Tuesday, February 26, 2002
My 4G grandfather, Michele Rapa, was born on Christmas day, 25 Dec 1780, to Antonio Rapa and Angiola d’Amato. The 1802 census had said so, and his baptismal record confirms it. One thing the baptismal record adds is that his full name was Michele Gennaro Rapa.
The census was kind of unclear on when Antonio Rapa was born. It kind of looks like 25 Jan 1759. But Antonio’s death record implies a birth date of around 1746, saying that he was 70 years old when he died in Piedimonte jail in 1816. Sure enough, his baptismal record shows up on 25 Jan 1749. Like his death record, his baptismal record shows he was born to Domenico Rapa and Cecilia Missere. It also gives his full name as Antonio Domenico Pasquale Rapa. I haven’t found a baptismal record for Domenico Rapa, but I’ve found two for Cecilia di Missere, one in 1715 and the other in 1716. Without an indication of who her parents were or whether one of those two died young, I can’t tell which one is her. And none of the nine baptismal records for children of Domenico and Cecilia gives any indication of who any of their parents are. So I’m stuck there until I can find a census or death record or marriage record that gives me her parents’ names.
Michele’s mother, Angiola d’Amato, was born on 19 Oct 1755, according to the 1802 census. The baptismal record confirms this. Angiola’s death record in 1846 gives her parents’ names as Andrea d’Amato and Pietronilla Izzo. They both were alive at the time of the 1802 census. Andrea’s baptismal record shows up right where the census said it should, on 1 Dec 1732. The census shows his father as the late Giovanni, and the baptismal record fills in the blank by saying his mother was Nunzia Coluccio. She’s a new find, my 7G grandmother.
The census shows Pietronilla Izzo’s father as Ambrogio, but doesn’t give a birthdate beyond saying she’s 62 years old. I actually found her record in 1735, making her 67 in 1802. She was born on 20 Dec 1735 and baptized two days later. Interestingly, this is one of the few baptismal records that gives a grandparent’s name, as her father is listed as Ambrogio Izzo Philippi, meaning that Filippo Izzo would be my 8G grandfather. Her mother is Cristina Riccio, my 7G grandmother. This baptismal record doesn’t give Cristina’s father’s name, but the record for Pietronilla’s brother Lorenzo on 11 Aug 1737 does, Domenico Riccio, also my 8G grandfather. If you assume a minimum of 18 years between generations, based on Pietronilla’s birth date of 1735, her parents Ambrogio and Cristina must have been born no later than about 1717, and possibly much earlier. Ambrogio’s father Filippo Izzo and Cristina’s father Domenico Riccio must therefore have been born no later than 1699, and possibly much earlier. This is the first instance I have of tracing my Italian line into the 17th century. Cristina Riccio, Domenico Riccio, and Filippo Izzo are all new discoveries.
Baptismal Records
- Michele Gennaro Rapa, 25 Dec 1780
- Antonio Domenico Pasquale Rapa, 25 Jan 1749
- Angiola d’Amato, 19 Oct 1755
- Andrea d’Amato, 1 Dec 1732
- Pietronilla Izzo, 20 Dec 1735
Posted at 3:30:58 AM
