So, it appears that my paternal grandmother’s family may not be of Greek origin after all but rather Italian. Venetian, specifically.
The family name is Giakoumelos but, I’m starting to find more and more tidbits that are slowly convincing me that the name is a hellenized form of Giacomello. The Giacomello name is, from what I can tell, originally from the region where Venice is and the Republic of Venice controlled the island where my grandmother’s family has lived (Zakynthos / Zante) since the 15th century, as per the bibliography.
Normally, I would look up the archives on the island to establish a link (if any) but they were all destroyed in a fire caused by the "Great Earthquake of 1953". Whether they be church records or civil records, they’re all gone. Even the various libraries lost most of their collections in that event.
Therefore, my alternative is to work from the Italian side and see where it leads me (if anywhere).
What are the best sources for genealogical information on families from the Venice region? Anybody knows?
thanks
kimon;98596 wrote:
What are the best sources for genealogical information on families from the Venice region? Anybody knows?
I cannot speak for Venetian records which are judged my others to be excellent - maybe you could enquire of the Marcian Library what they hold. There was of course the Golden Book of the Ionian nobility. However, from the Greek perspective, I have seen but not examined, while looking into my wife’s ancestry in the central Peleponnese, records of notaries going back to the 17th century. It may be that in Zakynthos some have survived. Depending on the dates you are after there may also be surviving memorial inscriptions (I have seen photos of a British 19th century heraldic memorial now in the local museum). However, Zakynthos is the only Ionian island I have not yet visited so I can unfortunately not offer much else.
The wiki page for the surname http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giakoumelos suggests that it was found on the island before 1478 and the Italian version of the name occurred there under Frankish rule. The immediate source, which should hopefully give primary sources, is cited as “Zώης, Λ. X. (1963). εξικόν Iστορικόν και Λαογραφικόν Zακύνθου”. This has recently been reissued by the Museum of D Solomos and Eminent People of Zakynthos as: Λεωνίδα Χ. Ζώη: «Λεξικόν Ιστορικόν και Λαογραφικόν Ζακύνθου», τόμος Α΄: Ιστορικόν – Βιογραφικόν και τόμος Β΄: Λαογραφικόν, Ζάκυνθος 2011. (Zoe: "Dictionary of Historical and Folklore Zakynthos", Zakynthos 2011) reported at http://www.iskiosiskiou.com/2012/05/blog-post_3715.html, though it is not shown on the museum’s list of publications at http://www.museumsolomos.gr/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=280&Itemid=91. You could no doubt e-mail them at: musol@otenet.gr
However, to introduce an heraldic note related to the museum, I see there is the interesting coat of arms at http://www.museumsolomos.gr/images/stories/politirio/politirio1.jpg , being the shield of the poet Dionysos Solomos (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dionysios_Solomos ) also found on his tomb in the museum:
I note that on your blog at
http://www.idtg.org/archive/145-the-giakoumelos-line/ you refer to the folk of Gyri having by tradition come from Mani. My wife’s maternal ancestors also come from Mani and I have acquired a number of records relating to the peninsula, including the Venetian tax returns for the period 1703-5 (Kostas Komis: “Benetika Katasticha Manis – Mpardounias”, Athina 1998 ). I have checked these and the surname Giakoumelos does not occur in these. However there is a tradition of changes of name, substitution of nicknames, etc.
Many Maniots as well as locals served in the regiments raised by the Russians and stationed in the Ionian islands during the Napoleonic period. Many names are recorded but Giakoumelos is not found amongst those listed in N C Pappas: “Greeks in Russian Military Service in the late 18th and early 19th centuries”, Thessaloniki 1991.
Nor it seems did anyone of the surname participate in the War of Independence – at least as far as the thousands of those listed in Chr. Stasinipoulou: “Lexiko tis Ellinikis Epanastaseos tou 1821”, 3 vols, Athina 1970, though this is not surprising given the islands were under British occupation at the time.
Thank you Derek, I’m familiar with the Wikipedia page and I have a copy of the book, as well as a dozen more like it
(p.s. I grew up in Greece)
You might also inquire of the LDS (Mormon) genealogical library in Salt ake City (or at one of their local family history libraies of any in your ares) whether they microfilmed any of the relevant records before the earthquake. Their records are generally accessible to all, regardless of religion.
Michael F. McCartney;98710 wrote:
You might also inquire of the LDS (Mormon) genealogical library in Salt ake City (or at one of their local family history libraies of any in your ares) whether they microfilmed any of the relevant records before the earthquake. Their records are generally accessible to all, regardless of religion.
Resources for Greece are extremely scarce in the LDS archives. Mostly because the Church of Greece actively combats the LDS and the Greek population (being 98% Greek Orthodox) are supportive of the Church’s actions.
Too bad—religious differences aside (I’m not LDS either, but have never been denied or hindered in my research in their collections), their filming and archiving services are good insurance against random loss of otherwise irreplaceable records to earthquake, fire and the ravages of time, and an invaluable aid to future researchers in actually accessing the data in those records.
Michael F. McCartney;98725 wrote:
Too bad—religious differences aside (I’m not LDS either, but have never been denied or hindered in my research in their collections), their filming and archiving services are good insurance against random loss of otherwise irreplaceable records to earthquake, fire and the ravages of time, and an invaluable aid to future researchers in actually accessing the data in those records.
Some churches find the religious uses for which Mormons collect genealogical information objectionable.
Joe is of course right about some churches’ objections. On the other hand, if one doesn’t share the LDS theology (I don’t—no hostitility, considerable respect for their family values, just not my cuppa tea) then in the long run it really won’t matter what they do with the information in their own internal ceremonies, so long as they are careful to accurately film & transcribe the historical records for the use of all. For those of us hungering for the bread of genealogical life, the motives of the baker don’t matter much if the bread is good.
Similarly, if secularly, our attachment to our own Guidelines for American heraldry needn’t prevent us from appreciating the artwork, & availing ourselves of the compiled records etc., of foreign heralds and heraldrists just because they may bear the taint of forbidden noblesse; we can just consider the saltwater pond as sufficient baptism to wash away those stains and allow the acceptable aspects to flourish here.
For myself, I agree with Mike, because as a good Protestant I believe that once you’re dead your fate is beyond the reach of human intervention.
Nevertheless, I fully understand why other churches would decline to permit the records of their own sacraments to be collected and used to facilitate practices they consider heretical. Particularly since those practices involve what a non-Mormon might inelegantly describe as posthumous soul-poaching. The benefit of being able to conduct genealogical research more conveniently doesn’t weigh very heavily in that particular cost-benefit analysis.
But enough of religion. Back to heraldry.
Well put Mike. I couldn’t agree more. I remember very well a pleasant experience I had back in June of 1979 when I was visiting the cathedral archives of Ciudad Rodrigo, an ancient walled city in Spain near the Portuguese border. I was doing genealocal research on my paternal line and was suprised to find a young fellow from Utah working closely with the canon archivist, Don Zosimo Ortiz Acosta, on passing all of the diocesian records onto microfiche. This young Morman missionary was very much valued and appreciated for his efforts, despite the fact that Rev. Ortiz and his bishop knew that the young man’s principle motive was to "babtize" centuries dead Spaniards. When I returned to Madrid I met with the Chronicler of Arms Don Vicente de Cadenas and told him of this experience. Don Vicente already knew of the activities of the Church of Latter Day Saints in Spanish religious archives and was both amused and grateful for their efforts. !Salud!
Quote:
So, it appears that my paternal grandmother’s family may not be of Greek origin after all but rather Italian. Venetian, specifically.
Hi Kimon,
Have you considered whether or not any of your Venetian ancestors were armigerous? I don’t know if personal heraldry was regulated in the Venetian Republic and her territories, but here is an interesting document that you may have seen before: http://digitarq.dgarq.gov.pt/viewer?id=4613899
I believe it is an armorial document issued by the Doge of Venice circa 1783 to a professor of mathematics.
http://25.media.tumblr.com/124b194c69f75fb7ecfc058d992d3e31/tumblr_mmtij5ksCq1rq2fm7o1_400.jpg
Cheers,
snelson;98885 wrote:
Hi Kimon,
Have you considered whether or not any of your Venetian ancestors were armigerous?
Yes and the Giacomelo family of Venice is armigerous. However, until such time that I can prove the link between the Giakoumelo and the Giacomelo I will not make any claims. Though I admit it would be cool
Quote:
I don’t know if personal heraldry was regulated in the Venetian Republic and her territories, but here is an interesting document that you may have seen before: http://digitarq.dgarq.gov.pt/viewer?id=4613899
I believe it is an armorial document issued by the Doge of Venice circa 1783 to a professor of mathematics.
I had not seen that document and I don’t know if heraldry was regulated in Venice. That’s the thing: I know practically nothing about Venice other than its history and where to find it on the map. I have been reading up on it but, I expect through genealogical texts and family histories to be able to start piecing things together. It might be a wild goose chase but I am hopeful.
There are two volumes (one line prints the other
coloured) by Vincenzo Coronelli (1650-1718 ) giving Venetian arms that
are available on-line courtesy of the at the Marciana National Library,
Venice:
Arme, blasoni, o insegne gentilitie delle Famiglie Patritie esistenti
nella Serenissima Republica di Venetia, dedicata all’Ill.mo et
Eccellentissimo Signore Pietro Garzoni Senatore, ed Istoriografo
Publico, dal P. Cosmografo Coronelli. S.l., s.e., s.a. [Venezia 1694].
;
and
Armi, o blasoni dei Patritij Veneti, co’ nomi di quelli, che per l’età
si trouano capaci all’ingresso del Serenissimo Maggior Consiglio
nell’anno corrente. Dedicati all’Illustrissimo, et Eccllentissimo Sig.
Pietro Garzoni, Historiografo della SS. Republica. Venetia, Appresso
Francesco Busetto a S. Lio, 1694.
Thanks Derek! This is a great find!