Onofria Mandracchia's Ancestors

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The church records on this page were obtained from the research of  Raimondo Lentini of the GenAG - Genealogie Agrigentine Facebook group. Translations provided by members of the GenAG - Genealogie Agrigentine and the Italian Genealogical Records Facebook groups.

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Giuseppe Mandracchia was born between 1783 and 1786 in Sciacca, Agrigento, Sicilia, Italy, to parents Onofria Verde and Vincenzo Mandracchia. In 1830 he was a sailor who lived in Quartiero Madrice. Apparently the family moved sometime prior to 1836 and he changed his occupation. His profession on his death record is listed as Contadino which means farmer in English. 

On January 24^th and 31^st of 1808, the marriage banns for Giuseppe Mandracchia and Liboria Sclafani were read in church. A few weeks later on February 18, 1808, Giuseppe married Liboria at the St Michele church in Sciacca. (Mouse over and click on their Latin church marriage image left to enlarge in a new window/tab.) Liboria was born between 1794 and 1798 in Sciacca to Vincenza Bentivegna and Giuseppe Sclafani. Liboria and Giuseppe had at least four additional children born in Sciacca besides ancestor Onofria — Vincenzo was probably the eldest son as he was named after his father’s father, was born between 1814 and 1817, and married Giuseppa Friscia, on the same day as his sister, ancestor Onofria, married Giuseppa’s brother; Giuseppe was probably the second son as he was named after his mother’s father, was born about 1820/21, whose great-grandson married into the Marotta family in New York; Mario, named after his father’s grandfather, was born and baptized on July 23, 1825, in Quartiero Madrice and died there at 5 years old on December 14, 1830; and Antonino, who was born in 1828, married Giovanna Speziale in Sciacca and died there on March 10, 1904.

Giuseppe died on September 2, 1836, at age 50 at home, in Quartiero Santo Vito, in Sciacca. (Mouse over and click on his death record image left to enlarge in a new window/tab.)

Apparently Liboria left the farm as she died at home in Quartiero Madrice in Sciacca at age 60 on December 21, 1854, as the widow of Giuseppe Mandracchia. Her occupation on her death record is listed as Industriosa which means industrious or hard-working in English. (Mouse over and click on her death record image right to enlarge in a new window/tab.)

Unfortunately, nothing else is known about them.

Vincenzo Mandracchia was born and baptized on January 5, 1755, in Sciacca, Agrigento, Sicilia, Italy, to parents Mario Mandracchia and Anna Guardino. (Mouse over and click on his church birth/baptism record image left to enlarge in a new window/tab.) He is named after both of his grandfathers and according to Italian naming traditions, he would have been their first born son. His full baptized name was Vincenzo Francesco Mario.

On August 29^th and September 8, 1779, marriage banns were read at the mother church in Sciacca, for Vincenzo to marry Onofria Verde. They were married there on September 17, 1779. (Mouse over and click on their Latin church marriage image right to enlarge in a new window/tab.) Onofria was the daughter of Carlo Verde and Accursia Ciulla and sister to ancestor Michelangelo Verde. Vincenzo and Onofria had at least one other son, Mario, who probably was the eldest son, as he is named after his paternal grandfather. Mario was a Marinaro like his father, married Leonarda Montalbano, lived at Quartiero San Michele, in Sciacca, and died there on August 16, 1847. Although Mario’s death record states he was 60 years old when he died, he probably was older than that, as that would put his birth about 1787, eight years after his parents marriage. It doesn’t seem probable that they would wait that long to name a son after his father’s father, so he most likely was born earlier. Vincenzo and Onofria probably had several other children, but documentation can not be found for them.

Vincenzo died a widower at the Hospital of Santa Maria on February 10, 1829, in Sciacca.  On Vincenzo's death record his occupation is listed as Marinaro which means seafaring in English, which means he was a sailor. His death record also states he was 70 years old, which calculates his birth to 1759, but he was 4 years older.  (Mouse over and click on Vincenzo's death record image left to enlarge in a new window/tab.) His death record confirms that his wife, Onofria Verde died before him. She was alive when her son Giuseppe was married on February 18, 1808. A death record can not be found for her in the available records which begin in 1821, so she probably died sometime between 1808 and 1821. Unfortunately, nothing more is known about Onofria and Vincenzo.

Giuseppe Sclafani was born about 1749 in Sciacca, Agrigento, Sicilia, Italy, to parents Vincenzo Sclafani and Anna Turano, but his mother’s surname is recorded incorrectly as Zilla on his death record. On this death record, his occupation is listed as Marinaro which means seafaring in English.

On January 9, 1771, in Sciacca, Giuseppe married Vincenza Bentivegna, who was the only known child of Paolo Bentivegna and Rosa Giordano. (Mouse over and click on their Latin church marriage image left to enlarge in a new window/tab.) Giuseppe and Vincenza had at least four children born in Sciacca. The known children are – Rosa who was born about 1775, and died on May 3, 1852, at the Monastery of Valverde, had no spouse entered on her death record, and was listed as a Sorella Professa which translates to Professed Sister-which may mean she was not a fully ordained nun, but a self proclaimed one; their eldest known son Vincenzo was born about 1786, was a Marinaro like his father, and died on December 9, 1831, married to a Rosa Friscia; then came ancestor Liboria; their  youngest  known child was Gaspare who was born about 1798, was a Marinaro like his father and brother and died on May 25, 1863, the widower of Anna Sclafani. There probably were two other older children, a son named Paolo after his mother’s father and a daughter named Anna, who would have been named after Giuseppe’s mother, but solid documentation cannot be found for them. However there are records for a Paolo Sclafani married to Anna Mandracchia, who had their eldest son named Giuseppe and their eldest daughter named Vincenza. This Paolo may very well may be Giuseppe and Vincenza eldest son.

Giuseppe Sclafani died at home in Quartiero Madrice in Sciacca on February 15, 1829, at the age of 80, five months after his 70 year-old wife, Vincenza Bentivegna, died at home on September 23, 1828. (Mouse over and click on images left for Giuseppe's death record and right for Vincenza's death record to enlarge each in a new window/tab.) Notice that on her death record, it lists an incorrect surname of Bongiovi for her mother.

It is obvious that whoever gave the information for their death certificates, did not know them very well as both of their mother’s surnames were incorrect. This is a common error on death records and it’s a very real problem for researchers. Unfortunately, nothing more is known about them.

Mario Mandracchia was probably born in Sciacca, Agrigento, Sicilia, Italy, the only known son of Anna Sutera and her husband Vincenzo Mandracchia. Being that he is named after his father’s father, according to Italian naming conventions, he was most likely the first born son, probably born within a year or two of his parents 1721 marriage.

Mario first married Alberta Nigra, and they had at least one child together, a son named Vincenzo, born about 1746-7. This is documented in a 1747 Sciacca Riveli (tax record), which is dated in 1748. (Mouse over and click on Mario's Riveli image right to enlarge in a new window/tab.) Unfortunately, a Sciacca birth record could not be found for him. Alberta died and apparently her son Vincenzo also died, as when Mario remarried he named his first born son Vincenzo. It is also not known if they had any other children.

On July 29, 1753, at the mother church, in Sciacca, Mario married Anna Guardino. (Mouse over and click on their Latin church marriage image left to enlarge in a new window/tab.) His second wife, ancestor Anna was the only known daughter of Calogera Corrao and her husband Vincenzo Guardino, and was probably also born in Sciacca. Mario and Anna had at least one other child besides ancestor Vincenzo, a daughter name Brigida, who was born in Sciacca about 1771, and died there on September 11, 1821. Brigida’s death record is difficult to read, but her father’s full name and mother’s given name are clearly written.

It is not known when Mario and Anna died, but they were both alive when their son, Vincenzo was married on September 17, 1779, but deceased at the time of their daughter Brigida died in 1821. Anna’s parents, Calogera Corrao and Vincenzo Guardino were both alive on July 29, 1753, the day, she married Mario. Unfortunately, at this time, nothing else is known about Mario, Anna and her parents Calogera and Vincenzo.

Vincenzo Sclafani was born about 1712, probably in Sciacca, Agrigento, Sicilia, Italy, to parents Caterina Imbornone and her husband Gaspare Sclafani. His birth year is calculated from him being listed as 2 years old on a 1714 Sciacca Riveli (tax record) for his father Gaspare Sclafani. (Mouse over and click on Gaspare's Riveli image right to enlarge in a new window/tab.)

Francesco Sclafani, a member of The Sclafani~Family Connection website has researched the Early Sciacca Parish Marriage Registers. From the data he found, he believes Vincenzo may have been related to his ancestors, Domenico Sclafani and Sebastiana Coco. If he is, this line continues back to the mid 1500’s.

On August 29, 1734 the marriage banns were first read for Vincenzo to marry Anna Turano, the daughter of Giacomo Turano and Antonina Prinzivalli. Just over a month later on October 4, 1734, they were married. (Mouse over and click on their Latin church marriage image left to enlarge in a new window/tab.) Vincenzo and Anna’s only known child was ancestor Giuseppe. Regrettably, Giuseppe’s dearth record listed his mother’s surname incorrectly as Zilla, but his marriage document records his parents names correctly.

All that is known about Anna’s parents is that at the time of her marriage in 1734, her father, who was call mastro Giacomo was alive and her mother Antonina was deceased. Mastro translates to master, which means he was a highly skilled and respected craftsmen.

It is not known when Vincenzo and Anna died, but he was deceased and she was alive on January 9, 1771, when their son Giuseppe was married. At this time, nothing else is known about Vincenzo, Anna or her parents.

Paolo Bentivegna was the brother of ancestor Filippo Bentivegna, and son of Ignazia Bivona and her husband Pietro Bentivegna, probably in Sciacca, Agrigento, Sicilia, Italy. Some researchers say Paolo was born between 1714 and 1715, but there is no documentation to confirm this. This birth year range doesn’t seem plausible because of his marriage date, it is more likely he was born about 1700. The banns for his marriage to Rosa Giordano were read on November 11^th and 18^th and they were married the next day in Sciacca on November 19, 1731. (Mouse over and click on their Latin church marriage image right to enlarge in a new window/tab.) Rosa was the only known daughter of Calogera Catanzaro and her husband Michele Giordano. It is assumed Rosa and her family were from Sciacca. The Ganino Italian Surnames website states that Rosa’s surname, “Giordano is very common throughout Italy, . . can derive both from the Latin surname Gordianus, and from the medieval Italian name Giordano, and from the French one Jourdain.”

There is a 1747 Sciacca Riveli (tax record) in his name which is interesting, but confusing. (Mouse over and click on this Riveli image left to enlarge in a new window/tab.) It is for a 47 year-old Paolo (born about 1700), his wife Rosa and their 5 children. The eldest son is listed as 26 year-old Pietro, then the second son, 20 year-old Giuseppe, then the first daughter listed is named Ignazia, the second daughter is named Calogera, and lastly a 3 year-old son named Nicolo. The eldest son and daughter’s names are the names of ancestor Paolo’s parents. Ancestor Rosa’s mother was Calogera, the name of the second daughter. This all seems to point that this is ancestor Paolo’s family, but the parents listed on the Riveli are Onofrio and Vita Bentivegna. So this brings up a few questions. Why aren’t any children named Onofrio or Vita? Are the parents listed here an error, or is it just a coincidence that these children’s names match ancestor Paolo’s parents?

What is known about Paolo and Rosa’s parents is that Paolo’s father, Pietro was alive when his other son, ancestor Filippo was married on January 31, 1723, but deceased when Paolo was married in 1731. Paola’s mother, Ignazia was alive at the time of Paolo’s marriage. Both of Rosa’s parents were alive at the time of her marriage.

It is not known when Paolo and Rosa died, but they both were alive on January 9, 1771, when their only known daughter Vincenza was married and deceased by September 23, 1828, when she died. Unfortunately, nothing else is known about them or their parents.