Story of my Great Grandmother

Cathy · V.I.P. Joined: Jul 10, 2007 Posts: 2681

There is only one story that survived time out of Italy regarding something that happened to my grandfather. Not a single story of his family there has survived. That is part of the reason I started all this.
Some of you will remember a cousin found me from Argentina through my website. The great grand daughter of Domenico Garrafa whose pictures Liz fixed. Thursday night she sent me a copy of her daughter's homework paper on their family genealogy.

I was able to figure most of it out but there was a paragraph with my great, great aunt's name (the first wife of Domenico Garrafa) AND my great Grandmother's name - Angelina. I was very surprised to see my great grandmother's name in their family history and could not understand the paragraph (written in Spanish). Liz was on Skype so I im'ed her. I emailed her the document so she could translate it for me. Liz read it and told me this is a story told her her by her aunt and this is what it said:
Domenico Garrafa was in love with Angelina Napolitano (my jaw dropped here) but when he asked her father for permission to marry her he refused because she had an older unmarried sister (Emilia) and the tradition at the time said that the older sister had to marry first so he was forced to marry the elder sister. The story went on to say that when Angelina and her husband died, his love for her was still so great that he took in her 4 children to raise as his own along with his children.
That is the story passed down to the present generation...the first story I have heard about my great grandmother. Nice story - except for one little problem. Angelina was 2 years old when her sister Emilia married Domenico Garrafa! Shocked

And Angelina did not die in 1885 - Emilia did. Angelina died in 1907. Yet, this story survived over 100 years so there must be truth in there somewhere. Any thoughts or ideas?

Emmy · V.I.P. Joined: Jul 11, 2007 Posts: 1000 Location: Scotland

What a lovely story Cathy (what a pity the ages didnt work out) Do you know how old Emilia was when she married?
Emmy

Cathy · V.I.P. Joined: Jul 10, 2007 Posts: 2681

Yes, Emilia was 15 when she married Domenico (I have the marriage act) but I did not find her birth act to back this up yet. Emilia's death act lists her as 29. It is interesting to note that Angelina was the same age - 15 - when her sister died. I think he fell in love with her after his wife (her sister) died if this part of the story is true. And if Angelina's father refused his permission it could have been because of the age difference because Domenico would have been in his mid thirties at this point. His older children would have been only a few years younger than Angelina.
I do know that this man did take in all of Angelina's children when she died - 7 by my count but I may have missed a couple of death acts. My grandfather did tell his children (my dad) that Domenico Garrafa took him in when his mother died and Maria Concetta Garrafa (Domenico's last daughter with Emilia Napolitano) told the same to her children.
So does anyone think there is some truth to this story - with different details. I should note here that this story is told by the children of his second wife whom he married in 1888 (a few months before Angelina married my great grandfather). Angelina's second huband was the nephew of Domenico Garrafa! (*gasp*) Shocked

Gina501 · Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 3:22 pm Post subject: Re: Story of my Great Grandmother

Whoa Cathy! OMG! I have chills. How can you find this out????

Cathy · V.I.P. Joined: Jul 10, 2007 Posts: 2681

Remember the cousin (great grand daughter of Domenico Garrafa) that found me through my website? She told me. Pretty wild huh? So I guess my great grandmother was a little heartbreaker. The thing that really makes me think is her second husband was Domenico Garrafa's nephew! Hmmmm....I wonder. Their first baby was born 6 months after they got married!
I will never know the truth for sure. But Liz and I sure had fun guessing.

nuccia · Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 4:39 pm Post subject: Re: Story of my Great Grandmother

Well, I already told you my thoughts (you can share them if you like but I'm not going to)...

Have to go to my parents house for dinner now. My parents took Simy out for the day so I better go and rescue her.

See you all later.

Cathy · V.I.P. Joined: Jul 10, 2007 Posts: 2681

Nuccia has been listening to too many Naughty Nina stories! She thinks that since Angelina was pregnant when she married husband #2 (the nephew of Domenico Garrafa) that Domenico may actually be the father of her first child born after marriage #2. Shocked

Domenico Garrafa was married to wife #2 at this time. Although I do plan on checking for a Pubblicazione during 1885-1888 to see if they listed their marriage banns before her father's refusal as Nuccia suggested. Without Papa's permission, I doubt they made it that far. Especially since Angelina was so young.

Cathy · V.I.P. Joined: Jul 10, 2007 Posts: 2681

Tonight I visited my parents. I told my dad the story and he got very choked up. I did not anticipate that. I asked him why he was so emotional and he said, I have waited 84 years to hear a story about my grandmother. I thought I would share that.

nuccia

Oh Cathy..thats so sweet. It freaks me out too when I see my Dad get into one of my searches. Thanks for telling us.

Ok, now to go to bed..almost late for work this morning...

Vincenza · V.I.P. Joined: Jul 11, 2007 Posts: 354 Location: Michigan

Wow!! what a story.

Oh my God, It sure make you wonder.

I hope you find the truth.

Vincenza

Cathy · V.I.P. Joined: Jul 10, 2007 Posts: 2681

Well Vincenza I doubt there is any way to prove or disprove this story aside from the obvious story flaws. I will check to see if there is a pubblicazione for them although I doubt anything got that far without Papa's permission and beyond that all I can do is hope to find another story from someone else. Although this story has survived over 100 years so there must be some truth to it.
Hey, how is your website coming?