> The London Times, Tuesday February 27, 1844; p1 Issue18543, Col A > Giuseppe Ghirardini Luigi Villora Varsi Wow! This one's my great great grandfather with correct father's name. He was baptised on 8 May 1824 so would have been 19. Giuseppe married in 1851 in Holborn and settled in Clerkenwell. I wasn't aware that Parma had military service then - or that Giuseppe and Luigi were in London so early. Giuseppe couldn't read and apparently his spoken English wasn't particularly good. Presumably this type of notice was intended to be read by priests or their more affluent parishioners and passed on to the missing men. I wonder if he ever did go back for military service. He was listed in 1856 in Villora as "abroad" so it is reasonable to assume he had been there recently. Does anyone know anything about military records for the Duchy of Parma, pre-unification? Daphne Dashfield (Geradine) GHIRARDANI, => GERADINE, etc. - many spelling variations in London from approx 1850 TASSI, SCRIMAGLIA, NICOLI, (DI) STACCHINI in London GHIRARDANI, LOVATI, SILVA, MAC(C)INI, BOTTI Parma esp 18th century