D’ALESSIO/McKINNESS connections
With thanks to David Doherty from Fife in Scotland, who has kindly provided the information on this page for us to enjoy.
Our ancestral D’Alessio Family have their roots in the township (or municipality) of Cassino, Province of Frosinone in the Southern region of Lazio in Italy
The chart below shows your great-great grandads and grandmas:
- FRANCESCO D’ALESSIO (born 1830) and his wife CLEMENTINA TOMASSO (BORN 1840)
- GIUSEPPE DEMALIA (BORN 1840) and his wife MARIA SOAVE (BORN 1845)
You will notice variations of the name DEMALIA but I will stick with the way I have worded it because it is the one most frequent on Certificates. The chart below is a classic example of admin. errors or mistranslations.
Giovanni Antonio D’Alessio, your great grandad (son of Francesco and Clementina) was born in 1870 in Cassino, Italy. Innocenza Demalia, your great grandma (daughter of Giuseppe and Maria) was born in 1874 in Cassino, Italy. Giovanni Antonio D’Alessio married Innocenza Demalia on the 18th June 1894 in Cassino, Italy.
The reason the chart was an important source, it listed Clementina D’Alessio (gran Mary Concetta’s sister) who married Anthony Neri, therefore, the extended ancestral line of the D’Alessio family from Clementina was obviously correct for gran (Mary Concetta) as well.
Your Gran, Mary Concetta D’Alessio, was born on December 7th 1897 in Chiavari in the North of Italy. However, she was baptised in the Church of San Paolo in Cervaro near Cassino, Italy. I am currently awaiting confirmation of the baptismal date from the Parish Priest at San Paolo Church. The reason for this was due to the question being raised as to why Gran would be born in the North of Italy but Baptised further South. The main credible reason, at this time, would suggest that the D’Alessio family were travelling when Gran was born in the North. The family returned home to Cervaro where she was baptised. Also, at this time many thousands of Italians moved to Scotland and the rest of the U.K. due to the problems incurred with Unification of Italy which lead to many thousands of Italians being starved off their land leaving them exposed to homelessness and starvation.
So, Giovanni, Innocenza and Mary Concetta D’Alessio arrived in Aberdeen in the late 1800s where the family settled and Giovanni was initially registered as Musician and then later as an Ice Cream Vendor.
Prior to meeting Eddie, Jean gave birth to Jeffrey David McKinnes in 1942 in Dundee. The story Jean told was she met a Polish soldier (the father) who based in Dundee during W.W.2. Allegedly the Polish Soldier later took his own life by shooting himself, the reason is still unclear why this was the case. Jeff, her son, married Alice Wilkie in 1968 at The Friary RC Church, Tulliedelph Road, Dundee. Jeff and Alice had two children, Stephen born June 1972 and Paul born July 1973, both in Dundee. Jeff died in 2005 in Dundee. A Funeral Service was held at the local crematorium in Dundee.
Jean died on 16/5/1994 in Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy. Eddie died 2/1/1990 in Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy. Their interment is at St. Drostan’s Cemetery in Markinch.
DOHERTY FAMILY
The Doherty Family has it’s ancestral roots in ‘Eire, Scotland and Italy. The D’Alessio ancestral route to Jean Doherty (nee McKinness) is already laid out above.
Jean McKinness (daughter of Mary Concetta McKinness (nee D’Alessio)) married Edward John Doherty on Third February 1951 at St. Joseph’s R.C. Church, 42 Wilkie’s Lane in Dundee. Edward Doherty’s ancestral roots lie in Meendrain, County Donegal in ‘Eire.
The Maternal ancestral route via Maria Bolan has it’s Scottish ancestral roots in Dunfermline, Lochgelly and Cardenden. Edward Doherty, his Father and Mother, his immediate siblings also have roots in Lochgelly and Cowdenbeath.
The Chart (below) shows Edward Doherty’s paternal ancestry roots in Donegal, ‘Eire i.e:- Papa Neil Doherty, Papa Neil’s Father and Mother, John Doherty and Mary Brennan. Then his grandfathers and grandmothers Neal and Bridget Doherty and John and Bridget Brennan.
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The Snapshot (below) is of Neil Doherty and his sister Maria, taken a few years ago standing next to the Doherty ancestral family home ruins at Meendrain, County Donegal, ‘Eire.
Neil and Maria Doherty
As mentioned previously Edward John Doherty and Jean Christie McKinnes (daughter of Mary Concetta McKinnes) had five children:- NEIL, EDWARD, JOHN, DAVID and MARIA. The following photograph summarises these siblings and extended families.
Photograph of the Doherty brothers taken in the 1990s.
Left to right John, Neil, Eddie and Dave
Photograph (below) also taken in the 1990s. Left to right Dave Doherty, Jeff McKinnes (half brother), Neil Doherty and John Doherty
Dave, Jeff, Neil and John
Photograph (below) taken late 1990s partners left to right. John Giblin and wife Maria (nee Doherty and sister of the brothers above), Bruce and Colleen Crosbie (friends of the Doherty family), Dave Doherty and Sheila Lee, John Doherty and wife Julie.
Photograph (below) taken recently of Maria Giblin (nee Doherty) and her family, left to right, Cameron (son), John (husband), Maria and Craig (son)
Cameron, John, Maria and Craig
The photograph (below) of extended Doherty family. Back left to right:– Karen Louise Doherty (daughter of David). John Giblin (husband of Maria Doherty). Craig Giblin (son of John and Maria Giblin (nee Doherty)). Karen and husband Michael Doherty (son of David). Pamela and husband Niall Doherty (son of Neil). Craig Woodcock (partner of Karen Louise Doherty extreme back left). Marion and Neil Doherty.
Front row left to right:- Alex. Doherty (son of Niall and Pamela Doherty). Rowan Doherty (son of Niall and Pamela Doherty). Aimee Woodcock (daughter of Craig Woodcock and Karen Louise Doherty). Lewis Woodcock (son of Craig Woodcock and Karen Louise Doherty.
Photograph below of Michael Doherty (son of David Doherty), wife Karen Doherty (nee Stahly) and daughter Lydia.
Michael, Karen and Lydia.
Picture below of Craig Woodcock and partner Karen Louise Doherty (daughter of David Doherty) with children Lewis and Aimee’
Craig, Lewis, Karen and Aimee.
Picture below of Danny Doherty (son of Neil Doherty) with his partner Ashley Thom MacAlister, son Alfie and daughter Penny Fiona.
Alfie, Danny, Penny and Ashley
