Proving an Italian link in London

[lisa06]

I would love some help in proving that an ancestor, who was living in London in 1839, was in fact Italian by birth (or perhaps that his father was).  They fit the mould of Italian migrants to London in that the family lived just outside Clerkenwell and were picture frame makers and looking glass makers.  But I am unable to get that last link in the chain that proves the Italian connection.  The details are :

Thomas Galli (or Gally or Gallie) married Sophia Powell at Christchurch Spitalfields in 1839.  His father George was alive at the time.  In the 1841 census Thomas (Gallie) is living in St George in the East and was London born and living with other family members but there's no sign of George or even Sophia in the census.  It is George that I would love to be able to prove was Italian....as the family myth has it.  I guess he would have been born around 1790s.

[snowball]

Hi - I think the Italian connection is highly likely.

On the marriage certificate he signs as "Tomaso Gally".

The George Gally who signs as a witness could be the father but may be a brother or cousin. The fact that its doesn't say "deceased" in the father's details box isn't enough to infer that he was alive - if this is what you are basing that on.

If you haven't done it, I would consider investing in the 1854 PCC will of "Charles Galli otherwise Gally, Looking Glass Manufacturer of No 68 Hatton Garden , Middlesex" - to help establish family connections: http://www.rootschat.com/links/0c4p/ 

He may be "Carlo Galli", who is an insolvent debtor here in 1832 (second column): http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/18907/pages/432

And is the deceased "Charles Galli" here, whose creditors are being chased for cash: http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/21521/pages/451


Regards
Rob

[lisa06]

Thanks very much Rob. All good tips which I will follow up.  As you say it all fits with an Italian connection which it would be great to prove.

Lisa

[Arturo.c]

It should be however taken into account the fact that until 1861 there was no unified Italy, and therefore your ancestor was very likely a subject of one of the many kingdoms in which the Italian peninsula was divided at the time.