Lots of new information!
hach...@gmail.com
First off, I apologize for the length of this email. I am too excited
to keep it short and simple. I am staying ever dilligent in my
research for the history of the Gradone family and it has recently paid
off. I discovered that the Mormon Church has a huge genealogical
archive on microfilm in their Utah center which can be requested to a
local LDS church for review. After browsing their microfilm selection,
I discovered that they had five different microfilms for Castelvetere
sul Calore on the following information:
1) Birth registrations: 1809-1862
2) Birth registrations: 1863-1864, Banns (public wedding
announcements): 1810-1865, Weddings 1810-1865, Death registry:
1809-1827
3) Death registry 1828-1865
4) Birth registrations: 1866-1899, Banns: 1866-1877
5) Banns: 1878-1899, Weddings: 1866-1899, Death registry: 1866-1899,
Various Actions: 1866-1891, Decennial Indices of births: 1876-1895, of
Weddings: 1876-1895 and deaths: 1876-1895
Needless to say it was pretty exciting to see that they had *any*
information on such a tiny little town. I requested the last two
microfilms on the list, #4 & #5. I recently got the call that the
films had arrived so I quickly ran down to the local facility to start
researching. All of the records that were filmed appear to be the
actual parish record books and indexes. I took many pictures of the
blown-up films and will be getting them up online shortly if anyone is
interested in checking it out.
Here's what I have found so far - if anyone has anything to add it
would be greatly appreciated:
The first Gradone related document I found was the marriage certificate
for Michaelangelo Nazzaro and Irene Maria Teresa Gradone. This meshes
perfectly with the information provided by Dick a few weeks back. It
is dated December 12th, 1895 (as far as I can decipher). What was even
more exciting was that these formal documents list the full names of
the parents of both parties getting married. With that, I confirmed
that the previous generation of Gradone was Salvatore Benedetto Gradone
and wife Maria Grazia Nargi! This information lined up perfectly with
our Michael Gradone's Ellis Island records that show him coming to the
U.S. with mother Maria Nargi. What was also really cool about the
record was that it had signatures from Irene and Salvatore. I could
have gone home totally happy to find one peice of information, but I
still had tons of microfilm to go!
The next record I found was a little more confusing, but I believe I
have it figured out. It is a marriage record for a Michaelangelo
Gradone and Maria Luisa Ciampi. It is dated 1869 (again, I am doing my
best to read italian cursive which certainly is no easy task!). This
certificate is totally handwritten, as it appears the "fill in the
blank" type records did not come into being until 1880 or thereabouts.
But after doing some reading and squinting, I discovered that the
parents listed are Raffaele Gradone and Maria Bimenti. Could this
Michaelangelo Gradone be the brother of Salvatore?
The next record was awesome - the marriage record of Savatore Benedetto
Gradone and Maria Grazia Nargi! They were married March 14th, 1872.
Further clearning things up, this certificate states that Salvatore's
parents were Raffaele Gradone and Maria Bimonti!
Then I got started on death certificates. The first Gradone
certificate I found was Michaelangelo Gradone from November 1870. This
is the same Michaelangelo Gradone that married Maria Luisa Ciampi a
year before. I can't make out the cursive to determine what his age
was at death, but it's unfortunate regardless.
Another death from 1878, this one dated February 2nd. Raffaele
Benedetto Gradone, infant. His parents were Michaelangelo Gradone and
Maria Luisa Ciampi. Again, pretty unfortunate.
A third death was found shortly after. This one is for Raffaele
Gradone dated June 12th, 1873 at 7:10pm. It states that at 6:05pm
today at house number 46 Raffaele Gradone died at age 64. He was a
resident of Castelvetere and was born in Castelvetere. I'm
disappointed that the one spot where the picture didn't come out
sharply is where I believe it says his father's name. I did manage
to get Domenica Mariano as one name (perhaps his mother) and wife's
name of Maria Bimonte.
Another death certificate belongs to Maria Guiseppa Gradone dated
November 30th, 1874 at 9:30 (don't know if it's AM or PM). She was
79 years old at the time of her death, resident of Castelvetere, born
in Castelvetere. This certificate came out much clearer so I could
determine that her fathers name was Salvatore and mothers name was
Domenica Mariano! Maria Guiseppa Gradone had to have been Raffaele's
sister. It also shows that her husband's name was Salvatore Moccia.
The death form was witnessed by Salvatore Gradone (based on the year
this is probably our Salvatore, Maria Guiseppa's nephew) and
Feliciantonio Moccia.
Another death (I know this is getting kind of morbid, but I believe the
microfilm I requested had complete death records and incomplete birth
and marriage records) - this one is kind of conusing: Arturo
Benedetto Gradone. It's dated September 18th, 1875 at 9am. I
can't make out the age at death but it's definitely eight-something
(weeks, days, months). His parents were Salvatore Gradone and Maria
Nargi. Here's where I'm confused - our Michael Gradone had a
brother Arthur B. Gradone who lived in the U.S. What is the
possibility that Salvatore and Maria lost a child and named their next
child the same name? I'll have to do some more digging on this one
and the next because it's as intriguing...
Elisa Gradone. According to the Ellis Island ship manifest she
traveled with Michelangelo and was 13 years old. That would put her
birth year at 1897. According to the death certificate I found, Elisa
Gradone was 15 years old at the time of her death and her parents were
Salvatore Gradone and Maria Nargi. Unfortunately I can't decipher
the year of the death.
I also found several indices with the above mentioned Gradones. I did
find the birth index listing for Michelangelo Benedetto Gradone but I
haven't found the actual birth record yet. I'm certainly hoping I
get to it eventually.
There you have it for now. I think I've pretty much nailed a few more
generations of the Gradone family through this research and hope I
continue to find information. I'd love to know your input on this if
anyone has any!
Thanks,
--Brian--