RootsChat.Com

Hi Joey

A few observations from what I’ve learned in doing genealogy research in the south of Italy for the last 25 years.
As far as the witnesses being the father, I can’t say, but I would guess that they were just a couple of men that the midwife knew.
It’s possible that the father might have been the priest (it happened more times that you’d think) or a high ranking official.  The law was that unless the couple was married, the father’s name was not given to the child.  Since she kept the baby, it’s possible that everyone knew who the father was.
That’s odd that Giuseppe’s wife listed her uncle as her father.  I would guess that her father passed away and then her mother married her deceased husband’s brother, which was expected if a brother was “available”.  So, her uncle would become her father.  Do you have Mary Rose’s parents’ marriage record – can you post it here?
As far as Giuseppe’s father also being a Giuseppe.  I don’t know when the law was enacted, or if it applied to all of Italy, but I’ve learned that fathers could not name sons after themselves.
Did Giuseppe marry in Marsicovetere?  If he did, he would have had to produce a birth record, and the marriage record would have reflected that he was of “unnamed” father.  If he married outside Italy, then the rules were not so strict, and people made up information just to make the process move more smoothly. 
These are just some observations from years of research.  Sorry I can’t be any more helpful.
Mary

Here is the translation. 

The year 1878, on the 16th of March at 9:15 A.M. in the Town Office
of the Comune of Marsicovetere,  appeared Laura Masino, aged 43,
midwife, living in Marsicovetere, who declared that at 5:20 P.M. on
the 15th of the current month in the house at 3 Santa Vanese Street
from Filomena Savino, farmer, unmarried, living in Marsicovetere,
from her relationship with an unmarried man, not related to her,
(sorry, I can’t  figure out the few words after the black smudge)
was born a male child whom  she presented to me and to whom she
gives the name Giuseppe.
To the above were present the witnesses Giuseppe Campiglio, aged 40,
shepherd, and Giuseppe Russo (Ruzzo?) , aged 38, shepherd, who also
live in this Comune.

The declarer has reported the above birth because she assisted at the
birth applying her expertise, and in the place of Savino, who could not
report the birth because she is gravely ill.  This act was read to those
present who did not sign because they are (illiterate?) as they told me.

Hi brashergirl.

I think "sister-in-law" is exactly that.  "Cousin" may also be a second, third and so on.  In my own family there was a couple that my mother called "cousins" but she could not explain how we were related even though they had the same last name.  In my research I found out that my mother's and the other family were two branches of the same ggg-grandparents.  Of course, this might not hold true in the part of Italy where your ancestors come from.

Hope this helps.
Mary

Hi brashergirl,

Here is the last part.  Sorry, but there are some words that I just haven't been able to decipher.

Page 3 and 4
Dear Cousin Madalena
Even though I am surrounded by troubles, we are healthy. I hope that so are you all.  So, the ……news of your interest.  Your brother Domenico, my son-in-law, came while he was alive, saying that he was waiting on the proxy from you sisters, but he didn’t receive anything.  So, he died September 10, 1923 without clearing up any business neither for himself nor for you.  Now I want to tell you that my father your …..before dying gave(told?) to me that at the post office of Sparone there existed thee booklets stipulated? and left there in custody.  Now going in search? to deliver the death certificate of your brother, the postal clerk gave only one existing of  over 7,000 Lire, one of your brother Antonio, of 5,000 Lire. 

Also, my father, before dying gave to me registered in Crič(Erič?) on September 10, 1894.  Therefore, we are about to arrive at the balance of 30 years and we are running the risk of losing possession.  They have the documents of rental receipts.  After my father died, they didn’t pay any more rent and we don’t have proof. During the time the most informed have  died …therefore ….quickly….without wasting time if you don’t want to lose everything. 
Greetings to everyone, husband and family.
Sparone, November 7 
Your distressed cousin,
Magnino Marianna
I implore you, a quick reply.

Mary

Here is the first letter.  The rest may take a little while, as I had not realized that it is so long and seems to include some local dialect words, which I'm not familiar with.  What part of Italy did these letters come from?

Dear sister-in-law
I am writing a couple of lines to you to let you know the news of my health.
I am well as I also hope you are, only that I am unlucky/unfortunate.  I’ve already written to you once and I didn’t receive any reply.  I don’t know if my letter got lost.  Receive greetings from all of us. I am your sister-in-law
Onorina Giachino

Mary