Italy, Messina, Civil Registration, State Archive - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Records
Stato Civile di Messina, Italia.

Collection Time Period
This collection of civil registrations records covers the years 1820-1865.

Record Description
This collection of civil registration records includes births, marriages, death, and supplemental documentation files. The registration of birth, marriage, and death were kept on separate registers. Supplemental files include a title page followed by several documents such as:


 * Notes from hospitals regarding births or deaths
 * Notes from other towns or foreign countries (if a birth or death did not occur in the regular place of residence)
 * Marriage files
 * Marriage banns
 * Declarations of intention to marry
 * Other certificates

Generally, at the end of a civil register there is an alphabetical index by surname; however, not all years are indexed for each record type. Most records follow a generally accepted format, which is handwritten in narrative style and in later years in formatted records. Some of the original records were damaged due to natural elements at the time of filming; therefore, some information may have been lost or hard to read, but for the most part the records are readable. Text of the records is in Italian with some Latin included. This collection may be searched by browsing images in FamilySearch Historical Records. The original collection is in the custody of the State Archive of Messina (Archivio di Stato di Messina). Availability of records is largely dependent on time period and locality.

Record Content
The key genealogical facts found on most birth records include the following:


 * Date of birth
 * Place of birth
 * Name of the child
 * Parents’ names

The key genealogical facts found on most marriage records include the following:


 * Date of marriage
 * Place of marriage
 * Names of the groom and bride
 * Ages of the groom and bride
 * Residence of all
 * Parents’ names
 * Witnesses’ names

The key genealogical facts found on most death records include the following:


 * Date of death
 * Place of death
 * Time of death
 * Cause of death
 * Sometimes the parents’ names

How to Use the Record
Begin your search by finding your ancestors in the index. Use the locator information in the index (such as page, entry, or certificate number) to locate your ancestors in the birth, marriage, or death records.

Compare the information in the birth record to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct person. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination. Be aware that as with any index, transcription errors may occur.

When you have located your ancestor’s birth record, carefully evaluate each piece of information about them. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors.

For example:


 * Use the birth date along with the place of birth to find the family in census records.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and land records.
 * The father’s occupation can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records.
 * The parents' birth places can tell you former residences and can help to establish a migration pattern for the family.
 * It is often helpful to extract the information on all children with the same parents. If the surname is unusual, you may want to compile birth entries for every person of the same surname and sort them into families based on the names of the parents. Continue to search the birth records to identify siblings, parents, and other relatives in the same or other generations who were born in the same county or nearby.

Keep in mind:


 * The information in birth records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant.
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1800s.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from record to record.

Record History
In 1804, Napoleon initiated the process of keeping civil records. These records did not exist in areas where the Emperor did not rule. After his defeat in 1815, many areas discontinue civil registration. Italian civil registration began again officially as Italy became a unified country in 1860; however, in some areas it did not start until 1866. By law, the original registers were kept by the municipality (comune), and a copy was sent to the courthouse (tribunale).

Why the Record Was Created
The civil registration recording was implemented by the government to record the vital events of births, marriages, marriage banns, and deaths occurring in the life of the area’s citizens.

Record Reliability
The civil registration records are an excellent source of accurate data on names, dates, and places for genealogical research in Messina. However, before 1860, when civil registration became law for the entire country, it is suggested to research the church records.

Related Websites
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Related Wiki Articles
Italy Civil Registration- Vital Records

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the Wiki Article: Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Example of a Source Citation for a Record Found in This Collection:
"Italy, Civil Registration, 1805-1940." index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 22 April 2011). entry for Pietro Antonio De Lutis, died 8 May 1933; citing Civil Registrations, digital folder 4,404,467 image 00,103; Tribunale di Rovigo, Italy. Registri dello stato civile di Rovigo.

Citations for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the data and images published on FamilySearch.org Historical Records. It may include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Italy. Messina civil registration offices. Civil Registration, 1820-1865. Messina Courthouse Archive (Tribunali), Messina, Italy.

Information about creating source citations for FamilySearch Historical Collections is listed in the wiki article Help:How to Create Source Citations for FamilySearch Historical Records Collections.