My Family

I created this blog to keep track of my family history research. I do most of my research online.

The Francis name is my husband's which was originally Francisco from Sao Miguel, Azores, Portugal. He also has ancestors from Sweden and England. So far, I have found that my family has come from Italy, England, French Canada, Scotland, and Ulster Ireland (Scotch Irish).

I have also taken a DNA test, which shows mostly Italian, but also England and France.

Friday, August 20, 2010

arnaldo denicola

I recently requested a marriage record from Italy for Arnaldo DeNicola and Louisa Terragnoli, so I waned to put all the information I had on this couple in one place.

The first time Arnaldo's name appears on a passenger list was in March 1902, on the ship The Commonwealth. Arnaldo last place of residence states Prezza, Italy. His name is actually crossed off this passenger list, so perhaps he never came to Boston as expected at this time.

The next time I found Arnaldo listed on a passenger list is arriving in Boston from the Port of Naples, on April 23, 1906 on the ship S.S. Romanic. He states his last place of residence as Prezza, Italy again. Arnaldo is traveling with two other people from Prezza, Guisseppe Pasquale and Cosmos Terragnoli. Cosmos is going to 1 North Square, Boston, where his cousin Michele Bolea is. Arnaldo states he is going to 1 North Square also, where his cousin Nunzio Pasquale resides. Arnaldo also states that he was in the US before between the years 1903-1904 in Boston.

Arnaldo finally came to the US to stay when he arrived in Boston on May 13, 1907 with his wife Louisa and child Annunziata from the Port of Naples on the ship S.S. Caponic. Arnaldo again states his and his family's last place of residence was Prezza, Italy, and they are going to 3 North Square, Boston where Louisa's brother is, Cosmo Terragnoli. This passenger list also states their place of birth. Louisa and Annunziata are stated to have been born in Prezza, Italy, and Arnaldo's place of birth is listed as Rome, Italy. When I first saw this passenger record, the transcription on Ancestry.com stated Raiano as the place of birth for Arnaldo, but looking closer at the original record it looks more like Roma than Raiano.

A couple of years later, Arnaldo applied for his citizenship with his declaration of intention in 1909. Unfortunately his petition of naturalization was denied in 1915, due to lack of knowledge of history and government as stated in his second petition of naturalization, listed below. He applied again with his declaration of intention on June 16 1920. This time his petition of naturalization was accepted on July 20, 1920. Arnaldo took his oath of allegiance July 21, 1920. The naturalization papers for Arnaldo state he was born in Rome, so it does seem the passenger record sates Roma, not Raiano. I will have to wait to see what his marriage record states when it arrives (if it arrives).

Arnaldo DeNicola and his family moved around a lot in the next twenty years, always staying in Quincy, MA. Arnaldo's declaration of intention in 1909 states he was living at 52-54 Canal Street in Quincy, MA, and he was a grocer. The 1910 Census states he was living at 52 Canal Street in Quincy also. In 1912 his occupation is listed as both a grocer and a steamship ticket agent in a Quincy Directory. On his second petition of naturalization in 1915, Arnaldo states his residence as 9 Canal Street, Quincy, MA. This same address of 9 Canal Street is listed when Arnaldo registered for the WWI draft in September of 1918. By the time his petition of naturalization was accepted in 1920, he is living at 126-128 Washington Street, Quincy, MA. Within 10 years in the United States, it looks like Arnaldo and his family moved at least three times.

By 1926 Arnaldo adds Justice of the Peace to his occupation, as listed in the Quincy City directory for that year. The residence listing for 1926 also shows he moved again to 54 Winter Street, Quincy, MA. By the 1929 Directory, his occupation is listed as Notary of the Public and agent - now living at 125 Brackett Street in Quincy. He moves again by 1932, to 9 Edwards Street, Quincy. He moves one last time in 1933 to 9 Massachusetts Ave, Quincy, MA and lists his occupation as manager at 1195 Sea Street, which is G A & P Tea Co, the grocers. Within these last seven years, between 1926 and 1933, Arnaldo and family moved four more times.

That is all the information I have on Arnaldo DeNicola for now. As I mentioned above, I have requested from Prezza, Italy the marriage act of Arnaldo and Louisa Terragnoli, which will list Arnaldo's place of birth and his parents. This record will also show this information for Louisa. After I know that Arnaldo was actually born in Rome and not Raiano, I can send a request for his military records in Italy.