Foundling Genesio Genesi

Genesio Genesi

Born: 27 August 1874 ~Castelleone, Cremona, Lombardia, Italia
He survived and eventually emigrated to America, where his descendants live.

Meaning of Genesio [jeh-NAY-zee-oh]: after St. Genesius, a Roman martyr

       Children of unknown parents or those born out of wedlock were given stigmatic surnames like Proietto (castoff), Milingiana (eggplant) and so on.
        A foundling would be named by the civil official who registered the birth. He might give the child a saint's name or another made-up name as a 'first' or given name, and also a fabricated surname.
        In this case he imposed the first name Genesio (for Saint Genesius). For a surname, he picked Genesi (jeh-NAY-zee), which in Latin means 'of Genesius'. This foundling's name was written in Latin as Genesius Genesi, meaning Genesio, (son) of (Saint) Genesio. In the civil records, the given name in Italian is Genesio, and the Latin form Genesi was used for the surname. The full name could just as logically have been rendered in Italian as 'Genesio di Genesio'.
         The birth record below states that the names were given "in accordance with Article 58" of the civil code. Before marriages could be allowed by civil authorities in Italy and Sicily, marriage banns (pubblicazioni) had to be posted that identified the betrothed, and the parents of the betrothed had to give their consent. Foundlings had no parents to do so, and early conventions of simply naming them, in effect, Joseph Foundling could make identification difficult. So the law required that they be given distinct names.  Even when these names were not blatantly stigmatic, an unusual name in a small town would virtually assure that all would suspect the child was born out of wedlock, and if that weren't enough, the word illegittimo on the record sealed the deal.

       When descendants of Italian and Sicilian immigrants contact the birthplaces of their ancestors for civil records, the clerks in the ancestral towns do not make photocopies of the original records. Rather, they view the records and make 'estratti' or extracts of them. Unlike the actual records, these extracts do not give details; for example where and by whom foundlings were discovered. Instead they give only the bare minimum.
       Below is the Atto di Nascita (Record of Birth) of Genesio Genesi, which is filed in the Registri dello Stato Civile, the Register of the Civil Record, of the City of Cremona. In the transcription and translation, words I could not quite make out are [bracketed] or shown as ______. Note the details that are contained in the actual record that are omitted from the extract, which follows.
        The names in the original records are given in the Italian style: surnames, followed by given names. In the translations, I have reversed the names to the American usage.
       Genesio was born on 27 August. The feast day of St. Genesius is 25 August, and I believe that proximity was the reason the child was given that particular saint's name.
        Both the civil birth record and the church baptism record are presented here. The birth record gives more details than the baptism record, but does not name the child's godfather, which the baptim record does. The extracts of both the civil birth and church baptism are also presented, and it's obvious that the extracts are mere summaries of the actual documents.
       The records for the foundling Genesio Genesi were kindly made available by his grandson, Jerry Genesio. Through a common error in the Americanization of foreign names, someone along the way reversed Genesio Genesi's first and last names, so the family surname is now Genesio!

ATTO DI NASCITA (Record of Birth )

L’anno milleottocentosettantaquattro questo giorno di Venerdi ventotto agosto alle ore nove antimeridiane nel palazzo Comunale in Castelleone, mandamento di [Torefina], Circondario [Lantucia di Frenna]
Divanzi a me Dottor Giuseppe [Sanzaria] Segretario di questo
Comune Ufficiale dello Stato Civile per delgazione ven-
tuno Ottobre milleottocentosettantatre
È comparsa la Signora Cotti Rosa fu Andrea, di anni tren-tatre, moglie di Leoni Giovanni, levatrice Condotta di questo
Comune, la quale avendo assistito al parto di un’ __ ap-presso, mi ha presentato un’ infante di sesso maschile che
dichiara essere nato in questo Comune da una donna che non consente di essere nominate e di padre ignoto ieri giorno ventisette acedante agosto alle ore nove pomeridiane, al quale figlio, in virtu dell’ art^o58 del
__ _____ 15. Gen . 1863 N o. 2602 qual’ ordinamento dello Stato Civile viene imposto il cognome di Genesi ed il nome di Genesio

143
Genesi Genesio
illegittimo

Il bambino suddetto sara rimesso all’ Ospizio Pro-
vinciale di Cremona da apposito _________________ Mu-
nicipale, rilalscaindo al sudetto una Copia
dell atto presente perche sia consegnata al di-
rettore dello stabilimente insieme al bambino
la quale dichiarazione viene fatta alla presenza
di Rosetti Benedetto di Gio-Batt Impiegato Muni-
cipale, e di Cremoseoli D^r Achille fu Francesco, dot-
tor in legge, entrambi d’eta maggiore e qui re-
sidente, testimonii scelti dalla dichiarante levatrice.
Data lettura del presente atto alla dichiarante
ed ai testimonii sudetti, l’hanno meco sottoscritto,

Cotti Rosa dichiarante
Rossetti Benedetto testimonio ~ D^r Achille Cremoseoli testimonio
D Giuseppe [Sanzaria] Uff.

The year eighteen hundred seventy-four this day of Friday twenty-eight August at hour nine AM
In the Town Hall in Castelleone, district of
[Torefina], Envrons of [Lantucia di Frenna]
Before me Doctor Giuseppe [Sanzaria] Secretary of this
Town, Official of the Civil Record delegated on twenty-
one October eighteen hundred seventy-three
Has appeared Mrs. Rosa Cotti daughter of the late Andrea, age thirty-
three, wife of Giovanni Leoni, Licensed midwife of this
Town, she having assisted with the delivery of a neighbor, has presented to me an infant of the masculine sex who
She declared to be born in this Town of a woman
who does not consent to be named and of an unknown father yesterday, day twenty-seven of waning August at hour nine PM, to which child, by virtue of Article 58 of
__ _____ 15. Jan . 1863 No. 2602 by which Ordinance of the Civil Record is imposed the surname of Genesi and
the name of Genesio

143
Genesio Genesi
illegitimate

The said child will be remitted to the Hospice of the Pro-
vince in Cremona by special Municipal transport, releasing to the above declarant a Copy
of this record because she is sent to the director of the establishment together with the infant.
This declaration was made in the presence
of Benedetto Rosetti, Municipal Employee, son of the living Giovanni-Battista, and of D^r Achille Cremoseoli, doct-
tor of law, son of the late Francesco; both of age and here re-siding, witnesses chosen by the declarant midwife.
Given the reading of this registration to the declarant
and the witnesses, they, with me, have signed below.

Rosa Cotti declarant
Benedetto Rossetti witness ~ D^r Achille Cremoseoli witness
Don Giuseppe [Sanzaria] Official

Extract of the Record of Birth

TOWN
OF CASTELLEONE

province of Cremona

office of demographic, electoral
and tax services

registry office tel. 0374/356318
public record office tel. 0374/356319
fax 0374/356317 - ext 26012
e-mail: demografici@comune.castelleone.cr.it

Extract for summary of the register of the records of BIRTH
-------------------------------------------------------------
Released - on specific request - with indication of fatherhood and motherhood under art. 3 of DPR 2 May 1957 n. 432

THE OFFICIAL OF THE CIVIL RECORD

having examined the register of the records of birth of this Town
for the year 1874 at No. 143 Part: first Section == U. 1^st ^{CERTIFIES that:}

Genesio GENESI

fatherhood: == == motherhood == ==

          WAS BORN in          CASTELLEONE

          at hour            nine pm                                            and minutes     zero

          on the DAY        TWENTY-SEVEN

          of the MONTH   AUGUST

          of the YEAR       ONE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED SEVENTY-FOUR

sex

M

ON THE RECORD THAT WAS CONSULTED THERE WERE NO ANNOTATIONS REGARDING MARRIAGE

Castelleone, 2 November 2012

THE OFFICIAL OF THE PUBLIC RECORD
deputy - Rosa Castelli

Battesimi (Baptism Records)

DAL VOL 22 pag 99 no 143

^No 143
Genesi Genesius

Anno Domini 1874 . Die 28 . Augusti

fil. ex Ignotis parentibus natus heri hora nona pomeridiana fuit a me
subscriptus hodie baptizatus. Patrinus fuit Cattaneo Joannes fil Laurenti i et
Lena Parzaia. Ad cognomen fuit adjunctum nomen Genesius, in-
fantem ~~xxxx~~ fuit presentatus ab obstetrice Cotti Rosa et Lena Parzaia

FROM VOL. 22 page 99 no 143

^No 143
Genesio Genesi

Year of Our Lord 1874 . Day 28 . of August

son of unknown parents born yesterday nine PM was by me
the undersigned baptized today. Godparents were Giovanni Cattaneo son of Lorenzo and
Lena Parzaia. To his surname was added the given name Genesio. The in-
fant was presented by midwife Rosa Cotti and by Lena Parzaia

Extract of the Record of Baptism

DIOCESE
OF CREMONA

             PARISH                                          of St. PHILLIP and JAMES, apostles
                  Address                                   Via San Realino No. 9
                  Town                     CASTELLEONE   ^Zip26012   ^Province Cremona

CERTIFICATION OF BAPTISM
(for uses that are not prohibited)

From the Register of showing
Baptisms (vol. 22 Page 99 No. 143 ) that:

GENESI GENESIO

                Born at Castelleone                                  ^on 27 August 1874
               has been baptized in this Parish,
                on day 28 - - month of August - - year 1874

              REMARKS
              The godfather was Mr. GIOVANNI CATTANEO son of Lorenzo of this
              parish.

              In faith:

             CASTELLEONE, 8 FEBRUARY 2014

THE PASTOR

Don AMADEO FERRARI
   don Amadeo Ferrari

DISPOSITION OF THE CHILD

The record shown below describes where Genesio lived during his minor years. It references a 'Register of Foundlings', which evidently is a civil register that documents the disposition of these children. Presumably every municipality had such a register, but to my knowledge, none has been microfilmed by the Mormon church, nor otherwise made public.

FORM
A. S. -37

Modification 37

Ministry for Heritage and Cultural Activities STATE ARCHIVES OF CREMONA
In the Register of Foundlings of the year 1874 at no. 185 is shown: Genesio GENESI, born at Castelleone on 27 August 1874, entered the Foundling Home of Cremona on 29 August 1874 On 2 September 1874 assigned to Luigia Fiori, wife of Giuseppe Poncini, of Pellegrino Parmense The 1st of April 1880 assigned to Luigia Orlandoti, wife of Pietro Rodolfi, of Salsomaggiore On 27 November 1886 assigned to Maria Bagassi, wife of Giuseppe Cazzarini, of Lugagnano Val d'Ardi Consigned permanently to the couple Bagassi-Cazzarini on 21 June 18894 By decree of the District Court of Lugagnano of 12 July 1889 the same Giuseppe Cazzarini was named legal guardian of Genesio Genesi. Cremona, 31 January 2013

	THE DIRECTOR Angelo Bellvedi

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The Lady of the Wheel is a fictional account of events in the life of one foundling. Click on the book's cover below for more about the book.