Meride Parish, Ticino, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Meride Parish, Ticino, Switzerland, ancestry, family history, and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, parish census, civil census, family history, area history, and military records.



Geography
The former municipality of Meride is in the Mendrisio district and the Ticino canton. It is located from the peak of San Giogio mountain and extends down to the lower slope. Meride had an area of 7.5 km² (2.9 square miles). The land use was divided up as follows:
 * 9.9% - agricultural purposes
 * 88.6% - forested
 * 1.7% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 0.7% - unproductive land

History
In 852, Meride was first mentioned with the name of Melede and in 1430 as Merede. Meride is in the Mendrisio district and the Ticino canton. Meride merged into the municipality of Mendrisio on 14 April 2013. Other former municipalities merged include:
 * Besazio
 * Ligornetto

The population history of Meride is: 1591 - 450 inhabitants 1643 - 386 inhabitants 1702 - 394 inhabitants 1769 - 325 inhabitants 1801 - 340 inhabitants 1850 - 415 inhabitants 1860 - 407 inhabitants 1870 - 395 inhabitants 1880 - 385 inhabitants 1888 - 436 inhabitants 1900 - 441 inhabitants 1910 - 399 inhabitants 1920 - 395 inhabitants 1930 - 375 inhabitants 1941 - 375 inhabitants 1950 - 365 inhabitants 1960 - 321 inhabitants 1970 - 303 inhabitants 1980 - 267 inhabitants 1990 - 267 inhabitants 2000 - 293 inhabitants

Per the 2000 census:
 * 74.7% were Roman Catholic
 * 7.2% were Swiss Reformed Church
 * 16.7% belong to another church

In 1483, Meride became an independent parish when it separated from the mother church at Riva San Vitale. In 1483, the parish church of San Silvestro was built above the village. In 1578, the current parish church of San Rocco was built. It was expanded in 1770 and then restored in 1969. During the 13th century, the chapel of Saint George was built.

Census
(See here for information regarding Ticino census records.)

The 1808 Ticino census for Meride can be accessed here.

Surnames
The following surnames held citizenship in Meride prior to 1875, along with any known soprannomi. For more information about soprannomi, click here.

Related sources
The town's website (in Italian) can be found here.

Libraries and archives
State Archives of Ticino

Societies
Società Genealogica della Svizzera Italiana (SGSI)