It seems that one of the hardest things we face in tracing our Italian ancestors is working out where they came from originally. That's the holy grail as the records in Italy are very localised, but very comprehensive if you can track down the right archive or parish, and persuade the powers that be to give you access. One of the things I'm trying to do for the AIFHS website is to help people to narrow down their search when census records etc have drawn a blank by helping to make deductions using what clues are available, such as where they settled when they arrived, when they arrived, what jobs they did when they arrived. This is obviously not foolproof but there do seem to be broad patterns that may point in a fruitful direction. I've started assembling the following as a database. It is still extremely sketchy, based on about an hour and half skimming through Terri Colpi's book The Italian Factor and Lucio Sponza's Italian immigrants in Nineteenth-century Britain, and bits I've gleaned from the list. I'm having problems getting hold of copies of these books to borrow for further study, and there must be other useful sources as well. If anyone can add anything to the following list therefore I'd be extremely grateful. In particular I think some of the terms listed refer to the names by which people from a region are known, rather than the name of the region, so corrections from those more familiar with Italian geography and language than me will be much appreciated! And does anyone want to take this on as a project? Thanks in advance, Elaine Town/City District Approximate dates Place of origin Occupations Woking 1960s Sutera, Sicily Mushroom farming Woking 1960s Mussomeli, Sicily Mushroom farming Woking 1960s Solerno, Italy Mushroom farming Liverpool 19th century Seamen, Mainly people wanting to emigrate to America Glamorgan 19th century Seamen, Mainly people wanting to emigrate to America Cardiff Organ grinders via London Cardiff Ice cream vendors via London Cardiff Chestnut vendors via London London Holborn from 1861 Lombardy London Holborn from 1861 Emilia Romagna London Holborn from 1861 Tuscany London Holborn from 1861 Campagna Wales Emilian Valleys (Ceno, Taro etc) Glasgow Garnet Hill Tuscany, espcially Barga Edinburgh Grassmarkets Liri Valley 19th century Upper Val tara (Parma at the juncture of Emilia, liguria and Tuscany Bristol Bedford Busso (Cb) Bedford Montefalcione (Av) Bedford Sant' Angelo Muzaro (Ag) Bedford Buonvicino (Cs) Bedford Castelluccio (Fg) Greenock, Scotland Frosinone, Belmonte, Castello Bedford Campani Glasgow Lucchesi Statuette sellers Swindon Calabresi, Sarda Ichnusa, Abruzzo e Molise, Trinacria 1891-1905 More people from the South, though 24% from Lombardy London Soho 1890s Mostly northern Italians, Piemontesi, Lombardi. Catering Manchester Ancoats Perth Parma, esp Burgo Val di Tara and Bardi Dundee Parma, esp Burgo Val di Tara and Bardi Aberdeen Parma, esp Burgo Val di Tara and Bardi Stonehaven Parma, esp Burgo Val di Tara and Bardi Fraserburgh Parma, esp Burgo Val di Tara and Bardi Welsh Valleys Parma, esp Burgo Val di Tara and Bardi Porth Treorchy Parma, esp Burgo Val di Tara and Bardi Tonypandy Parma, esp Burgo Val di Tara and Bardi Merthyr Tydfil Parma, esp Burgo Val di Tara and Bardi Paisley Lucchesi Statuette sellers Scotland, West Coast Lucchesi Statuette sellers Inverness Lucchesi Statuette sellers Leicester Barghigiani Carlisle Barghigiani Barrow in Furness Barghigiani Dundee Rome