Chasing Squirrels Leads to BIG Find

  © Copyright Peter Trimming and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Chasing squirrels: a genealogy term used when you start researching one person, then pick up the scent of another, and start chasing them instead. Frowned upon by many, but sometimes quite productive.

Case in point: I ocassionally Google my Fratoddi surname in Italy, and after filtering out three of my cousins there that regularly rank high on Google's results, I sometimes find little nuggets.

This was how I came across a newspaper article in Germany about my great grandfather which you can read about here.

This weekend I came across Carolina Fratoddi, who had the luck of being included in a Google book in Italian, which translated as Inscriptions of churches and other edifices of Rome from the eleventh century to the present day, published in 1877.

This photo was included:

I reached out to the Italian Genealogy group on Facebook, where I received exactly what I needed. "What you're looking at is a description of a memorial to Carolina Fratoddi from 1866 located in in the "Basilica di Santa Maria in Montesanto" in Rome. Carolina was Roman, the daughter of Angelo and her husband was Alexandro Rinaldini. The memorial is described here as a portrait in marble, in bas-relief (probably at the top, then the inscription in a plaque beneath). It says here this memorial can be found on the left wall of the second chapel on the right (inside the church)."

How awesome is that! Further discussion led to another comment that Rome records were now included in the Italian website Antenati. 

I dropped Carolina like a hot rock and headed over. I bagged my 2x great grandfather and several of his children, which thanks to the incredible detail of Italian records, led to his parents in Montereale.

Stay tuned, details coming soon!

Bernardino Fratoddi's Brush With Royalty

As genealogists, we all would love to find a connection to royalty. Mine came in an unexpected way.

Empress Elisabeth of Austria, Queen of Hungary and Queen consort of Croatia and Bohemia, was a beloved member of the royal family. I can see why, as she was very beautiful. She married Emperor Franz Joseph I when she was 16.

Empress Elisabeth at her
coronation as Queen of Hungary, 8 June 1867. Public Domain

While travelling in Geneva September 10, 1898, she was stabbed to death by an Italian anarchist named Luigi Lucheni. He was rather proud of the murder, and was arrested soon after. He freely admitted to the murder, and had wanted to gain martyrdom and widespread publicity for the anarchist cause.

Luigi Lucheni in custody. Public domain

My connection? My great grandfather Bernardino Fratoddi was later arrested for this same crime. I found this article while searching The European Library for the name Fratoddi.

Berliner Volkszeitung (Peoples Daily) 12 April 1902

Translation kindly provided by +Jack Coffee :

"On the wrong track. Yesterday we received from Duesseldorf a message regarding the earlier reported arrest of Bernadino Fratoddi (not Frateldi), a 35-year-old Italian: As a result of a thorough investigation, Fratoddi was found to have played absolutely no part in the murder of Empress Elizabeth of Austria. He was apprehended because he was expelled from Germany and was suspected of being an anarchist. In addition to having a letter from the local police confirming that he was a hard worker, Fratoddi wrote a letter while he was in jail to his previous employer resolutely denying that he was in any way associated with anarchy. He much rather professed to be a supporter of social-democracy."

Searching for Frateldi yielded this article from two days earlier, April !0.

Tranlation again provided by +Jack Coffee 

An Arrest. From the Dusseldorf "Rhein Wests"(?) Newspaper reports here of the arrest of Anarchist the Italian Bernardino Frattodi. The arrest reportedly pertains to the assassination of the Empress Elizabeth of Austria. Frattodi was at the time of the assassination of Empress Elizabeth in Switzerland, where he was residing(?) with other Italians. The "Borio"(?) asserts Frattodi, whom he calls Frateldi, was not an anarchist, but a Socialdemocrat.

It is unclear from the article exactly when he was arrested, or how long it took to clear his name, although it appears it was only a few days. Perhaps there were conspiracy theories. I know he was one of 16 anarchists expelled from Switzerland in November 1898.

Bernardino is #9

He took refuge in Germany where he was "hunted in 1902 for anarchist propaganda". This may be a result of that hunt.

Only a few months later, Bernardino boarded the steamship Lahn in Naples, and arrived in New York on August 18, 1902.

His application for citizenship specifically asked if he was an anarchist, to which he replied no.

Giuseppe Fratoddi of Italy #52Ancestors #40

I know very little about Giuseppe Fratoddi. I estimate his date of birth to be about 1830. He was married to Flavia Salieri. The surname Fratoddi is rare, even in Italy.

Per my cousin Manlio Fratoddi, Giuseppe lived in Rome and had a shop that sold charcoal. He was also a soldier of the Pope that defended Rome before and during the unification of Italy. He fought against the unification of Italy which ended in 1870 with the fall of Rome.

The Capture of Rome (Public Domain) Porta Pia Pagliari Vizzotto

From Wikipedia article: The Italian Army, commanded by General Raffaele Cadorna, crossed the papal frontier on 11 September and advanced slowly toward Rome, hoping that a peaceful entry could be negotiated. The Italian Army reached the Aurelian Walls on 19 September and placed Rome under a state of siege. Although now convinced of his unavoidable defeat, Pius IX remained intransigent to the bitter end and forced his troops to put up a token resistance. On 20 September, after a cannonade of three hours had breached the Aurelian Walls at Porta Pia, the Bersaglieri entered Rome and marched down Via Pia, which was subsequently renamed Via XX Settembre. 49 Italian soldiers and four officers, and 19 papal troops died. Rome and Latium were annexed to the Kingdom of Italy after a plebiscite held on 2 October. The results of this plebiscite were accepted by decree of 9 October.

Giuseppe was the father of at least three children:
Vincenzo born 1862
Bernardino born June 26, 1869 in Montereale, L'Aquila, Abruzzo
Nazzareno

There are others that I have found with a father named Giuseppe Fratoddi. They may or may not be the same family; possibly there was a Junior Giuseppe:
Fernanda born 1890. Resided in Rome in 1923.
Pietro born 1892 in Porta
Nazzareno born 1892

There is a Fratoddi tomb in the oldest part of the Cimitero del Verano in Rome.

Photo taken by Manlio Fratoddi

Owners:

MONALDI ZESTRINI GIUSEPPE
FRATODDI PIETO
FRATODDI SALVATORE
FRATODDI GIOVANNI
FRATODDI FILIPPO
FRATODDI ANTONIO
FRATODDI VIRGILIO

Burials:

LATINI GIUDITTA
FRATODDI PIETRO
ZAMPERINI TERESA
FRATODDI SALVATORE
DEL MATTE EMILIO
FRATODDI ANTONIO
MELVINE ALESSANDRO
CASALDI GIUSEPPA
MANEGGIANTI GIULIO
FRATODDI GIUSEPPE
GIANNUZZI CARLO died Nov 5 1960
FRATODDI VIRGILIO died Apr 3 1965
FRATODDI FILIPPO
FRATODDI GIOVANNI
FRATODDI VIRGILIO
FRATODDI FERNANDA
PELLICCIONI GRAZIA died Mar 5 1974
FRATODDI ROSA died Dec 13 1983

Since they are all buried in the same tomb, I can be fairly certain they are all related. I'm not sure if they are listed in order of death.

If you are one of my cugini (cousins), I would love to hear from you.

Georgio Julius Montagna of Italy #52Ancestors #36

I know very little about Georgio Montagna. He was born in Italy by my estimate about 1850.
Update 22 April 2018:
I have located documents naming him

Giorgio Giuseppe Geremia Montagna

He was born 1 October 1853 in Mirandola, Modena, Italy to Domenico Montagna and Teresa Ceretti.

Map of unification of Italy, 1815-70. Public Domain

He was married to Elizabetta Rosa Bonini. This is the official record of the marriage in 1896, but probably married about 1876 by the Church.

Marriage of Giorgio Montagna and Elisa Rosa Bonini in Rome

After doing some reading in the excellent resource, "Italian Genealogical Records" by Trafford R Cole, Psy.D., I found the reason for two marriages.

Beginning in 1866, the town officials were responsible for recording all births, marriages, and deaths. The child had to be personally presented to the town official to register the birth.
After the Kingdom of Italy was formed, Pope Pius IX was totally against the new country. He had controlled the city of Rome and the central portion of the country know as the Papal States. The Church lost the battle (literally). The Pope did not give in quietly, and prohibited all faithful Catholics from participating in the political system.
A power struggle arose between the Officials and the Church. Many people were married by the Church, but did not register the marriage with the city officials. The town would not recognize the marriage and would record all of the children resulting from these marriages as illegitimate. The couple would finally be forced to remarry in a civil ceremony and recognize their "illegitimate" children. From 1865 to about 1880 there are many cases of the marriage being recorded after the couple had several children.

He is named in the marriage of his daughter Juilia to Bernardino Fratoddi in Manhattan, New York:
Name: Bernardino Fratoddi
Spouse's Name: Juilia Montagna
Event Date: 09 May 1905
Event Place: Manhattan, New York, New York
Father's Name: Giuseppe
Mother's Name: Flavia Salirae
Spouse's Father's Name: Georgio
Spouse's Mother's Name: Elizabeth Bonnine

He is given as Juilia's father on her death certificate as Julius:
Name: Julia M. Fratoddi
Death date: 08 Dec 1957
Death place: Birmingham, Jefferson, Alabama
Gender: Female
Age at death: 78y
Estimated birth year: 1879
Father's name: Julius Montagna
Mother's name: Rose

Giorgio and Rosa had at least three children, all born in Bologna:
Edgardo born 13 August 1877
My great grandmother Giulia 10 October 1879
Italio born 6 March 1886
I'm sure there were other children but I haven't found them yet.

I will continue to search for more records. If you have any info on this family I would love to hear from you.

Giulia "Juilia" Montagna Fratoddi 1879-1957 #52Ancestors #16

Giulia Elvira Teresa Montagna was born October 10, 1878 in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. She was the daughter of Georgio Julius Montagna and Elisabetta Rosa Bonnini.

Panoramic view of Bologna by Luigi Anzivino. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic License.

Thanks to the great folks at Italiangenealogy.com who helped me locate her immigration, we found traveling in Second Cabin, Giulia Montagna, age 25. She was single, and able to read and write. Giulia departed from Naples Jan 24, 1905 on SS Neckar, and arrived in New York Feb 6 1905. Her home city was Roma (Rome). She was going to W 27th St, NY, and in possession of $30. Never before in US. Discharged to Aunt. Unfortunately it does not give the aunt's name.

Giulia, whose name was "Americanized" to Juilia, married Bernardino Fratoddi May 9, 1905 in Manhattan, New York. Family stories indicated they both came to the US as newlyweds, but apparently they were possibly engaged in Italy and came over separately. Bernardino arrived in New York in 1902.

Juilia and Bernardino had five children:
Florida Marie born 1908 in Florida
George Esperanto born 1910 in Tennessee
Georgia Mildred born 1912 in Alabama (twin)
Helen Elise born 1912 in Alabama (twin)
Flavia Louise born 1916 in Alabama

Fratoddi children, Birmingham, Alabama circa 1915

Mrs. Juilia Fratoddi, pioneer resident

Mrs. Juilia M. Fratoddi, 1225 Princeton av, died Sunday Morning at a local Hospital.

Mrs. Fratoddi was the widow of Barnard Fratoddi, a pioneer resident of Birmingham.

Survivors are a son, George E. Fratoddi; three daughters, Miss Florida Fratoddi, Mrs. John R. McGowan and Mrs. J. P. Whitt, Jr., and eight grandchildren.

She was a member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church of West End.

Funeral services will be at 9 a.m. Tuesday at Johns-Ridout's and at 9:30 at Blessed Sacrament Church with the Rev. George W. Keys officiating. Burial will be in Elmwood Cemetery. The rosary will be said at 7:30 Monday night at Johns-Ridout's Chapel.

Pallbearers will be Joseph Schneider, William Bayliss, Hal Hamilton, Patrick Tully, John Wilford and Clarence Busenichner.
---Published in The Birmingham News, Monday, Dec 9, 1957, pg 28

Baby Book of John Raymond McGowan, Jr.-West End Birmingham, Alabama 1932

..but is was a gift

Yes, it's pink..

You can click on pictures to enlarge

Top left is an invite to a party at 3:30 o'clock on Tuesday, Oct. 30 at 2005 Jefferson Ave for Ann Eliz Sudd---ter

John Raymond McGowan, Jr. Age 8 months