cofrancesco.net

Ferdinando’s father was Simone Cofrancesco (1730-1778), born in S. Lorenzello and the son of Giovanni Donato Cofrancesco, the grandson of Antonio Cofrancesco, and the great grandson of Giovanni Donato Cofrancesco and Caterina Pacelli, who were the ancestors of a  great number of the Cofrancescos living today. The chart on the right side shows Ferdinando’s known ancestry back to Giovanni Donato Colafrancesco, who was born about 1560.

When Simone Cofrancesco married Elisabetta Mongillo of Massa in 1755, his brother Antonio was married, since 1747, to another woman of Massa, Angela Ciarlo. Angela was the daughter of Caterina Sagnella (see paper "A new land for the Cofrancescos") who, after the death of her first husband Giovanni Battista Ciarlo, married Antonio’s uncle, Alessandro Cofrancesco.

At this time the Cofrancescos were still strongly tied to S. Lorenzello, their land of origin. In fact Antonio and Angela probably lived in S. Lorenzello for several years after their marriage.

In 1714 Antonio and Simone’s family already owned that home. In fact in the “State of Souls” (a kind of Census of all the inhabitants of the place) written by the Parish priest of S. Lorenzello in that year, we find that their grandfather Antonio Cofrancesco (62 y) lived there with his wife Vittoria Rubbano (58 y) and their five children, the elder of whom was Giovanni Donato (35 y), Antonio and Simone’s father to be, who was not yet married.

In 1742 Giovanni Donato Cofrancesco’s parents had already died (Antonio died in 1717 and Vittoria in 1721). Giovanni Donato had married Vittoria Mattei in 1718 and they had nine children, five of which were listed in the 1742 Cadastre: Antonia (19 y), Antonio (15 y), Simone (8 y), Anna Teresa (6 y), and Benedetta (1 y). The other four had previously died at a young age. His wife, Vittoria Mattei had already died, probably immediately after the birth of their last daughter Benedetta. As stated in the Cadastre, Giovanni Donato and his children still lived in the Avantisanti Street home that was of his father.

In the S. Lorenzello Cadastre of 1742, Giovanni Donato Cofrancesco, father of Antonio and Simone, is the owner of a “land with some trees and vineyards, with a farm, and some other facilities, situated in the boundary of Massa of the surface of six  'moggi' (the  “moggio” is a unit of measure of surfaces that is about 3000 square meters) including one “moggio” of plowable land”.

After his death in 1749, his children inherited Giovanni Donato’s properties, including his lands in Massa. In the Cadastre of Massa of 1754 we find that Antonio and Simone each owned half of that land in the “Padulo” (“Pantano”) area of Massa. In particular Simone, who was not yet living in Massa, owns “a land with some trees of one 'moggio' and twenty measures (another unit of measure of surface area, one 'moggio' is 24 'measures') with a farm” in the place called “Padulo” and together with Antonio “a land with some trees in the place called “Padulo” of three “moggi”, half to each”.

It was quite common for the families of S. Lorenzello to own lands in Massa, and the Padulo and Pantano areas of Massa are very close to the border of S. Lorenzello, and it is easily reachable.
 
In the so-called “Napoleonic” Cadastre of some 50 years later we find that Ferdinando Cofrancesco is the owner of about half of the little property in the Pantano area (two “moggia”, about 6000 square meters) that belonged to his father Simone. Ferdinando’s brother, Domenico, inherited the other part.

Just a few hundreds meters from the Pantano area there was (and there still is) a farm where Ferdinando lived for a time and died, but it was not his own. In fact, as we learn from his last will, at that time Ferdinando lived on the farm of the D’Andreas at Massa and he was a kind of land agent for the property of that family in Massa.



The D’Andrea Family was a rich family of Cerreto, which has now died out. One descendant was Giuseppe D’Andrea (1849-1934) (see Giuseppe D’Andrea on Wikipedia, http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giuseppe_D%27Andrea), who was a lawyer and a senator of the Italian Parliament between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.

Giuseppe D’Andrea is well remembered in Massa because in 1926 he built an important road connecting Massa to the road to Cerreto Sannita, as inscribed on a memorial stone placed on the external wall of the church of Massa by the grateful people of Massa.

So Ferdinando was not only living on the small piece of land inherited from his father, but he was also cultivating the lands of the larger farm of the D’Andrea Family. From the 1754 Cadastre we learn that the D’Andrea family owned 15 moggi of land (about 45,000 square meters) with a farm. It was not a big farm. There were bigger farms in the same area, such as the neighboring ones of the Lavorgnas and Maiorinos, but it was enough to give Ferdinando’s family the possibility for a decent life.

1 May 1754. A preliminary act
of the Cadastre of Massa
(State Archives of Naples)





























TO SENATOR

GIUSEPPE D'ANDREA

TIRELESS PROMOTER
OF THIS ROAD
PLACED IN HIS MEMORY
BY THE GRATEFUL PEOPLE

MCMXXVI

The memorial stone placed on the external wall of the church of Massa for senator Giuseppe D’Andrea who built the main street of Massa in 1926

On June 2, 1827 the Notary Gabriele Biondi went to Ferdinando's home in Massa, where he was "sick in his body but ib is right mind" to write Ferdinando's last will, at the presence of some witnesses, and the following act resulted.

the NOTARY act Source Citation: State Archives of Benevento, Italy, Unit 16081, pages 65-66 Date: June 2, 1827 Place: Massa, D'Andrea farm Notary: Gabriele Biondi of Cerreto, working in S. Salvatore

Kingdom of the Two Sicilies The day two of the month of June of the year one thousand eight hundreds    and twenty-seven. In the border of this Municipality of Massa joined to the    S. Lorenzello [1] one , and precisely in the farm of Don Giuseppe D’Andrea of    Cerreto. Francesco the First, for the grace of God King of the Reign of the Two    Sicilies, and Jerusalem, Duke of Parma, Piacenza, and Castro, Great    Prince Heir of Tuscany. In front of me, Gabriele Biondi son of Don Luigi, Notary resident in San    Salvadore, Province of Terra di Lavoro, and at the presence of the    subscribed witnesses who has the qualities required by the Law, appeared    Ferdinando Cofrancesco son of the late Simone, peasant living as said    before in this farm of Don Giuseppe D’Andrea, well known to me the    Notary, and to the witnesses, who, being sick in his body, but in his right    mind, as it is shown by his right speech, has manifested to me the Notary,    at the presence of the witnesses the wish to make his last will as a public    act, in order to give his clauses about that part of his property that the law    allows him to decide about by his last will, in order to prevent any possible    quarrels that could arise among his children. First. I commend my soul to the Very Holy Mary who, as the mother and    refuge of sinners, could present him to her very beloved son, and my    God, Jesus Christ, also I commend my soul to all the Saints my    advocates, and to my Guardian Angel, and to all the Saints in Heaven. Second. I want that my body when dead be buried in that Church and with    the kind of funeral that will be considered the best suited to my condition    by my heirs. Third. I want that in the two years following my death enough plain Masses    be celebrated, that fit ten ducats, at the rate of two carlini [the tenth part    of a ducat] each, by the Reverend Canon Don Giuseppe Adone of the    Municipality of Cerreto, neighboring Massa’s one, where I am. Fourth. I give and tie to my very beloved wife Libera Lavorgna the usufruct    of all the properties of which I can dispose according to the law, and that    for all her life long, and till when she will keep her widow’s bed [she will    not re-marry]. Fifth. I want that half of all my properties, the usufruct of which I gave to    my wife Libera, after her death be equally divided among my dear sons    Simone and Giuseppe. Sixth. I declare to have married two daughters whose names are Maria    Giuseppa and Carolina, and promised to each of them forty ducats as the    dowry, and the corresponding “corredo” [another part of the dowry,    consisting of clothes and tools for the kitchen], [dowry] that was mostly    given to Caroline, while only a little part was given to Maria Giuseppa,    that’s why I want that some land would be given to them, corresponding    to the promised forty ducats of their dowries. Seventh. If my daughters would not be happy of the promised dowries and    would claim against my wills, I want that they put together all what they    have had as a dowry and after they divide with their brothers Simone and    Giuseppe that part of properties allowed by the law. Eight. I want that part of the harvest of this year be given to my dear son    Simone who took care of me, after having deducted the expenses, and    after my wife had received the expected usufruct, and the interest on her    dowry of thirty ducats that has to be calculated from the day of my death,    which dowry with some other fifteen ducats of debts weigh down all my    properties. [Marginal note] I appoint my Heirs, in equal parts, my very beloved children    Giuseppe, Simone, Carolina, and Maria Giuseppa with all the clauses    written before and that only concerning the part of my properties that is    destined to them by law, because I gave already the usufruct of half of    my lands to my wife Libera, and the property [of the same lands] to my    sons Giuseppe and Simone. This note contains fifty four words, the first of    which is I appoint, and ends with Simone. [The signatures of the witnesses    and the notary follow.] Ninth. I appoint executor my very beloved friend Sir Don Antonio Grillo [the    word “Sir” was used here as the English translation of “Signore”, which    was used in the past only for important, rich or noble people], who I pray    to give me this last sign of his friendship. Tenth. I revoke any other last will I could have made before, and I want    that this only one would be executed. This last will was dictated by Ferdinando Cofrancesco himself and written by    myself the Notary with the same words and terms as it was dictated,    today above-named day, and year at fourteen, in this farm of Giuseppe    D’Andrea in the land of the joined municipalities of S. Lorenzello and    Massa, province of Terra di Lavoro, where the testator lives with his    family from several years, at the presence of the same Ferdinando    Cofrancesco, domiciled as said, and at the presence of Sir Don Nicola    Guarino, son of the late Giuseppe, landholder, domiciled at Cerreto, Sir    Michele Lavorgna, son of the late Giuseppe, landholder, domiciled at    Massa, and Giuseppe, the son of Paolantonio Cembalo, peasant, domiciled    at San Lorenzo, qualified witnesses of this act as required by the Law. I read this last will to the testator, at the presence of the witnesses with    clear and understandable voice. This last will was not signed by the    testator Ferdinando Cofrancesco, because when I asked him to sign after    having read it, he answered he could not do it, because he did not learn    how to do it. [The signatures of the witnesses and the details of the cost of the act follow.]

NOTES [1] Between 1809 and 1829, Massa was joined with S. Lorenzello to form a Commune called “of Massa and S. Lorenzello”. It was a true union of two distinct communes, as show by many official acts of that time, even though if the chief administrative town was S. Lorenzello. Since 1830 the Commune of Massa no longer existed and its territory was joined to Faicchio, to become one of its hamlets. Its name was changed to “Massa di Faicchio”, as it is today.

The sons of Ferdinando, Giuseppe and Simone, unlike his daughters, settled in Massa after their marriages. Their lives were now centered in Massa.

As said before, Giuseppe married his first cousin Maria Angela Cofrancesco. The wedding took place in the church of Massa on May 6, 1826. We don’t know where they lived after their marriage. Even if there were some small rustic buildings in the Pantano lands, there was no real house in that area that could be Giuseppe’s home, as shown by the 1830 map of Massa. After a few years, Giuseppe had to build his home on the Pantano lands that were partly inherited from his father and partly bought from his brother Simone in 1836. The house that Giuseppe built is still there, partly restored and enlarged, and still belonging to his Cofrancesco descendants, and inhabited by them.

"Via Vicinato" of Massa,
  where Simone Cofrancesco lived

Ferdinando married Maria Cofrancesco, daughter of Nicola Cofrancesco and Nicoletta Ciarlo, before 1865 and about the end of the 19th century immigrated to the USA with 8 of his 9 children (Maria Concetta died when she was only 9 months) and his wife (New Haven, CT area).

In the Population Registry (no. 888), we find that Ferdinando's family lived in "Via Fontana". We cannot place exaclty his home, but it should be just behind the church of St. Nicholas, in the direction of the water source.

The part of Via Fontana of Massa, where  Ferdinando Cofrancesco probably lived