Thanks for your suggestions Steve. I am planning on going to Italy in July and hope to visit some of the areas that my ancestors originated from, hence the reason for getting as much information as I can before I go. Sorry I don't live in London, I don't even live in England. I stay in 'Bonny Scotland', but if I can give you any information about your trip I would be happy to help Vince Steve Della Rocchetta <sdr12198@pacbell.net> wrote in message news:3CFA4878.4764114B@pacbell.net... > Hi Vince > > This genealogy searching is nothing more than detective work[never give > up is my motto]. If you keep digging you will find what you need. That > is assuming that the records in Italy were not destoryed in some way > War, Fire Floods etc. Most Italian research can be supported into the > early 1700's. We have with my Dad's family went to the mid 1700's and > Mom in progress to the late 1600's. May I say that researching 1 person > sometimes is more difficult as opposed to doing the whole family that > person just comes along with the natural research effort. > > My approach given me a long time ago by a pro. Talk to the living > cousins, aunts, uncles family friends etc. they always have some data. > Find what town she comes from. Then use the Mormon Church Family History > Library service they have the best data in the world today. > All their data is listed by town it contains Birth, Death,s & Marriages > and all are Civil Records. They have volunteers to help you and then you > can setup a logical plan to follow. I always include the internet in > searching as you will need all the resources possible. You live in the > UK if you find the town maybe take a holiday and go the the local > cemetary. We live in the US and did the same, along with all of the > other suggestions. Go to my family website http://www.dellarocchetta.com/ > and on the Favorite Links Page we have lots of search tools that can support > most of my above suggestions. > The Global & Italian Surname Navigator [ this site has the best Italian > Phone Book available] is great. Also the one that can let you know where > in Italy your name of interest lives today. There are too many to > memtion I have went on too long check it out. > > Do you live in London? We are going to visit there in late July. I have > a couple of questions as this is our first real visit. I was there for > business years ago. Let us know if you can help if not we understand > I hope this helps you > Ciao Steve and Ginny Della Rocchetta from Sunnyvale, California > > Vince wrote: > > > I am having a problem in trying to find out my great grand mother's maiden > > name. > > On her son's birth certificate it is recorded as Gottimarty but on another > > certificate it is recorded as Cadamatia. Bearing in mind the fact that she > > could not read or write I imagine that the English registrar wrote down what > > he thought he heard when confronted with an unusual name in a thick Italian > > accent. > > I have tried researching these names with no success. > > Can anybody make any suggestion to what her name might of been. > > The only other information I have is that she may of came from the Genoa > > region of Italy. > > > > Many thanks > > Vince >