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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: brashergirl on Saturday 19 March 22 22:45 GMT (UK)
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I have a family letter from the early 1900's that I would like to have translated into English. It is written in old Italian cursive and is a bit difficult to read. Hoping someone might be willing and able to give this challenge a try. Thanks!
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First letter, English via Google translate and Italian from how I read it, so expect errors but hopefully the meaning will be there :)
M
Dear Brother-in-law
I am writing you a few lines to let you know about my health news I'm fine I hope for the like of you but only that I am unfortunate. I have already written to you once and I have not received any reply, I do not know if my letter has gone astray. Receive many health from you all are your sister-in-law Onorusia Giachino
Cara Cognato
vi scrivo due righe per fati sapere dello mie notizie di salute sto bene spiero il simile di voi ma solo che sono disgraziata. Vi ho gia scritti una volta e non ho avuto nessuna risponta, non so se loe mia lettera e andata spiersa. Ricevete tante salute da voi tutti sono la vostria Cognata Onorusia Giachino
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Thank you.
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Hi Brashergirl. I will do the translations within the next couple of days. The first letter is straight forward but the second is longer and the writing is a little harder to read, but I will do my best for you.
Mary
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Hi Brashergirl. I will do the translations within the next couple of days. The first letter is straight forward but the second is longer and the writing is a little harder to read, but I will do my best for you.
Mary
That would be wonderful, Mary.
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Here is the first letter. The rest may take a little while, as I had not realized that it is so long and seems to include some local dialect words, which I'm not familiar with. What part of Italy did these letters come from?
Dear sister-in-law
I am writing a couple of lines to you to let you know the news of my health.
I am well as I also hope you are, only that I am unlucky/unfortunate. I’ve already written to you once and I didn’t receive any reply. I don’t know if my letter got lost. Receive greetings from all of us. I am your sister-in-law
Onorina Giachino
Mary
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Here is the first letter. The rest may take a little while, as I had not realized that it is so long and seems to include some local dialect words, which I'm not familiar with. What part of Italy did these letters come from?
Dear sister-in-law
I am writing a couple of lines to you to let you know the news of my health.
I am well as I also hope you are, only that I am unlucky/unfortunate. I’ve already written to you once and I didn’t receive any reply. I don’t know if my letter got lost. Receive greetings from all of us. I am your sister-in-law
Onorina Giachino
Mary
Thank you, Mary! These relatives were from Northern Italy... specifically Sparone (as far as I know). I'm pretty sure both letters were written to my Great-Grandmother, Maddalena, who had immigrated to the U.S. in 1902. I'm not sure if they were sent by relatives who were still in Italy, or who were also in the U.S.
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Hi brashergirl,
Here is the second page. Sorry there are a few areas where I couldn't figure out the words. I'll work on the next two pages when I have some free time.
Page 2
?1965 – I have brought to the post office* in your name, then I, as a representative of your name, I add every year the rent….the rental tax of the room …..in this booklet there is 5741,99 Lire…..as much as your sister…..to whom I also wrote. Answer me quickly if you are informed by Rivo before he might die, what sum existed at the post office* before or after the death of my father. Then ….your brother Domenico said that it would be better to withdraw it and make an inventory. To him it seemed that there was no more…….. Also I’m giving you the….which should also be done quickly without wasting time. And of the property of Casio, …………..Carlo…I found the rental contract of your deceased mother. It has the date of July 1, 1894.
*In small towns, post offices acted as banks.
Mary
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Hi brashergirl,
Here is the second page. Sorry there are a few areas where I couldn't figure out the words. I'll work on the next two pages when I have some free time.
Page 2
?1965 – I have brought to the post office* in your name, then I, as a representative of your name, I add every year the rent….the rental tax of the room …..in this booklet there is 5741,99 Lire…..as much as your sister…..to whom I also wrote. Answer me quickly if you are informed by Rivo before he might die, what sum existed at the post office* before or after the death of my father. Then ….your brother Domenico said that it would be better to withdraw it and make an inventory. To him it seemed that there was no more…….. Also I’m giving you the….which should also be done quickly without wasting time. And of the property of Casio, …………..Carlo…I found the rental contract of your deceased mother. It has the date of July 1, 1894.
*In small towns, post offices acted as banks.
Mary
Thank you, Mary! I am very grateful for your help!
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Hi brashergirl,
Here is the last part. Sorry, but there are some words that I just haven't been able to decipher.
Page 3 and 4
Dear Cousin Madalena
Even though I am surrounded by troubles, we are healthy. I hope that so are you all. So, the ……news of your interest. Your brother Domenico, my son-in-law, came while he was alive, saying that he was waiting on the proxy from you sisters, but he didn’t receive anything. So, he died September 10, 1923 without clearing up any business neither for himself nor for you. Now I want to tell you that my father your …..before dying gave(told?) to me that at the post office of Sparone there existed thee booklets stipulated? and left there in custody. Now going in search? to deliver the death certificate of your brother, the postal clerk gave only one existing of over 7,000 Lire, one of your brother Antonio, of 5,000 Lire.
Also, my father, before dying gave to me registered in Crič(Erič?) on September 10, 1894. Therefore, we are about to arrive at the balance of 30 years and we are running the risk of losing possession. They have the documents of rental receipts. After my father died, they didn’t pay any more rent and we don’t have proof. During the time the most informed have died …therefore ….quickly….without wasting time if you don’t want to lose everything.
Greetings to everyone, husband and family.
Sparone, November 7
Your distressed cousin,
Magnino Marianna
I implore you, a quick reply.
Mary
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Hi brashergirl,
Here is the last part. Sorry, but there are some words that I just haven't been able to decipher.
Page 3 and 4
Dear Cousin Madalena
Even though I am surrounded by troubles, we are healthy. I hope that so are you all. So, the ……news of your interest. Your brother Domenico, my son-in-law, came while he was alive, saying that he was waiting on the proxy from you sisters, but he didn’t receive anything. So, he died September 10, 1923 without clearing up any business neither for himself nor for you. Now I want to tell you that my father your …..before dying gave(told?) to me that at the post office of Sparone there existed thee booklets stipulated? and left there in custody. Now going in search? to deliver the death certificate of your brother, the postal clerk gave only one existing of over 7,000 Lire, one of your brother Antonio, of 5,000 Lire.
Also, my father, before dying gave to me registered in Crič(Erič?) on September 10, 1894. Therefore, we are about to arrive at the balance of 30 years and we are running the risk of losing possession. They have the documents of rental receipts. After my father died, they didn’t pay any more rent and we don’t have proof. During the time the most informed have died …therefore ….quickly….without wasting time if you don’t want to lose everything.
Greetings to everyone, husband and family.
Sparone, November 7
Your distressed cousin,
Magnino Marianna
I implore you, a quick reply.
Mary
Well, not the happy correspondence I was hoping for, but it does show the reality of their lives. I look forward to sharing it with my mom. I am very grateful for your help... is there a way for me to compensate you for your time and effort?
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Hi brashergirl,
Yes, unfortunately, sometimes life in the "old country" was not easy, and that's why so many chose to leave. Land, and its use, was like money in the bank for their livelihood, so there were always fights and disagreements. I can't even tell you how many instances of fights around land there have been with my own ancestors, including a murder. As for compensation, thank you for offering, but I do this for the love of my native language, and to pay it forward as people in this forum have very generously helped me with my own research.
From what I understand, it was the law in Italy that when the parents died, the land had to be divided equally among the children. It seems that in your case the land/house was rented and the money divided.
All the best
Mary
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Hi brashergirl,
Yes, unfortunately, sometimes life in the "old country" was not easy, and that's why so many chose to leave. Land, and its use, was like money in the bank for their livelihood, so there were always fights and disagreements. I can't even tell you how many instances of fights around land there have been with my own ancestors, including a murder. As for compensation, thank you for offering, but I do this for the love of my native language, and to pay it forward as people in this forum have very generously helped me with my own research.
From what I understand, it was the law in Italy that when the parents died, the land had to be divided equally among the children. It seems that in your case the land/house was rented and the money divided.
All the best
Mary
Thanks for that extra information! Hope you don’t mind if I ask you another question. I’m trying to fit Onorina and Marianna into my family tree. In their letters they use the terms “cousin” and “sister-in-law” in relation to Maddalena. Would those have the same meaning then as they do today, or could they have had a broader meaning?
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Hi brashergirl.
I think "sister-in-law" is exactly that. "Cousin" may also be a second, third and so on. In my own family there was a couple that my mother called "cousins" but she could not explain how we were related even though they had the same last name. In my research I found out that my mother's and the other family were two branches of the same ggg-grandparents. Of course, this might not hold true in the part of Italy where your ancestors come from.
Hope this helps.
Mary
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Hi brashergirl.
I think "sister-in-law" is exactly that. "Cousin" may also be a second, third and so on. In my own family there was a couple that my mother called "cousins" but she could not explain how we were related even though they had the same last name. In my research I found out that my mother's and the other family were two branches of the same ggg-grandparents. Of course, this might not hold true in the part of Italy where your ancestors come from.
Hope this helps.
Mary
Thank you!