Welcome to our family history website.  This family tree has roots in England,  Italy, Ireland, and the United States.  Most of our family's  "American  history"  is concentrated in the New England states and in Northern New York,  although we did have some FOWLER ancestors who relocated to California in the  late 1800's.

Thus, our family history spans this country from coast to coast, from its  early colonization to the present.  It is a story that is inextricably linked  to the making of a country.  From the first English settlers in New England to  the later Italian immigrants who sailed into New York harbor, all have made  their mark on this country's history, added to its cultural diversity and  expanded its horizons.

Many of our Irish ancestors arrived in Northern New York by way of Canada  during the early 1800's.   Most of them settled in St. Lawrence and  Franklin counties just as those areas were growing from basic settlements and  logging camps into officially incorporated towns.  Some of the surnames in our  family associated with that area include:  Hammill, O'Neill, O'Leary, Lantry,  and Fitzgerald.

Our family's colonial ancestors include many who helped to found towns and  churches, build roads and bridges, and participate in early activities  surrounding commerce, military, and government.  I have been quite moved by  the hard times experienced by some of our forebears, and the great  contributions some of them have made, especially in the settlement of new  colonies.

There are at least a dozen lines going back to the 1600's, some that include  soldiers in the Revolutionary War and King Philip's War.   A few of the  surnames that go back to this period include: Randall, Waldo, Adams,  Wetherell, Pendleton, Field, Bretton, and Barstow.

Our Italian ancestors arrived through Ellis Island in the late 1800's to early  1900's and mainly settled in the New Haven, Connecticut area, although some  made Bridgeport their home.  Italian surnames in our family tree that are  primarily associated with Connecticut include Perillo, Onofrio, Gianotta,  Caggianello, Dielsi, Papa, Dellarosa, Carmese, Juliano, Tartaglione, Grasso,  and Ferrucci.

Other Surnames that we are exploring include Shaw, Reynolds, Fowler, and  Scully. Our Shaw and Fowler lines are concentrated in Massachusetts.  The  Reynolds line was originally Irish, but ended up in England.  Perhaps the  Scully line as well.......we are still working on it.

A family tree is always a work in progress. I would be delighted to receive  any suggestions, corrections, or new information.  I would love for this site  to become a place where all of the different branches of the family can learn  about their family history.  If you are a member of this family, your  contributions to this project would be very much appreciated.  Feel free to  send stories, facts, photographs, etc.

If you are a fellow researcher with information or a photograph to include,  please contact me. If you think that you may have a connection to one of our  family lines, we would love to hear from you. I have accumulated a huge box of  source documents and notes associated with this tree and would be happy to  share with potential relatives.

Likewise, if you have information to share we would certainly be grateful to  receive it. I try to give sources for all of the information that I present.  Most of the sources that I used in this study are listed on this site. It  would be nice to have all citations to primary sources such as vital records,  but that takes time and money to access, so many citations are for secondary  sources such as books, headstones, Census reports, or family genealogies.

Fellow researchers, please remember that GENEALOGY WITHOUT METHODOLOGY IS  MYTHOLOGY. Anything that you find on the internet, including on this website, should be used as clues or leads, not as the last word on these family lines.

Our Italian family members should note that in order to proceed with our  Italian family history, letters of inquiry had to be written to the villages  and towns in Italy where our ancestors and relatives are from. These letters  of inquiry must be written in Italian and their responses translated once they  arrive.

We enlisted the help of a reputable, Italian-speaking researcher for this  aspect of our family tree.   Separate letters of inquiry have been sent for  each birth and marriage that apply to our line  Please note that the average  response time from Italy is six months or longer, and this will apply to every  letter for every line that we research there.

Our Italian family lines have NOT been given a lower priority in our research,  it is simply an unfortunate reality that obtaining data from there is more  time-consuming than research done locally, and involves differences, such as  language, that must also be dealt with.

The indulgence of the family and fellow researchers is solicited toward the  gaps, omissions, and typographical errors that must unavoidably occur in a  project of this size. My goal has been to preserve our family history for the  enjoyment of the living and the education of future generations, while at the  same time creating a lasting tribute to our ancestors. If, with my humble  skills, I have succeeded in bringing you joy by introducing you to our  ancestors and their accomplishments, then I will have every reason to be  satisfied with my efforts.

GUESTBOOK: Please, family and friends, sign our guestbook to let us know that  you stopped by! The link is in the navigation area at the top of the page.

Fellow researchers, please do not put updates, additions, corrections or  questions in the guestbook. PLEASE send updates, additions, corrections  webmaster by using the link on this site.

Special thanks to the Cagganello Family for their help with the Cagganello and  Perillo branches.

ATTENTION FAMILY -  There is room on this site for a 1000-word bio or tribute  for each ancestor or relative.  Please, send fitting tributes and descriptions  for this site.  Your photographs are also welcome.  I will give you an email  address where you can send them by attachement.

We hope that you enjoy this site and will decide to add your  personal touch to this project.