Genealogy Chat

Hello, I have an ancestor who was born in Genoa as a British subject in 1889. In 1891 she is living in Bristol with her family, where they then remain. In 1881 her father's occupation is "seaman" and he married her mother in 1884.

Obviously I cannot guess at the exact reasons for them being in Italy but just in general, does anyone have any information on the British particularly being in Genoa at this time. The mother and father are both from Bristol and I'm wondering why the mother would have been living out there to give birth, if it was the husband who was working on a ship. The occupations in the family are market gardeners, insurance collectors etc, so again no obvious reason for them to have travelled to Italy.
I'm not sure if they appear on passenger lists anywhere, not sure where I would look for that.


Any insight would be appreciated.

Thanks
Hannah

I would hazard a guess that he was working as an insurance agent for a shipping company, given his background, which would entail travel abroad. He may have lived in Genoa for a while, in which case he would probably have taken his wife.
Do you have his occupation on his marriage cert?
Jan

I can see the family on 1891 and 1901 censuses. (How many ways can you misspell Italy and Genoa?) I can't see any record of travel to or from the UK 1881-1901

Andy

Genoa and Bristol were both substantial trading ports and there may have been many businesses who wanted staff to oversee operations at the loading/unloading of valuable cargo?

The 1911 census sometimes names the employer.

Her birth may have been registered at a British embassy and collated in this country as an "overseas birth" - the indexes can be seen on FMP; the certificate can be ordered from GRO for under £10 using the reference on that index.

Registration event: Birth



Name: ANDREWS, Amy Elizabeth D
Mother's name: Not available before 1966
Consulate : Genoa
Country: Italy
Year: 1886-1890
Volume : 8
Page: 1304
Record source: GRO Consular Birth Indices (1849 to 1965)


Andy

Thanks all, his occupation is seaman in 1881 and then "insurance agent" in 1891 and 1901, followed by market gardener. My surviving relatives have never heard anything about them being in Italy so there can really only ever be guesstimates.