Gaetano Coniglio born 1836

.Born: 27 February, 1836 ~Serradifalco,Caltanissetta, Sicilia
Died: 11 October 1910 ~ Serradifalco, Caltanissetta, Sicilia

In 1836, the year my paternal grandfather Gaetano Coniglio was born, Sicily, with Naples and the southern Italian peninsula, formed the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, ruled by Bourbon Spain. Gaetano's family owed allegiance to the King of the Two Sicilies, Ferdinando II, who in turn was a subject of his cousin Isabella II, Queen of Spain and All its Holdings (including Sicily).

In the United States, Andrew Jackson was in his second term as President.

From about 1820 through 1860, Sicilian civil birth records reported the details of all births on the left side of a two-page form, reproduced below. On the right side of the form was documentation that the record had been sent to the local church, and that the Parish had confirmed the baptism of the child and the date of baptism.
The translation shown below after the actual record has been condensed to one page.


From Serradifalco Registri Stato Civile Film 1466430, 1836 Births, No. 47, Gaetano Coniglio

R E C O R D O F B I R T H

Notice of the day on which
was administered the Sacrament
of Baptism

Number forty-seven

In the year one thousand eight hundred thirty-six on day twenty-seven of the month of February at hour twenty-one before Us Gaetano Piazza, Mayor and officer of the vital records of the community of Serradifalco District of Caltanisetta Province of Caltanisetta appeared Raimondo Coniglio age thirty occupation Laborer living at Strada Calvario, who has presented us a boy that accordingly we have visibly witnessed, and he has declared that the same was born of Maria Messina his legitimate wife age twenty-four, living here, and of him, the declarant, age as above, occupation as above, living at as above on day twenty-seven of the month of February in the year stated above at twenty-two hours, in their own house.

The same has also declared that he has given the boy the name Gaetano.

The aforesaid presentation and declaration was made in the presence of Leonardo Avenia age thirty-three, occupation landowner, a subject of the realm, living at Strada Piconotti and of Francesco Messina age forty, occupation Sharecropper, a subject of the realm, living at Strada Calvario, witnesses attending the present act, and provided by him, Mister declarant

This document, which we have created as required, was inscribed on two registers, read to the informant and to the witnesses, and on the day, month, and year as stated above, signed by Myself only, the declarant and witnesses having said that they don't know how to write.

The Mayor
(Signed by) Gaetano Piazza

Number forty-seven

In the year one thousand eight hundred thirty-six on day twenty-nine of the month of February the Parish priest of this town has returned to us on the day stated above of the year stated above, the record, which we had remitted to him on day twenty-eight of the month of February of the year stated above, the here-written birth act, at the bottom of which he has indicated that the Sacrament of Baptism has been administered to Gaetano Coniglio on day twenty-eight of the month stated above.

Having seen this document after having it encoded, we have provided that it be preserved in the register of documents at page forty-seven

We have also acknowledged to the Parish priest the receipt of the same, and we have created the present record which was inscribed on the two registers in the margins of the corresponding birth record, and then we have signed.

(Signed by) Gaetano Piazza

In the early 1800's the sulfur mines near Serradifalco, like others in Sicily, were likely owned by the Baron who owned the town. When feudalism was abolished, the mines were taken over by 'venture capitalists' who exploited the poverty of the local peasants for cheap (sometimes slave-like) labor. This was probably the situation in the late 1800's when many miners banded together to form the Societ� di Mutuo Soccorso dei Solfatai in Serradifalco, or the 'Society of Mutual Aid of Sulfur Miners in Serradifalco'. Pictured and dated 1886 are the first three pages of the regulations of the society, listing the founders. Click the images to enlarge them. In the image below on the right, line 36 reads: Coniglio Gaetano fu Raimondo (Gaetano Coniglio, son of the late Raimondo Coniglio). These are the names of Gaetano, born in Serradifalco in 1836, a founding member of the organization, and his late father Raimondo, born in about 1805.


Images provided by Ray Iannello, grandson of founder No. 19, Rizzo Leonardo fu Giacomo.

From Serradifalco Registri Stato Civile Film 1964373, 1910 Deaths, No. 169, Gaetano Coniglio

RECORDS OF DEATHS

Number 169

~ _* ~

Gaetano Coniglio

   In the year one thousand nine hundred nine on day eleven of October
at hour eleven
   Before me Sir Doctor Vincenzo Perits Commissar of the Realm,
Officer of Civil Records of the community of Serradifalco ________ have appeared Salvatore Crino ________, age thirty-six _____,sulfur miner___, living in Serradifalco _, and Gioachino Calabese, age thirty-three, _____, a broker _____, living in Serradifalco ______________, who have de-
clared to me that at the hour ten _____________ and minutes thirty _________
of today ____, in the house located at Via Migliore ___at number twelve has died Gaetano Coniglio ___________, of age seventy-four ___, sulfur miner ___, living in Serradifalco _____, born in Serradifalco _______, son of the late Raimondo_, a sulfur miner _, who lived in Serradifalco__, and of the late Maria Messina __________, a housewife ________, who lived in Serradifalco,
[Gaetano Coniglio was]the widower of Maria Carmela Calabrese
   At this certification have been present the witnesses Vittorio Butera ____,
of age thirty-five __, a sulfur miner _, and Baldassare Falzone_, of age thirty-four _, a plowman ______, both residing in this Town. The pre-sent record was read to all those assembled, and they have, with me, signed below(Signed by) ~Salvatore Crini    ~Vittorio Butera
~Gioachino Calabrese         ~Baldassare Falzone
~Crino

	--	Origins	Genesis	Generations:	1	2	3	4
	--	Heritage	Gaetano & Rosina


The street and house where Gaetano died in 1910, at Via Migliore Number 12.
Serradifalco, July 2004 ~ Photos by Greg and Melissa Coniglio