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