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Archiver > ANGLO-ITALIAN > 2002-05 > 1020512657


From: Daphne Dashfield <>
Subject: Re: [Anglo-Italian] MAROTTA
Date: Sat, 04 May 2002 23:48:58 +1200
References: <200205040454.g444sTv15074@lists2.rootsweb.com>


> Hello Listers, In an act of desperation, I'm asking if anyone on the list
> can possibly see the name EROTTI as a corruption of MAROTTA, or vice versa!

I think you have to think of handwriting interpretations (of the transcriber) when you look at census
indexes as well as phonetic spelling (including using letter names as sounds) used by the census
enumerator.

I suppose "Um, EROTTI" could just become MAROTTE which could be mistranscribed as MAROTTA.

However I can't see how "M" could be lost from MAROTTA. Unless they were thought to say Um,
Ah-rowt-tah - except it would have to be A(y)ro(w)tte(e) to make Erotti (hope I got the vowels right).
I can see how my family's name GHIRARDANI became GERADINE and even with a census transcription error
and a poor enumerator, GLARINI ("e" replaced by "l by the transcriber) but "M" is a large letter not
easily lost. EROTTI could become AROTE or even AYWROTEY?!

Do you have any events such as baptism or marriage near 1881 to give possible addresses?
That's how I found my gg grandfather and remaining family masquerading as a GLARINI in Bakers Row,
Clerkenwell in the 1881 index . I've yet to view the film of the original census notebook which I
suspect is GEARINI. I don't think that enumerator had a good ear for Italian names/spelling (I have
another example of a relative in the same street) and I know my gg grandfather couldn't sign his name
at my g grandfather's marriage in 1876 so he wouldn't be able to help much. At least some priests
could spell!

Is there a particular reason why it might be Marotta? I've lost track of where EROTTI came from now.

Daphne Dashfield (Geradine)
GHIRADANI + ~15 spelling variations


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