Maybe a last grasp at Peter Henry Harrison

[Kit]

I've just read all 120 posts in the hopes you had found him. I am so disappointed, as I'm sure you are too.

[Margaret in Burton]

Originally Posted by Kit

I've just read all 120 posts in the hopes you had found him. I am so disappointed, as I'm sure you are too.

Yes

[Anstey Nomad]

But we're getting closer in baby steps.

It seems there were many more Italians than most of us thought in England in the late 19th century and most of them in Daughter #2's matches came from a relatively small area in northern Italy, basically on the road between Pistoia and Lucca.

Marg, I think you should send her there and see if anyone stops her in the street.

[Margaret in Burton]

Originally Posted by Anstey Nomad

But we're getting closer in baby steps.

It seems there were many more Italians than most of us thought in England in the late 19th century and most of them in Daughter #2's matches came from a relatively small area in northern Italy, basically on the road between Pistoia and Lucca.

Marg, I think you should send her there and see if anyone stops her in the street.

Very funny

[Janet]

That's no more than 30 to 50 miles from Florence, then. Traveling stone carver? Whatever. But potentially very exciting, I'd say!

I actually think AN's suggestion is very interesting, Marg.

Several months after my mother's death, when curiosity struck and I had finally looked properly at the rather neglected family oil portrait of some gentleman unknown to me, I realized with a shock in my bleary state one morning after a bad night's sleep as I gazed at the mirror, toothbrush in hand, that I looked more or less just like him! He turned out to be my 3xg grandfather, my MFFFF. I've still not got his parents for sure. Perhaps I should go to Colne and see if anyone stops me in the street.

[ElizabethHerts]

Originally Posted by Anstey Nomad

But we're getting closer in baby steps.

It seems there were many more Italians than most of us thought in England in the late 19th century and most of them in Daughter #2's matches came from a relatively small area in northern Italy, basically on the road between Pistoia and Lucca.

Marg, I think you should send her there and see if anyone stops her in the street.

Lucca is absolutely beautiful. OH and I have visited several times. A lovely part of Italy.

[Kit]

Originally Posted by Anstey Nomad

Marg, I think you should send her there and see if anyone stops her in the street.

Worth a try and if not, then a nice holiday.

I'd also be searching local museums and cemeteries to see if anything interesting pops up.

[Anstey Nomad]

Well, I'm not in Tuscany, sadly. I'm in my local Library playing with FMP and following up another genius idea that I had this morning, which has of course, like all my others, come to nothing.

I need to go back to the DNA in more detail. However, the problem with a lot of the 'Italian' matches is that they are actually Americans who know only that their forebears came from Italy. A significant proportion of the others have cobbled a tree together but only go back two or three generations, which is generally post immigration.

My theory remains that PHH was fathered illegitimately by a transient Italian.

That makes resolving this much more problematical, but it's not time to give up yet.

[Margaret in Burton]

Originally Posted by Anstey Nomad

Well, I'm not in Tuscany, sadly. I'm in my local Library playing with FMP and following up another genius idea that I had this morning, which has of course, like all my others, come to nothing.

I need to go back to the DNA in more detail. However, the problem with a lot of the 'Italian' matches is that they are actually Americans who know only that their forebears came from Italy. A significant proportion of the others have cobbled a tree together but only go back two or three generations, which is generally post immigration.

My theory remains that PHH was fathered illegitimately by a transient Italian.

That makes resolving this much more problematical, but it's not time to give up yet.

Thanks for looking AN. As PHH was my daughter great grandfather I assume that if he was an only child we are looking for aunts and uncles descendants. Probably 4th or 5th cousin matches or even further back

[Anstey Nomad]

So, another day, another approach.

The descendants of the Italian community in Sheffield (10 miles from Rotherham) have created a website, which contains lists of names. I am currently going through the DNA matches looking for those names. I have a number of hits so far, some of which look better than others. I will of course report back when I have finished.

I am also going to ask one of my Italian acquaintances if she knows anyone who knows about surname distribution.