San Donato Val di Comino | Of Graveyards and Things

While searching for family names in the San Donato Val di Comino records, I thought the San Donatese diaspora might appreciate having an accessible transcription of some of the historic civil registration indexes for the town. Awhile ago I transcribed the 1849 Births. Today I have transcribed the 49 marriages recorded during the year 1848.

1848 Marriages

Tavola alfabetica annual de matrimonj per l’anno mille ottocento quarantotto

Alphabetical table of annual marriages in the year one thousand eight hundred forty-eight

No. d’ord. *Page #*	Cognomi e Nomi de sposi *Names and Surnames of Spouses*	Patria *Home*	Cognomi e nomi de genitori *Name and surname of parents*	Giorno della celebrazione del matrimonio innanzi alla chiesa *Day of the marriage celebration in the church*	Osservaz. *Observations*
5	Antonellis, Antonio	San donato	Domenico Antonellis and Pasqua Gallo	28 February
5	Salvucci, Carmina	Idem	Luigi Salvucci and Caterina Salvucci	28 February
7	Antonellis, Giuseppe	Idem	Angelo Antonellis and Francesca Cantilli	3 March
7	Mazilli, Maria	Idem	Antonio Mazilli and Orazia Decitto	3 March
4	Bona, Donato	Idem	Loreto Bona and Tomasa Valentini	10 February
4	Cucuzzo, Angelica	Idem	Antonio Cucuzzo and Lucia Mulilli	10 February
14	Bona, Donato	Idem	Vincenzo Bona and Angela Ceccone	20 May
14	Marini, Marta	Idem	Luigi Marini and Loreta Rufo	20 May
8	Celluci, Carmine	Idem	Michele Celluci and Giovanna Cugini	8 March
8	Piscelli, Maria Annalia	Idem	Pasquale Piscelli and Carolina Pesce	8 March
11	Casilli, Pietro	Idem	Vincenzo Casilli and Teresa Ceccone	31 March
11	Fabrizio, Sommata	Idem	Nicola Fabrizio and Maria Giuseppa Quintilini	31 March
11	Cugini, Gerardo	Idem	Pietro Cugini and Loreta Valentini	16 April
11	Baccaro, Costanza	Idem	Valerio Baccaro and Lucia Trojani	16 April
15	Casseti?, D Girolamo	Arce	Niccola Casseti? and Anna Franconi?	23 May
15	Salvucci, D Luigia	San donato	Emilio Salvucci and Clementina Antonangelo	23 May
20	Cardarelli, Gaetano	Idem	Giovanni Cardarelli and Lucreza Cedrone	15 August
20	Di Bona, Clementina	Idem	Gaetano Di Bona and Teresa Mazilli	15 August
15	Coletti, Paolo	Idem	Antonio Coletti and Nora Coletti	20 October
15	Quintiliani, Marianna	Idem	Luigi Quintiliani and Teresa Caruzzo	20 October
26	Ceccone, Gerardo	Idem	Gaetano Ceccone and Frigsda? Venture	23 October
26	Cardarelli, Antonia	Idem	Giuseppe Cardarelli and Felicia Saulutti?	23 October
28	Cellucci, Antonio	Idem	Donato Cellucci and Maria Tramontozzi	6 December
28	Visco?, Cesidia	Idem	Domenico Visco? and Anna Leone?	6 December
29	Cucchi, Sigr: Loreto	Idem	Francesco Cucchi and Susanna Vitti?	24 December
29	Cedrone, Giuseppa	Idem	Alessio? Cedrone and Costanza Cardarelli	24 December
2	Gentile, Cesidio	Idem	Mario? Gentile and Loreta Ventura	23 January
2	Cucchi, Maria	Idem	Felix Cucchi and Loreta Cedrone	23 January
12	Gentilucci, Giovanni	Idem	Francesco Gentilucci and Lucia Celluci	15 April
12	Leone, Vittoria	Idem	Francesco Leone and Clemenza Cucuzzo	15 April
5	Leone, Carmine	Idem	Michele Leone and Marianna Ventre	22 February
5	Ventre, Giuseppa	Idem	Vincenzo Ventre and Clementina Trojani	22 February
15	Bona, Pietro	San Donato	Vincenzo Bona and Angela Ceccone	20 February 1848
15	Coletta, Maria Elisabetta	Idem	Agostino Coletta and Blandina Cardarelli	20 February 1848
16	Bona, Vincenzo	Idem	Domenico Bona and Marianna Salvucci	22 March
16	Roffo, Teresa Nunziata	Idem	Gaetano Roffo and Maria Angela Gallo	22 March
4	Cellucci, Loreto	Idem	Giovanni Cellucci and Lucrezia Cucuzzo	22 January
4	Cellucci, Anna Maria	Idem	Gaetano Cellucci and Lucia Quintiliano	22 January
6	Cugini, Domeniantonio	Idem	Carmine Cugini and Domenica Salvucci	29 January
6	Rufo, Caterina	Idem	Francesco Rufo and Maria Cedrone	29 January
7	Cellucci, Niccola	Idem	Giuseppe Cellucci and Antonia Cucchi	5 February
7	Tramontozzi, Maria Luisa	Idem	Angelo Tramontozzi and Maria Leone	5 February
11	Cardarelli, Donato	Idem	Giuseppe Cardarelli and Marianna Quintiliano	12 February
11	Quintiliano, Carmina Pasqua	Idem	Giuseppe Quintiliano and Loreta Masilli	12 February
12	Cardarelli, Luigi	Idem	Domenico Cardarelli and Maria Sacchetti	12 February
12	Tempesta, Domenica	Idem	Loreto Tempesta and Beladina Cellucci	12 February
17	Cellucci, Niccola	Idem	Gaetano Cellucci and Carmina Cucuzzo	3 April
17	Vergati, Antonia	Idem	Gaetano Vergati and Santa di Bona	3 April
18	Cecchi, Cesidio	Idem	Angelantonio Cecchi and Areangela Ventura	9 April
18	Salvucci, Nachele	Idem	Matteo Salvucci and Giacinta Gentile	9 April
19	Cugini, Luigi	Idem	Agostino Cugini and Antonia Coletta	6 May
19	Fabrizio, Loreta	Idem	Angelo Fabrizio and Giuseppina Valentino	6 May
20	Coletta, Benedetto	Idem	Niccola Coletta and Carolina Quintiliano	7 May
20	Paglia, Lucia	Idem	Loreto Paglia and Maria Luigia Ventura	7 May
21	Coletta, Carlo	Idem	Luigi Coletta and Diomira Cedrone	10 June
21	Ceccone, Maddalena	Idem	Gaetano Ceccone and Brigida Ventura	10 June
26	Cucuzzo, Carlo Donato	Idem	Giuseppe Cucuzzo and Venanzia Tempesta	5 August
26	Cardarelli, Blandina	Idem	Luigi Cardarelli and Giovanna Fabrizio	5 August
?	Camillo, Nunziato Agostino	San Donato	Francesco Camillo and Giuseppa Sambucci	14 October 1848
?	Rufo, Donata	Idem	Luigi Rufo and Luigia Salvucci	14 October 1848
?	Coletta, Niccola Carmine	Idem	Liborio Coletta and Santa Tempesta	23 December
?	Rufo, Clementina	Idem	Antonio Rufo and Maria Ventre	23 December
?	Gatti, Raffaele Carmine	Idem	Fabiano Gatti and Maria Delicata	13 January 1849
?	Evangelista, Carmina Evagelista	Idem	Davide Evangelista and Loreta Cugini	13 January 1849
?	Leone, Giuseppe Cedrone Domenico Francesco	Idem	Francesco Leone and Clemenza Cucuzzo	22 January 1848
?	Cucuzzo, Clemenza	Idem	Rocco Cucuzzo and Angela Celluci	22 January 1848
?	Leone, Flamminio	Idem	Domenico Leone and Loreta Tocci	22 January “
?	Antonellis, Chiara	Idem	Luigi Antonellis and Nunziata Magnarelli	22 January “
?	Leone, Cesidio Domenicantonio	Idem	Giovanni Leone and Antonia Rufo	5 February
?	Vergati, Domenica Natalizia	Idem	Pietro Vergati and Lucia Gatti	5 February
?	Leone, Pasquale	Idem	Giovanni Leone and Teresa Decina	12 February
?	Cucuzzo, Pasquala	Idem	Loreto Cucuzzo and Rosaria Antonellis	12 February
?	Leone, Domenico	Idem	Gaetano Leone and Livia Baccaro	16 February
?	Coletta, Teresa	Idem	Vincenzo Coletta and Giuseppina Pesce	16 February
?	Marini, Antonio Fortunato	Idem	Loreto Marini and Carmina Antonellis	5 February
?	Salvucci, Lucia	Idem	Pietro Salvucci and Giovanna Antonellis	5 February
?	Mazzala, Carlo	Idem	Donato Mazzala and Gaetana Gentilucci	25 November
?	Cedrone, Costanza	Idem	Teodoro Cedrone and Domenica Cedrone	25 November
?	Paglia, Giovanni	Idem	Pietro Paglia and Carmela Antonellis	17 June
?	Cardarelli, Marta	Idem	Saverio Cardarelli and Serafina Cotello	17 June
?	Piselli, Raffaele	Idem	Francesco Piselli and Teresa Cedrone	23 July
?	Coletta, Teodora	Idem	Francesco Coletta and Annamaria di Bona	23 July
26	Paglia, Cristino	San Donato	Pietro Paglia and Carmela Antonellis	7 October 1848
26	Cardarelli, Eleonora	Idem	Niccola Cardarelli and Serafina Gatti	7 October 1848
28	Pellegrini, Carmine	Idem	Benedetto Pellegrini and Cardina Delina? Gatti	28 October
28	Tocci, Angiola	Idem	Francesco Tocci and Carmina Lombardi	28 October
30	Quintiliano, Loreto	Idem	Donato Quintiliano and Maria Cedrone	14 December
30	Marini, Cesidia Maria	Idem	Vincenzo Marini and Mazia Lanno	14 December
13	Rufo, Giuseppe	Idem	Filippo Rufo and Caterina Ruffo	12 February
13	Salvucci, Paolina	Idem	Luigi Salvucci and Caterina Salvucci	12 February
2	Salvucci, Luigi	Idem	Niccola Salvucci and Maddalena de Angelis	2 January
2	Rufo, Carmina Maria Lucia	Idem	Domenico Rufo and Teresa Cugini	2 January
1	Tocci, Domenico	Idem	Giovanni Tocci and Giusta Salvucci	2 January
1	Celluci, Maria Loreta	Idem	Giovanni Celluci and Lucrezia Cucuzzo	2 January
25	Tocci, Donato	Idem	Francesco Tocci and Carmina Lombardi	7 October
25	Mazzola, Maria	Idem	Luigi Mazzola and Lucia diStazio	7 October
32	Tocci, Angelantonio	Idem	Antonio Tocci and Anna Tramontozzi	7 January 1849
32	Rufo, Lucia	Idem	Pasquale Rufo and Maria Mazzola	7 January 1849

1848 San Donato Val di Comino Index of Marriages, Courtesy of Family History Library [FHL 1173844]

1848 San Donato Val di Comino Index of Marriages, Courtesy of Family History Library [FHL 1173844]

1848 San Donato Val di Comino Index of Marriages, Courtesy of Family History Library [FHL 1173844]

Did you locate an ancestor in this transcription – or have a correction to suggest? Leave a comment below to let me know! Then order the microfilm San Donato Val di Comino Matrimoni [Marriages] giugno 1827-1861, FHL 1173844 Items 1-15 to view the full marriage record using the page number provided by the index (or scan through the year if the indexed page number was obscured by the binding – the marriage records are arranged chronologically and therefore easy to find).

Loreto Salvucci, a granite stonecutter from San Donato Val di Comino, Italy, left his home in the Comino Valley – and his usually pregnant wife Carmela (DiBona) four times to come to the U.S. to work in American quarries in 1899, 1904, 1905, and 1909. In 1906, his younger half-brother, Gaetano Salvucci, had moved permanently to the U.S., settling in Quincy, Massachusetts where he worked as a granite polisher. Additionally, Loreto’s mother-in-law Carmela (Paglia) DiBona, and several DiBona in-laws were also living and working in the granite industry Quincy, Mass. by 1900 – along with numerous extended friends and family members from San Donato Val di Comino who also settled in Quincy.

According to the family, Loreto’s wife Carmela and their four children Luigi (b. 1898), Lucio (b. 1903), Raffaele (b. 1906) and baby Eda (b. 1910) immigrated from Italy to Boston to permanently join Loreto and reunite the family. Their next child, Eva, was born at Quincy in 1912. All their remaining children were born in Quincy, and during the ten years after being reunited, Loreto saved his earnings to afford a home of his own in Quincy, having rented several apartments during that time.

With all these details, it seemed natural to assume that the family reunited in Quincy in 1910 and immediately began to settle in to home and work there. I had previously been unable to locate Loreto, either as a solitary granite worker, or with his reunited family in the 1910 Census. However, I knew that Carmela and the kids arrived in Boston in April of 1910, right around the time of the census, so guessed that perhaps they had not yet arrived and Loreto was simply lost in the shuffle or somehow mistranscribed in the census.

But a family photo pointed to a clue:

Lucio “Lou”, Raffaele “Ralph”, Luigi “Gig”, and Eda Salvucci, Hurricane Island, Maine, 1910

The back of the photograph was labeled:

Photograph Label for the Salvucci Children, Hurricane Island, Maine, 1910

Never assume!! I searched for Knox County, Maine, and located a family whose head of household was transcribed on Ancestry as “Lauis Salwrisi”. This actually showed the family of “Louis” and Carmela Salvucci – both listed as unable to speak English, only Italian. Enumerated 7 May 1910, just a week after Carmela and the Salvucci children arrived in the port of Boston on 28 April 1910 aboard the S.S. Canopic, the language barrier most likely was the cause of numerous errors that the census taker recorded for the family:

Louis [sic, Loreto] Salvucci, 38, married for 12 years, b. Italy, immigrated 1899, alien, a granite stonecutter, rents home

His wife Carmela, 35, mother of 4 living children, b. Italy, immigrated 1900 [sic, 1910]

His son Lugi [sic, Lucio] 6, b. Maine [sic Italy]

His son Raphael, 4, b. Maine [sic, Italy]

His son [sic, daughter!!] “Eighty” [sic, Eda, likely a phonetic spelling of nickname “Edy”], 6 months, b. Maine [sic, Italy]

His son Louis, 11, b. Maine [sic, Italy]

The family also lived with domestic Italian servant Mary Luxbring (21) and boarder Charles McCarthy, a crane car engineer.

They lived in the same dwelling house with two other families – likely it was a three family granite company tenement house.

In 1910, Hurricane Island was essentially a granite town, run by Booth Brothers & Hurricane Island Granite Company, which had been a thriving business until 1900 when demand began to wane and other quarries in New England offered easier access to the granite than an island off the coast of Maine. Hurricane Island granite was known for its pink-gray stone. The last shipment of granite from the island was in 1914, and by 1916 the island had been completely deserted, becoming a ghost town.

But in 1910, the granite company changed management, in an effort to try to revitalize the company, and likely Loreto Salvucci heard of their new job openings through the San Donato network, and hoped, along with the Hurricane Island Granite Company, for a new direction for both his job and newly arrived family. Numerous San Donato granite workers were located in both Quincy and Hurricane Island, passing word of jobs and connections through a wide network of family and friends. According to the history of Hurricane Island, workers earned $1.75-$2.50 per week, which went directly into an account at the company store.

Company houses at Hurricane Island, Maine, early 1900s, where the Salvucci family resided in 1910-1911, Courtesy of http://www.antique-photography.com/

Eastern End of the Hurricane Island Quarry

But the granite company struggled, and Loreto must have soon realized the stress of the struggling business was not worth the security of his family, so they returned to Quincy by 1912, where they had a larger support network of friends and family, and easier access to both necessities and comforts than they had found on the tiny island on the ocean off the coast of Maine. Choosing to leave Hurricane Island of their own accord, Loreto Salvucci unknowingly saved the family from the company’s final collapse: Hurricane Island Granite company’s final shipment was a barge of giant granite blocks en route to Rockport, which got caught in a storm on Nov. 8, 1914 and sank to the bottom of Penobscot Bay. That was the final straw for the company which ruined their finances. Management came to the island and announced the closing of the company and town immediately. Tools were left where they dropped. The workers and families quickly gathered their possessions and got on the boat to the mainland. All possible equipment was sold, and some still sits on the island abandoned. Several families remained for a few years, gathering abandoned possessions from the company housing tenements, and taking apart the buildings to sell for wood. At least the Salvucci family left on their own terms two years before this situation developed, and went on to prosper in the Quincy community.

[References: History of Hurricane Island; Booth Brothers and Hurricane Island Granite Company Manuscript Collection]

Of Graveyards and Things

A discussion of cemeteries visited, and interesting historical documents, material culture, and lives researched.

Tag Archives: San Donato Val di Comino

Amanuensis Monday: 1848 San Donato Val di Comino, Italy Marriages

Travel Tuesday: Connecting Hurricane Island, Maine to the San Donato Val di Comino Diaspora