of the records, an additional generation has been added to what was known for Maria Sapochetti and two generations in part were added for Riccardo Chialastri. 

¹ Ancestry.com, 1930 United States Federal Census (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2002;), Database online. Year: 1930; Census Place: Atlantic City, Atlantic, New Jersey; Roll: 1309; Page: 16A; Enumeration District: 28; Image: 54.0; FHL microfilm: 2341044 

² Ancestry.com, 1940 United States Federal Census (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012;), Database online. Year: 1940; Census Place: Atlantic City, Atlantic, New Jersey; Roll: T627_2301; Page: 9B and Page 10A; Enumeration District: 1-67.

³ Ancestry.com, 1930 United States Federal Census (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2002;), Database online. Year: 1930; Census Place: Atlantic City, Atlantic, New Jersey; Roll: 1309; Page: 16A; Enumeration District: 28; Image: 54.0; FHL microfilm: 2341044 

⁴Riccardo Chialastri, Pubblicazioni Di Matrimonio, Parte-1, Year 1912: Numero 44, A Cave, Roma, Lazio, 

⁵ Riccardo Chialastri, Atti Di Matrimonio, Year 1912: Numero X, Archivio di Stato di Roma, Stato Civile Italiano Cave, Cave, Roma, Lazio, http://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.it/v/Archivio+di+Stato+di+Rom

a/Stato+civile+italiano/Cave/Matrimoni/1912/007660408_01477.

jpg.html?g2_imageViewsIndex=0

⁶ Anna Maria Cleri, Atti Di Morte, Year 1901: Numero 36, Archivio di Stato di Roma, Stato Civile Italiano Cave, Cave, Roma, Lazio, http://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.it/v/Archivio+di+Stato+di+Roma/Stato+civile+italiano/Cave/Morti/1901/007660541_00062.jpg.html?g2_imageViewsIndex=0 

⁷ Salvatore Sapochetti, Atti Di Matrimonio, Year 1874: Numero 11, Archivio di Stato di Roma, Stato Civile Italiano Cave, Cave, Roma, Lazio, http://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.it/v/Archivio+di+Stato+di+Roma/Stato+civile+italiano/Cave/Matrimoni/1874/007172125_00026.jpg.html

⁸Anna Maria Scacchetti, Atti Di Morte, Year 1918: Numero 1, Archivio di Stato di Roma, Stato Civile Italiano Cave, Cave, Roma, Lazio, http://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.it/v/Archivio+di+Stato+di+Roma/Stato+civile+italiano/Cave/Morti/1918/007660409_00237.jpg.html

⁹Salvatore Chialastri, Atti Di Morte, Year 1919: Numero 35, Archivio di Stato di Roma, Stato Civile Italiano Cave, Cave, Roma, Lazio, Italy, http://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.it/v/Archivio+di+Stato+di+Roma/Stato+civile+italiano/Cave/Morti/1919/007660409_00335.jpg.html?g2_imageViewsIndex=0 

¹⁰ Anna Moroni entry, Atti Di Morte, Year 1891: Numero 121, Archivio di Stato di Roma, Stato Civile Italiano, Cave, Roma. http://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.it/v/Archivio+di+Stato+di+Roma/Stato+civile+italiano/Cave/Morti/1891/007172125_00787.jpg.html?g2_imageViewsIndex=0