My Genealogy

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Continuing the Journey...

It's been a while since I explored my Barbara line, last seen in the Casal Bisbuti area.

Since this week the Maltese Diocese has surprised us all with the online publication of a good chunk of church records (see here), it is a great opportunity to catch up with some lost threads.

Let's do a quick recap. Evidence currently in hand is summarised hereunder.

DEATH OF GIUSEPPE BARBARA (My GGGGGrandpa)
Date: 14 Nov 1839
Place: Bone, ALGERIA
Age: 50 years
Description: Catholic, born in Malta
Parents: BARBARA Antonio and Catarina

BIRTH OF ANTONIO BARBARA (His son, my GGGGrandpa)
Date: 22 Jan 1838
Place: Bone, ALGERIA
Father: Giuseppe BARBARA , aged 44 years, native of Malta, daily worker
Mother: Rosa VELLA, aged 36 years, native of Malta

BIRTH OF TONY BARBARA (His brother)
Date: 11 Feb 1837
Place: Bone, ALGERIA
Father: Giuseppe BARBARA , aged 42 years, native of Malta, fisherman
Mother: Rosa VELLA, aged 32 years, native of Malta

DEATH OF ANTONINA BARBARA (His sister)
Date: 19 Aug 1836
Place: Bone, ALGERIA
Age: 4 years
Father: BARBARA Giuseppe, 40 years old
Mother: BARBARA Rosa, 32 years old

PASSPORT APPLICATION
Date: 1835
Applicants: ROSA BARBARA and her daughter ANTONINA

MARRIAGE OF GIUSEPPE BARBARA TO ROSA VELLA
Date: 13 Jun 1820
Place: Zejtun, MALTA
Groom: Josepho BARBARA
Bride: Rosa VELLA
Groom parents: Antonij BARBARA & Rosa GRIXTI
Bride parents: late Josephi VELLA and Maria ZAMMIT

BIRTH OF ROSA VELLA
Date:7 Dec 1804
Place: Zejtun, MALTA
Father: Josephi VELLA
Mother: Maria

Now, some inconsistencies.
1) The reported age of Giuseppe BARBARA is inconsistent throughout, aging TWO years in ONE year between the death of his daughter and the births of his sons - but then aging SIX years in ONE year to his death.
2) The reported age of Giuseppe BARBARA and Rosa BARBARA nee VELLA is inconsistent throughout, with Rosa not aging a year and then aging FOUR in TWO years. The birth record of Rosa VELLA fits with her reported age in the death record of her daughter in 1836.
3) At his death, Giuseppe's mother's name is listed as CATARINA, whilst in the marriage of 1820 it's listed as ROSA. To note that the patron saint of Zejtun is St Catherine. Could it be a reference to his birth town, rather than his mother?

The issue at hand here is whether the couple married in Zejtun on 13 Jun 1820 are the same couple who sired my GGGGrandpa in Algeria on 22 Jan 1838. Whilst their names and surnames match, and likewise the name of the groom's father, the name of his mother does not. Also, so far I have been unable to find a daughter named Antonina born to the Zejtun couple on 1832 - this would cement the link.

There are two actions that I am now considering:
1) A family profile of the Zejtun couple - basically scouring the baptism records from their marriage date onwards and trace any offspring they had, together with the death records in case of infant deaths. If quite a number of offspring survive, it will be difficult for the mother to just emigrate to Algeria with just one daughter. Also, if any births are attributed to the couple after 1835, then there would be two concurrent couples: one living in Zejtun and one in Algeria, and the Zejtun couple would not be my ancestors.
2) Look for the baptism of Antonina Barbara in 1832 in other parishes - and thereafter trace a marriage between a Giuseppe BARBARA, son of Antonio BARBARA and Rosa VELLA in that parish - in which case they would be my true ancestors.

To work. To long, laborious work. From my study at home, at least, thanks to the Malta Diocese online archives!

UPDATE:
The Family Profile returned the following results:
There were two baptisms of children born to Giuseppe BARBARA and his wife Rosa:
1823 BARBARA Franciscus Joseph ex Josephi Barbara et Rosa
1826 BARBARA Maria Josepha Angela Rosa ex Josepho Barbara et Rosa

There were NO MORE births thereafer, up till 1840.
It would be possible if the couple no longer lived in Zejtun.

UPDATE:
No results in searching for Antonina's birth record whereabouts of 1832 neither in Zejtun nor in Ghaxaq and Zurrieq.

UPDATE:
I found the following births in Ghaxaq (Asciak) records, but they are unrelated as the mother's surname is Mizzi.

BARBARA Fortunata ex Joseph et Rosa Mizzi in 1830
BARBARA Cajetano ex Joseph et Rosa Mizzi in 1835

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