Timoteo Barella marries Jane Humphreys in 1860

[Kelly McFarlane (Lote)]

Hi I'm Kelly, I am a definite descendant of Timoteo Barella and Jane Humphreys.  I have only recently started to look into the Barella side of my family and would love to find out some more about this side of the family.  My Great Nana Vera (Veronica Barella) was one of the 17 children fathered by Timothy Barella and Barbara Dixon.  I would like to find out more about the Italian side of the family and how they ended up in the UK.  Thank you for any help       

[LNC]

Hi Kelly, I was doing the research for a friend so it is not my family. However I did find a newspaper article from the Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette of 11 January 1934. It reported that the Sunderland magistrates had made an order against Timothy Barella of Nile Street, to pay his wife Barbara 16 shillings a week for herself and three children. She was also given leave to apply for an increase when he obtained employment. You'll be glad to know that he was not convicted of the persistent cruelty that Barbara accused him of, in that instance. However, in 1939 the same publication reports that she has filed for a separation order on the grounds of adultery and desertion. It says that they married in 1928 (confirmed - they married in Sep qtr 1928 - registration: Sunderland 10a 1369) and she now has 5 children, but he has gone to live with another woman. I do not know where the 17 children come in. You can find out more about the families of Timothy and Barbara on anC*stry in a tree called Rice family tree put up by jimrice138. I don't know whether you will be able to see all of it if you have not got a subscription to Ancestry. However, there is a free births, marriages and deaths website for the UK which should help you follow the family back. Way back the Barella family originated in Genoa in Italy, Good luck with your research, LNC

[Joe990]

HI Kelly,

Timoteo Barella was my paternal grandmother's grandfather and i have been able to find documented evidence of his background.  The Barella family are believed to have arrived in Italy from Switzerland and initially settled in Garzeno, a village close to the border between the two countries.  Some time later a member of the family moved further down the valley and settled in Germasino, closer to Lake Como.

The first recorded ancestor was Ambrogio Barella who had a son Clemente who married Maria Camota in Germasino.  They had 5 children one of whom was Giuseppe, born 10 January 1800.  Giuseppe married Caterina Borelli on 21 February 1820 in Germasino and they had six children the eldest of whom was Timoteo.  Timoteo was baptised Timoteo Ippolito Sinforiano Barella, these being the names of the three saints whose feast days were his date of birth.

We do not know why  Timoteo came to England although he was working with his Uncle Clement as a jeweller.  Many other Barellas left Italy and there is a significant branch of the family in Holland where they were barometer makers.  Remembering that Italy did not exist as a country until 1872 there was also the possibility that locals were being conscripted into the Austro Hungarian army to fight against other 'Italian" districts.

Hope this helps - I have given you the direct line names but I also have details of the various siblings as well.  I was fortunate in making contact with a current resident of Germasino who has done a lot of research on the local families.

Best wishes

Joe

[LNC]

Hi Kelly and Joe990,

Sorry I was in a hurry when I wrote here about the Barelli's origin and just wrote Genoa off the top of my head. I should have checked. Thank you, Joe990, for making it clear where they came to England from originally, which was definitely Germasino near Lake Como.

I did not know about the earlier Swiss connection or the history of Italy as a country.

I still have not found out much about the origins of my friend's Appolina Barella who was quite a colourful character here in Australia in the latter part of the 19th century.

Thanks again and Best Wishes,

LNC

[barryd]

Durham Records Online has two pages of Barella names.

http://www.durhamrecordsonline.com/SearchResults.php

[Eliza B]

Hi Kelly.
How did you get on with your family tree? My gt grandfather was Vera's eldest brother. It's an great family to research and hope you found it interesting.

[Eliza B]

Hi Joe990
I'm also a descendant of Timoteo Barella and it took me years of research before I discovered he'd gone back to Italy too. Did you ever find out why he'd gone back?

[Joe990]

Hi Eliza B,
We cannot be sure why Timoteo returned to Italy but we can offer a couple of suggestions based on the records.  Firstly his wife Jane died 19 Feb 1870 aged only 36 years old of tuberculosis, leaving him with three children.  In the 1871 Census his is living with the children and his widowed aunt, Appolina wife of the late Clement.  The next available record in the UK is the proving of his will in 1883 giving his date of death as 8 Mar 1874.  I have confirmed that fact with the Italian records which show that he died at the home of his sister Adelaide.  We know therefore that he left England sometime between 1871 and 1874. 
So the reasons why he left?  One possibility is that he was brokenhearted at the loss of his wife and went back to Italy to be with his siblings.  Another is that he was seriously ill and went "home' to die.  Neither option can be confirmed as the cause of death was never recorded and it is highly unlikely that there was ever a headstone erected. 
Regards  Joe

[Eliza B]

Hi Joe990
I also have this information and also wondered if he had left because of the deaths of Jane and Charlotte but giving the status men of this era gave their sons I'm not so sure he would leave them permanently. Another possibility is a visit to a family member in Italy who was also ill and surcomed to illness himself. Hopefully one day we will find out 🤞🏻.  Eliza