|
June 24, 1999
See Rhonda's Previous
Columns
Finding
Italian Ancestry
Q:
How would I get info from Italy about my grandparents? I have worked up
a family tree with over 400 descendants in the USA. I have names of ancestors that
came to the US but would like some dates. -- Cat
A: When you discover that your
ancestors came from another country, it is important that you do not over look valuable records generated in
the US. These records are very likely to supply you with important information about where your family came from in
Italy.
There are certain records that you will want to investigate to help determine exactly when your grandparents came
to the United States. Those records include:
- Census records
- Obituaries
- Naturalization records
- Passenger lists
From these records you will not only discover when your grand parents arrived, but you are also likely to learn
where in Italy your grand parents came from. Italian civil records are found on the commune level. This is the
equivalent to a town level in the United States. Italian civil divisions are as follows:
- Regions (this is similar to a US state)
- Provinces (this is similar to a US county)
- Communes (this is similar to a US town)
- Frazioni (this is similar to a US village)
Very often the records that you discover will clue you in to the franzione (the village). The records you need
though cannot be found at this level, so you will need to check a gazetteer to see if you have the village or the
town. Once you have the town, you can then turn your attention to your local Family History Center to see if the
Family History Library has microfilmed the civil registration records for your town. If not, you will need to
contact the town by postal mail.
Copies from the Census
Q: I know the LDS folks used
to send you copies of microfilmed census records for a reasonable price. Do they still do this or does someone else?
For example, if you know the page, etc., for censuses for 1900, 1910, 1920 in Tennessee, who could/would make
copies for a researcher who has no access to such? -- Karen
A: You are referring to the
Photoduplication Request Form that allows you to request copies of specific records. You can get this form through
your local Family History Center, and then the copies are mailed directly to you. There are limitations to the types
of records they can photocopy. While there are no copyright issues in regards to the US census, if they cannot fulfill
your photocopy request, they will let you know and do not charge you.
For those needing census records, you can order these directly from the National
Archives. By visiting their web site, you can request the "Copies of Census Records" order form (NATF Form 82).
This form can be requested by e-mail and you can order up to a total of 6 copies of the form. Once the forms arrive,
you need to supply the pertinent details, including:
- Census year
- State or territory
- County
- Township
- Name of the head of household
- Page number
- Enumeration district (for 1880, 1900, 1910 and 1920)
- Other members of the household
If you supply a credit card, they will ship the copies as soon as they have them. Otherwise, they will notify you
that they have located the census record you requested and tell you how much the copy will cost.
Another way to get copies of records from the Family History Library is to hire a professional genealogist. Many
of the larger professional firms in Salt Lake City have specific rates for copies of such things as census records,
especially when you have the exact information that you have.
Passenger Lists of the 1700s
Q: I am looking for information
on how to locate all available ships lists from Ireland and Scotland in the late 1700s. -- Sue
A:
Prior to 1820, there was no US federal law that required the recording of passengers as they
disembarked in the colonies and then the United States. Because of this, there is no one single repository or
collection of microfilms for these early passenger lists.
An excellent book on passenger lists is John P. Colletta's They Came in Ships, A Guide to Finding Your
Immigrant Ancestor's Arrival Record. This book discusses all aspects of the passenger lists from the 16th
century to the 20th century.
If you are looking for specific individuals, an excellent index is P. William
Filby's Immigrant and Passenger Lists Index which has been published
annually since 1982. There is a CD version of this index available through
Family Tree Maker as part of
their database CDs. The focus of these volumes is passenger lists and immigration
information that has appeared in published works. Some of these works will
deal specifically with Ireland and Scotland. The CD in question is #354:
Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1538-1940.
World War I Service
Q:
I have a James Wallace EVANS that I am having trouble obtaining World
War I military service information about. Family tradition has it that
he was a World War I veteran and that he received some land from the
government. Was this land in compensation for his military service?
His grave is marked with a government grave marker that says he was
a Sergeant and he apparently drew a military pension. I tried contacting
the VA and they have no record of anyone by that name.-- T. N.
A: The War of 1812 was the last
war in which soldiers were given bounty land as compensation. If your ancestor received land from the government, it
was not for his service in World War I. If you know when he received the land, you will want to pursue this further
by requesting a copy of the bounty land file.
Also there was no federal pension paid to veterans of World War I. Some states did pay bonuses.
Those states include:
- Illinois
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- New Jersey
- Oregon
- South Dakota
- Washington
- Wisconsin
It is possible that your ancestor's pension came through the state.
World War I records, on the federal level, are housed at the national Personnel Records Center (NPRC) 9700 Page
Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63132. Unfortunately a fire in 1973 destroyed a larger percentage of the service records
housed there. While it is important to contact them, it is possible that the records you seek were destroyed. To
request records from the NPRC, you must use Form 180. To find out about requesting this form, you will want to
visit the National Archives web site. At the present time Standard Form 180 is
available electronically. You can find it at the
Order Forms for Military Service and Family History Records.
One final resource to keep in mind is the State Adjutant General's office in the state where your ancestor lived
prior to the war. Very often they have records in regards to those soldiers from their state in their archives.
Records of the CCC
Q: My father worked for the
CCC during the Depression. He lived in Denmark, South Carolina at the time. I have not been able to determine what
records are available, nor to whom I should write for these records. -- Jean
A:
The CCC was the Civilian Conservation Corps. Created on June 28, 1937
by an act, this was the successor to the Emergency Conservation Work
(ECW) that had been created in 1933. The primary goal of the CCC and
the ECW was to provide employment and vocational training for unemployed
youths, some war veterans and Indians. This training was through conservation
and natural resources development work.
Those involved in the corps were selected by State welfare agencies. While the National Park Service planned and
supervised their work, the War Department was responsible for their transportation to the camps, housing, food and
medical services.
The records for the Civilian Conservation Corps, which was terminated in 1943 by the act of July 2, 1942 are found
in Record Group 35 of the National Archives. Some of these records are on microfilm. The General Records dating from
1933 to 1943 are on 193 rolls of microfilm and include:
- Progress reports, 1933-42
- Camp directories, 1933-42
- Organization charts
- Happy Days, the CCC weekly newspaper, 1933-40
It is likely that you will need to visit the National Archives or hire a professional researcher in order to
pursue these records.
Rhonda R. McClure is a professional genealogist specializing in celebrity trees
and computerized genealogy. She has been involved in online genealogy for fifteen
years. She is the author of the award-winning The
Complete Idiot's Guide to Online Genealogy, now in its second edition.
She is the author of four how-to guides on Family
Tree Maker. In late 2001, she wrote The
Genealogist's Computer Companion. She is a contributing editor to Biography
Magazine with her "Celebrity Roots" column and a contributing writer
to The History Channel Magazine. Her latest book is Finding
Your Famous and Infamous Ancestors. She may be contacted at rhondagen@thegenealogist.com.
Back to Top of Article
|
