Cudia Family Research

[goff]

Hi everyone!

I recently signed up on Ancestry.com and found this website while looking for specific information on Italy - I'm hoping this forum will be able to point me in the right direction so that I can continue to put my family tree together.

I looking for information on my great grandfather and his parents (great great grandparents).

Here's what I have:

My great-grandfather is Leonardo Cudia. He was born in either 1897 or 1899 in Marsala, Trapani, Sicily. He emigrated to the United States in May of 1921 via Naples. His mother's name is Maddalena (maiden name unknown) and my grandma thinks that his father's name was Mario or Mariano Cudia.

I have searched on Ancestry and on the Antenati Portal but haven't been able to find Leonardo's birth record or any information on his parents. My grandma gave me a business card from a relative that has a family crest on it, does anyone know what it means? Additionally, I am curious to know if I might be able to find WWI records for Leonardo's service in Italy.

If anyone has any pointers on where to look or other information please let me know - thank you in advance for your help!

[Italysearcher]

DO you have his ship manifest and naturalization records? they may give different information. If you haven't found anything on the antenati portal then something isn't right.

[Tessa78]

Here is the birth act for Leonardo Cudia in 1897 in Marsala.

#1456 (in Parte 3)
Dated 11 October 1897 - birth on 8 October 1897
Father: Mariano, 48, blacksmith residing in Marsala.
Mother: Maddalena Zito, his wife residing with him
Child was born on 8 October 1897 at 6 AM at the house in Villa Palini(sp?)
Witnesses to the recording of the birth... Giacomo Sturiano, 31, landowner; and Antonino Catalano, 42, farmer.

http://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.i ... ewsIndex=0

T.

[adelfio]

He had a brother Baldassare Cudia born in Marsala abt 1882
Heres is his death record 1912 Feb 15th in the town of Marsala Baldassare Cudia age 30 husband of Ignazia Vanella son of deceased Mariano Cudia and Maddalena Zito

PG LINK TO RECORD CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE
http://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.i ... 9.jpg.html

Marty

[adelfio]

Marriage of Mariano Cudia and Maddalena Zito
INDEX#214
1876 Nov 4th in the town of Marsala marriage of Mariano Cudia age 28 blacksmith born and resides in Marsala son of Ludovic Cudia and Rosaria Zito married to Maddalena Zito age 15 farmer born and resides in Marsala daughter of Baldassare Zito and deceased Rosa Schifano

PG LINK TO RECORD CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE
http://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.i ... ewsIndex=0

Marty

[goff]

Wow! Thank you so very much Tessa and Adelfio! I am relatively new to this so your assistance with the Antenati website is greatly appreciated.

I have some follow up questions:

- How thorough are these records? (If everyone's birth, death and marriage is recorded I should be able to trace these lineages back as long as there are records in existence).

- Adelfio, If I'm reading this correctly Mariano's mother Rosaria has the same last name (Zito) as his wife, Maddalena. I'm guessing this was a coincidence, unless they were possibly related at some point?

- Does anyone have any insight into the crest on the business card?

Thanks again everyone!

[adelfio]

Italian records are very good sometimes age is off but they are pretty reliable you can back pretty far
I don't know anything about family crests

Zito's could be cousins it happens you have to go through the records to find the link

In searching Italian civil records you have birth(nati) death(morte) marriage (matrimoni) by year most go from 1866-1910 some towns have other years. Indexes are found at the beginning or end of the year you are searching by index number and surname.There are also multi year indexes which combine 5 or 10 years of indexes.
So most of the time just look in the index for the name you are are searching for in that year you are searching then find the index number and go back in that year and find the record with that number on it.
Sometimes there are no indexes at all then its page by page search by year but just because one year has no index doesn’t mean all years don’t have a index
Births have 3 records per image most of the time marriages have 2 records per image deaths have 4 images per image sometimes records are single pages depends how they were photographed by the FHL Family History Library
Babies are born then presented to the civil official of the town usually within a few days of birth for entry in the birth registry that’s why the difference in dates on the record If there is a problem and they cant register the birth act until much later they are entered in the Parte 2 for that year usually in the rear of the records and that record is usually handwritten. Sometimes there are sidenotes with marriage or death information or if the act has a mistake in it a correction to those mistakes
Marriage records include birth town, ages, occupations, parents names and if they are deceased which is very helpful in record searching
Death records have the age of deceased also the parents names and if they were married and to whom and usually town of birth usually not the cause of death
Civil records are signed by the civil official and 2 witnesses not usually family members
The indexes for the churches in Italy of baptism and marriage and death are arranged by first name first (later years last name first) by year and date of the act and page and record number. Just find your person in the index and go back to the records to find the act you

Marty

[Tessa78]

Birth act of Maddalena Zito in 1860 (#226)

Dated 28 February in Marsala - birth on the same day at 9 AM at home
The child was presented to the official by the midwife, Grazia di Dia, 38, and born to Rosa Schifano, 28, residing in Marsala in Via San Matteo, and to Baldassare Zito, her husband, 29, farmer residing there.
Baptized on the 28th at the parish church of San Matteo.
http://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.i ... ewsIndex=0

Birth act of Mariano Cudia in 1848 in Marsala (#23)

Dated 10 January - born on the 9th at 6 PM at home
Presented to the official by the midwife, Anna Genna, 50, and born to Rosaria Zito, 28, residing in Marsala in Via Della Santora(sp?), and to Ludovico Cudia, her husband, 30, blacksmith residing with her.
Baptized on the 10th.
http://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.i ... 4.jpg.html


FYI - Marsala records at the Antenati site begin in 1820 for births, marriages and deaths.

T.

[Tessa78]

Also found...going back another generation

Birth act of Baldassare Zito in 1832 (father of Maddalena Zito)
#345
Dated 9 June 1832 in Marsala
Father: Pietro Zito, 46 [born about 1786], farmer residing in Marsala , Via di San Matteo.
Mother: Maddalena Anselmo, his wife, 40 [1792], residing with him
Child was born on the same day (9 June) at noon at home and given the name Baldassare.
Baptized at the parish Church of San Matteo on the 9th.
http://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.i ... ewsIndex=0

Birth of Rosa Scifano in Marsala in 1834 (mother of Maddalena Zito)
#286
Dated 11 May 1834 - birth on same day at 2 AM
Father: Salvadore Scifano, 36 [b. about 1798], mariner residing in Marsala
Mother: Girolama Sorrentino, his wife, 32 [b. about 1802], residing with him
Child was born at home and given the name ROSA
Baptized on the 12th.
http://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.i ... ewsIndex=0

T.

[goff]

Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for the guidance here! My grandma knew very little about her dad's side of the family and was pleasantly surprised with all that I was able to share with her.

From what I have gathered it seems like I will be able to continue finding information in Sicily back to 1820. My grandma's father's family is from Marsala, her mother's family is from Montalbano. I will continue to comb through the records to see what other siblings I can find, etc.

Where might I turn once I have exhausted the resources on Antenati and how far back should i reasonably expect to be able to trace my ancestry?

Thanks again!

[mbalesteri]

Does anyone know where to find birth records for San Vito lo Capo, Trapani, Italy for 1925 ?