Help with Foundling Boy - Family Mystery

[sbiondo257]

Hello! I recently discovered that my ancestor Maria Ventimiglia adopted a foundling in Sicily. The story goes that she had just lost a child, and went to the "foundling wheel" to adopt a boy. I now have two documents that support this story and list the boy. I'm really hoping to find out more about this boy if I can! I'd be so grateful for your help!! Here is what I know:

Name: Giuliano Termini

Born: April 16, 1911

Birthplace Valledolmo

Records - Below are Maria Ventimiglia's Passport and Passenger List:

Passenger List: https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/29758799?h=b1fa97

[rlw254]

https://www.antenati.san.beniculturali. ... 90/02VAdmM
Giuliano Termini born 16 Apr 1911 to a woman who did not consent to be named and a father unknown. Small description at the bottom of the items found with the child.

[sbiondo257]

Thank you so much!! Is there any way to find out more about his adoption?

[suanj]

Thank you so much!! Is there any way to find out more about his adoption?

hi Giuliano was no legally adopted... otherwise his surname was the same of adopter family... on the birth record, the Registrar wrote that the baby was send, accompanied by a woman, Anna Maria Ganci in Palermo orphanage for foundlings.
So I believe your ancestor applied for custody, which is different from adoption. Custody does not provide for the legal rights of a child that are instead provided for an adopted child.
suanj

[sbiondo257]

Oh okay, thank you!! Are there any documents that might be available from the orphanage? Or custody documents?

[suanj]

I don't know if something could exist, but I don't think and anyway they wouldn't be available online and you wouldn't learn anything else that you don't already know from the birth record.
These birth records of foundlings, when they bear the inscription "born of a woman who does not allow to be named" you must consider them very hermetics, as the will of the mother prevails over that of the child. In these cases, that is of children born to unknown parents, of which the mother, therefore only one parent, is known but does not want to be named, in this case, these children are not real foundlings, because the foundlings are found in the "wheel. "or out on the door, or on the stairs of the church, these were the real foundlings. Instead Giuliano was born with the help of a midwife, who knew his mother well, this is well established, and who denounced the birth of the child born of an unknown father, and I think she knew it very well, and from a mother who does not want to be nominated. Well in these cases the Registrar not only compiles the birth record, but also creates another folder, where he says exactly who the mother is. So a birth record, what you have, for the public, and then a private report on the mother of this child and possibly the father, and this report remains top secret in the municipal archive. And the law says that after 100 years from his birth, Giuliano, if he is still alive, can apply to the judge to know who the real mother was. Normally no one reaches 100 years of age and moreover with enough energy to challenge the system. But someone recently did a centennial lady who eventually knew who the mother was who didn't want to be named, and she was the village teacher.
The only thing I can tell you, but it is my idea, that the mother must have been a high-ranking woman or at least an educated woman, not a peasant or a servant. Because? because normally they also write the address of the house where the child was born, instead here the Registrar only wrote "Valledolmo" and because the mother never wanted to be tracked down by her son.

In fact I remember a case where from the address the son understood that the mother was a nun or a novice, since the address on the birth record was that of a convent!
Instead here nothing. Either she was a married woman of upper middle class, or she was a young lady from a good family, and if there was a convent we can think she was a nun also. I would exclude that she was a servant or a peasant. Normally, the women dontadine or servants, then asked for the custody of the child, said that it was not theirs, that they had found him at the door , but then they asked for his custody and nursed him. In front of the audience it seemed that they were doing a good work but in truth she was bothered by the conscience of abandoning her own son. But in the case of Giuliano the biological mother had no qualms, and usually indifference towards feelings is combined with wealth. The rich people don't have heart.
So in summary, I don't know if there is still something to look for on the spot, but in any case it would not be of any use. Nothing. You would only find news for the public...

Because only Giuliano could have access to the top secret folder with his mother's name, but he had to do it while he was alive and if he had lived for a long time, that is to say over 100 years, and request it by a application at judge.
suanj

[sbiondo257]

Wow!! This is really great information, thank you so much!! If you don't mind me asking, what is the difference between receiving custody of the child, and adopting him? Is it safe to assume he stayed with Maria Ventimiglia until he was an adult?

[suanj]

Fostering is different from adoption. Actually the custody/fostering is the first part of affiliation, and the custody had a duration of 3 years. Then after 3 years, on a voluntary basis, it was possible to decide whether to proceed with affiliation.
By affiliation it was not automatic that the minor took the surname of the putative father, while it is so for adoption.
Practically: he had the same rights / duties as the father, being a putative father, and the minor the same rights / duties as a son but for the surname he had to make an express request to the putative father, and if he accepted he received the same surname, but he was always excluded from inheritance.

While in case of adoption he immediately received the same surname and was considered a son in all respects, while with affiliation he was considered as a son but only with regard to education, education, nutrition, clothes, etc but not to bear the surname if the putative father did not want, and had no right to inherit.

If the minor in foster care or affiliation had parents but had been abandoned, if the biological parents were deemed able to take care of the child again, they could take him back, but as long as he was a minor and if the judge gave ok, while with adoption, biological parents immediately renounce all rights over their child. Adoption is total and definitive, affiliation is partial and can be timed. Obviously in the case of foundlings, the biological parents are not known and having abandoned him and not wanting to be named, they give up all rights to the child.
suanj

[sbiondo257]

This is such great information Suanj! Thanks so much for all your help!