My Genealogy

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Fenech + Buttigieg 1696


Ottobre 1696
Die decima tertia Octobris 1696 Denuntiationibus premisis tribus diebus fassiuis(?) quarum pa. fuit die 23 7bris 1696, 2a fuit die 29 eiusdem, 3a fuit die 30 puedicti ing missae parrochilais solemnia habita, nulloq. legitimo impedimento detecto. Ego Sylvius Paci parochus Ecclesia parrochialis Casalis Attard Laurentius Fenech filius legitimus et naturalem qdm. Vincentii Fenech et Maria viventis obim coniugi ex Parrochia Casalis Attard, et Gratia virgine, filia legitima et naturalem Ignatii Butigieg, et Catharina coniugi ex eadel Parrochia, interrogavi, corumque mutuo consensu habit(?) per verba de presenti matrimonio coniunxi presentibus testibus artis(?) Angelo Debono sacrista, et Joanne Camilleri et postea in celebrazione missa ex vitu S. Matris Ecclesia Ego Parochus qui supra benedixit.
October 1696
13th October 1696 marriage banns made firstly on 23rd September 1696, secondly on 29th of the same month, third on the 30th .... no legal impediment detected. I Sylvius Pace parish priest of the parish church of Attard interviewed Lawrence Fenech legitimate and natural son of the late Vincent Fenech and his widow Maria from the parish of Attard, and Gratia virgin, legitiamte and natural daughter of Ignatius Butigieg and his wife Catherine from the same parish. who verbally gave their mutual consent for this wedding in front of Angelo Debono sacristan and John Camilleri. At the end of the celebrated mass in the church of St Mary, I the above mentioned parish priest, gave my blessings.
There is a bit of a quandary here. The marriage is dated 1696, but their daughter (Rosa Fenech below) was born 2 years earlier, in 1694. In her baptismal record, Gratia is mentioned as being the wife of her father Lawrence (which she would not have been if she only married 2 years later) and in this marriage record Gratia is said to be a virgin (thus would not have had kids yet).
The truth is I could not find any other couple marrying in Attard with the names of Lawrence Fenech and Gratia. Moreover , Rosa is said to be the legitimate daughter of her father in her wedding's record.
This leads to two possibilities: either Rosa's parents were not married in Attard, thus the absence of their marriage record - or they married after having Rosa, whilst the Church buried it under regular wordings to hide the scandal.
But how can I, 300 years later, try to uncover the truth? An impossible task really. What I might do is to take a family profile (look up all the children born to a Lawrence and Gratia) and see if there are any overlapping pregnancies (babies being born within 6 months or less of each other) which would mean that there were two couples named Lawrence Fenech and Gratia in Attard, one of them married elsewhere.
I could also look at the godparents of the baptised children to seek some common links.
Watch this space!

Monday, July 2, 2007

B. Rosa Fenech 1694, Lawrence Debono 1690

TOP:
Maggio 1694
Die decima sexta Maij 1694 ego Sylvius Pace Parochus Ecclesia Parrochia Casali Attard baptizavi filia heri nata ex Laurentius Fenech et Gratia conig. cui impositum nome Rosa Maria. Matrina fuit Maria Rosa Vassallo ex eadel parrochia.
May 1694
16th May 1694 I Sylvius Pace parish priest of the Parish church of Attard baptized a daughter born yesterday to Lawrence Fenech and Gratia his wife who gave her the name of Rosa Maria. Godmother was Maria Rosa Vassallo from the same parish.

THIRD:

Die nona novembris 1690 Ego Sylvius Pace Viceparochus Ecclesia Parochis Casalis Attard baptizavi filio nato ex Angelo Debono et Gratia coniugibus, cui imposuit est nomen Laurentius Clemens. Patrinus fuit Philippus Debono ex aede Parrochia.

9th November 1690 I Sylvius Pace vice-parish priest of the parish church of Attard baptized a son born to Angelo Debono and Gratia his wife, who gave him the name of Lawrence Clemens. Godfather was Philip Debono from this same parish.

Note the later addition of the name Lawrence to the baptism record. Was this a forgotten name or a late change?

P.S. For the record, the second and fourth entries are unrelated to the infants listed here or to me. They are

Second: Baptism of Dominic Fenech on 19th May 1694, born the previous day to Joseph Fenech and his wife Dominica, with godparents Dominic Fenech and his wife Bellica from Lija.

Fourth: Baptism of Joseph Scerri on 3rd November 1690 born to Michael Xerri and his wife Dominica with godparents Mautirus Pullicino from the same parish. (Joseph died 10th February 1691).

Debono + Fenech 1715


Die 13 Januarii 1715

Premisis tribus Denunciationibus trid: Diebus festivis de precepto inter pollotis provt moris est, inter missavid sollemnia, quorum 1ma duit die 30 Dicembris 1714, 2a fuit die 1 Januarii 1715 3a fuit die 6 Januarii Ego Aracangelus Debono Parochus, Laurentii Debono filio legitimo et naturalem quondam Angeli Debono et Gratiam ohm Conigi et Rosa filia virgine et legittima et naturalem Laurentii Fenech et Gratia conigi de Casali Attardo interrogavi, et corumque mutuo consensu per verba de presentei intellecto, matrimonio coniuxni presentibus Joseph Giuliano et JoanneMaria Aquilina, postea in celebrazione Missa ex vito S. Matris Ecclesia benedixit Red. Simon Pullicino.


13th January 1715

(Marriage banns made as requested by laws) 1st being 30th December 1714, 2nd being 1st January 1715 , 3rd being 6th January. I Arcangelus Debono parish priest interrogated Lawrence Debono legitimate and natural son of the late Angeli Debono and Gratia his wife, and Rose virgin, legitimate, and natural daughter of Lawrence Fenech and Gratia his wife from Attard.who verbally gave their mutual consent for this wedding in front of Joseph Giuliano and John Mary Aquilina. At the end of the celebrated mass in the church of St Mary, Rev. Simon Pullicino gave his blessings.
The couple were married 19 years before the birth of their daughter Anna Victoria, who did not have the chance to meet her paternal grandfather who was already dead at the time of the wedding.

Anna Debono born 1734


Die 27 Ottobris 1734
Ego Arcangelus Debono Parochus baptizzavi fila nata ex Laurentio Debono et Rosa Coniugi; cui impositum suit nomen Anna Victoria Debono. Patrini Mauritio Tanti de Casali Attardo.
27th October 1734
I, Arcangelo Debono parish priest baptised daughter born to Lawrence Debono and Rose, his wife who gave her the name Anna Victoria Debono. Godfather was Mauritio Tanti of Attard.
I had made it a habit to start looking for the baptism of females 16 years before their marriage. Anna Debono was born in 1749, so I started looking from 1733 backwards.
After searching through 20 years of baptism without success, I tried again, but to no avail.
Then I started my search later, to find Anna being born only 15 years earlier.
Anna got married early in her life, at exactly 14 years and 2½months!