Filippo Sabella's Ancestors

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Translations provided by members of the GenAG - Genealogie Agrigentine and the Italian Genealogical Records Facebook groups.

Tommaso Sabella was baptized as Jo: Masi Puzo on December 24, 1544, in the mother church parish of Sciacca, Agrigento, Sicilia, Italy, the son of Antonino Sabella and his unnamed wife. (Mouse over and click on his Latin baptism record upper right to enlarge it in a new window or tab.) His given name Jo: is short for Giovanni and his middle name, Masi is short for Tommaso, which means he was named after his paternal grandfather.    

Sometime prior to or in 1572, Tommaso married Gati Diecidue. She was baptized as Gati Johanna also in the mother church parish, the daughter of Filippo Diecidue whose name is listed as Pho Dechi et Du on her baptism record. (Mouse over and click on her Latin baptism record left to enlarge it in a new window or tab.) The only thing known about Gati’s father Filippo is that he had another child born in the Sciacca mother church parish — a son Vito, who was baptized as Vito Franc’o on June 18, 1556. According to name websites, Gati is a female name mainly popular in the Hindu religion and its main origin is Hindi. It means Gait, Speed, Path, Obedience, Success, and the Power of understanding obedience. In Italy it can also be found as a surname. Unfortunately, a Sciacca church marriage record or notarial marriage contract could not be found for Tommaso and Gati.

Only two Sciacca baptism records have been found for the children of Masi and Gati Isabella, both in the mother church parish as follows — Giovanni, who was given a middle name after his paternal grandfather, was baptized as Jo: Antonino on December 16, 1572; and two years later ancestor Filippo who was named after his maternal grandfather. No other baptism records for their children have been found, but it should be noted that the only available records for this time period are from the mother church. St. Vito and St. Michele baptism records, do not go back this far.

Sometime before April of 1576, Tommaso died Unfortunately burial records do not begin until 1606, so it is not known when he died. He may be the Tomaso Isabella who wrote his will (Testamento) on January 11, 1574, a few months before his last child was born, but there was another ancestor with this same name who was alive at this time. Until the details of this will can be read, it is impossible to know which ancestor this will is for. After her husband died, Gati married again.

On April 30, 1576, Gatuzza married the widow Vito lo Domino (read his bio below) in the mother church and they became the parents of another ancestor. On June 10, 1576, less than 2 months after they married, Sciacca notary Giacomo Janchino recorded a marriage contract between Vito Lo Domino and Agatuzia Sabella. (Mouse over and click on their marriage contract entry lower right to enlarge it in a new window or tab.) Only three Sciacca mother church baptism records have been found for the children of Vito and Gatuza lo Domino as follows —Mariano was baptized as Mariano Vinc’o on May 21, 1577; ancestor Giuseppe; and Catherina, who was baptized on December 22, 1581, with her mother listed as Gati.

It is not known when Gati died, or if she remarried after her second husband died, so for now, this is all that is known about Tommaso and Gati.

Vito Domino was baptized as Vito Joseph on March 23, 1544, in the mother church parish of Sciacca, Agrigento, Sicilia, Italy, the son of Antonino Domino and his unnamed wife. (Mouse over and click on his Latin baptism record upper right to enlarge it in a new window or tab.)

On February 15, 1562, Sciacca notary Fiderico Bonachia recorded a marriage contract for Vito Domino and Sigismunda Venezia. (Mouse over and click on their marriage contract entry upper left to enlarge it in a new window or tab.) Unfortunately church marriage records are not available for research prior to 1568. Five Sciacca mother church baptism records have been found for the children of Vito lo Domino, but only the last two list the mother’s name as Gesmunda and Munda respectively. The five records found are as follows — Biaggia was baptized as Blasa on February 3, 1563; Vincenzo, given a middle name after his paternal grandfather, was baptized as Vinc’o Ant’no on November 30, 1564; Arphia was baptized on December 15, 1568; Margarita was baptized as Margaritella on August 19, 1571; and Giulia, who was baptized as Julia Pha on January 26, 1574.

Sigismunda must have died within a couple of years after having her last child, leaving Vito with several young children. In Pellegrino Mortillaro’s book, Andrea Randazzo un notaio storico Volume Secondo, there is a Testamento entry for a Vito Lo Domino filed by Sciacca notary Giacomo Janchino on October 19, 1575. Being that this is only 6 months before he remarries, it could be his wife just died and he was setting up his will to leave her estate to her children. Burial records do not go back this far, so this is just an assumption, as this record may be for another man with the same name. On April 30, 1576, Vito married ancestor Gatuzza Diecidue and they had three children, including another ancestor (see her bio above for the details). (Mouse over and click on their Latin church marriage record lower right to enlarge it in a new window or tab.)

There is a a St. Vito burial record for Vito lo Domino who was buried on January 23, 1610, in what looks like St. Carmina, which may be the Carmeli convent cemetery. (Mouse over and click on his possible Latin burial record lower left to enlarge it in a new window or tab.)There is no other identifying information on the record, so this may not be for this ancestor, but it is reasonable to believe it is. For now, this is all that is known about Vito.

Antonino Sabella is the documented and son of Tommaso Sabella and father to ancestor Tommaso. It is most likely his mother is Tommaso’s wife Margherita, but a Sciacca baptism record could not be found for him. The earliest Sciacca baptism records begin in 1628, and he was probably born about 1522. Unfortunately, Antonino is a common name, so there are no records that can be identified strictly as being for him. Because there was another Antonino Sabella living and having children in Sciacca at the same time, it is difficult to figure out which one is the child of this Antonino. To make it even more difficult, mother church baptism register records, which supply detail information, don’t begin until September of 1543! In December of 1542, a daughter named Pamfilia Margarita was born to a father named P Antonino, and a month later another daughter named Giulia Caterina was born to another father named Antonino. It is most likely Pamfilia was ancestor Antonino’s daughter and was given a middle name after her paternal grandmother. There is also another mother church baptism record dated September 25, 1550, for an Antonino Sabella who was the son of master Antonino Sabella, that could be for this ancestor, but it is clearly just a possibility. What is certain is that on ancestor Tommaso’s baptism record his father is listed as Antonino, son of Masi. For now, nothing else is known about him.

Antonino Domino’s ancestry is unknown, but he lived and raised a family in the mother church parish of Sciacca, Agrigento, Sicilia, Italy. Eleven Sciacca mother church baptism records have been found for the children of Antonino lo Domino. His given name is listed in one form or another, but mostly as Ant’no. Unfortunately, none have a mother listed and there is no way to know if these children are all for the same man, but the dates fit as if they were all for the same man. The first five records are one line index only records that only give the month and year. Detailed register records begin in late 1543. The baptism records found are as follows — Cola was baptized in February of 1529; Angilella Ant’na in January of 1530; Michael in September of 1535; Auria Marg’ta in December of 1541; Nardo in March of 1543; ancestor Vito was the first to have a register record; Calogero was baptized on April 3, 1545; Giuseppe Agostino on what looks like August 25, 1547; Salvagino on May 20, 1548; Damiano Peito on January 12, 1550; and Julia, who was baptized on December 23, 1550.

Unfortunately, nothing else is known about Antonino or his other children.

Tommaso Sabella’s ancestry is unknown, but he married and raised a family in the mother church parish of Sciacca, Agrigento, Sicilia, Italy. He was probably born in or before 1500, but Sciacca records don’t go back this far.

On December 27, 1520, Sciacca notary Nicolo Canina filed a notarial marriage contract for Tomaso and Margherita Grosso. (Mouse over and click on their marriage contract hand written index left and the printed book entry upper right to enlarge them in a new window or tab.) She was the daughter of Cataldo Grosso and his wife Giovanna, whose surname is unknown. Unfortunately, no Sciacca records have been found for Cataldo and Giovanna. But the following statement makes it clear that Cataldo was deceased, but Giovanna was alive when their daughter Margherita was married in 1520.

What is known about Tommaso and Margherita comes from a statement that was written by Mr. Silvio Piparo and Mr. Silvio Xurtino and was recorded in pencil by Sciacca notary Antonio Raccagna on September 1, 1520. The statement is proceeded by an introduction which translates to “I am publishing this document because of the singularity of the marriage between a couple of ex-slaves, re-baptized infidels and of ‘black’ origin.” The statement references the above mentioned contract calling it the deed. It translates as follows:

“when the Latin marriage (that is, with community of property) was signed between Tommaso de Ysabella, a black man, and Margherita, a girl then "maura" (=Muslim) called di La Grossa, for the decorum of the marriage Giovanna, widow of the black man Cataldo Lu Grossu, manumitted her (freed her from the yoke of slavery) and promised the groom the dowries contained in a deed by Notary Nicolò Canina; therefore, today the said Giovanna, confirming said contract, manumits her again and makes her a citizen of Roman law, so that she can marry, make a will, codicil, sell and do everything a citizen of Roman law can do and promises to give the groom the aforementioned dowries at the times and in the ways agreed in the deed.”

Although the exact circumstances why this statement was issued is unknown, it seems to be a legal decision made because Tommaso did not get the promised dowry from his mother-in-law. It clearly states that both Tommaso and Magherita were black former slaves who had been baptized and freed. Tommaso may have been a slave working for the other Sabella family and he took their surname when he was freed.

Even though Sciacca mother church baptism records begin in 1528, the first record found for a child of Masi Sabella isn’t until 1535. None of the records list a mother’s name, so these children are probably for the other ancestor Tommaso Sabella. It’s very possible that Tommaso and Margherita were Muslim, so they probably did not baptized any of their children.

It is not known when Tommaso and Margherita died, so until more documents can be discovered, this is all that is known about Tommaso, Margharita and her parents.