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.