The Quilietti Family

LOUISA BRATTISANI was the sister of Valentina Brattisani.   She was born in the year 1887 in her family home at 5 Middlefield, Leith Walk.   She died aged only 50 years of Breast Cancer,  at her home at 5a Broughton Place, Edinburgh. Her husband PIETRO COSTELLA was born in 1887 and died in 1932 age only 44 years.    They are both interred in Mount Vernon Cemetery Edinburgh

With thanks to Louisa’s grandaughter LOUISE JANE COSTELLA, named of course after her gran, who is helping Helen build her family’s pages.   Louise is our second cousin x 1 removed.   Welcome to the family.

Middlefield , Leith, is located  just beside Pilrig Church at the centre of Leith Walk.  The Brattisani family lived here for many years until 1900 after the death of Emilio Quilietti.   They then moved to 9 Greenside Place, further up the hill and this was to remain their home for many years to come. There was a seventeen year gap between Valentina and her sister but circumstances yet unforseen would change the life of this young sibling.

Louisa Maria Brattisani

Louisa played a great part in the raising of the Quilietti children after the death of her sister Valentina in the year 1905.

After the deaths of Emilio Quilietti and Valentina most of the Brattisani family continued to live at 9 Greenside Place for many years and when Valentina’s second husband, her cousin Sante, re-married his new wife also resided here.  Their local Church was of course St. Mary’s which now a Cathedral, and it was situated directly opposite their home.

Picardy Place in 1912. This street was just at the top of  Leith Walk and right next to Greenside Place.

All of the family married here.  Louisa took on the role of surrogate  mother and she and her husband Pietro Costella remained close with the Quilietti children for many years.   She was especially close with her nephews Giulio Quilietti and his wife Elizabeth.   She played the mother’s role at the wedding of  Nardo Quilietti to his first wife Susan Tully

This wonderful wedding photograph with Louise Brattisani photographed to the left. Her nephews Giulio with the bridegroom Leonardo (Nardo) at the back  and her beautiful niece Valentina Quilietti are also in the photograph.  This was Nardo’s first wife Susan Tully.

Louisa and Pietro on the wedding day in 1916 in St. Mary’s RC Church, Broughton Street, Edinburgh.

When Joseph Angelo Quilietti died in 1943 his mother’s name was written down as Louise not Valentina.  Such was the bond between her and the Quilietti children.  She took on the Mother’s role and helped and supported them all until they left and married.

Baby Louie

Louigi Pietro Mario,  son of Louisa and Pietro. Photograph taken age 9 months.  He  was born in October 1921.

Louisa Maria Brattisani on her wedding day.

Louisa and Pietro knew each other for many years before their own marriage.  Circumstances with a changing world and a World War looming would have been a decisive factor for them to marry. The families would almost certainly have been neighbours back home in Rovinalia or Borgotaro.   On his arrival in Edinburgh  Pietro  found lodgings in Leopold Place just off the Greenside area in Edinburgh.   The Brattisani family would have just been a stonethrow away further round the corner at Greenside Place.

Witnesses at their wedding was cousin Lorenzo Brattisani who emigrated to the U.S.A. soon thereafter.   Pietro or Peter as he was known latterly worked as a fish restraunteur in Edinburgh.  Fish and Chips were a thriving business in Scotland at that particular time.

After their marriage they at first stayed at the Brattisani address at 9 Greenside Place.

Peter’s parents were Pietro Costella and he was a farmer.  His mum’s name was Margherita Cabrielli.   There were other Costella’s working in the restaurant business in Scotland at the turn of the century but I still have to establish a link between them and Pietro.   Pietro had a short lifespan also and died in 1932 of a strangulated hernia.   They were living at 71 Leith Street at the time.

Their eldest  son John Joseph Peter Costella was born on Eleventh June 1917 at 2 Baxter’s Place, Greenside, Edinburgh.    He was brought up with Sonny Quilietti. Luisa Quilietti  and Joe Quilietti, they were all around the same age and attended the nearby St. Mary’s RC Primary School.  Jackie  remained close with the Quilietti family all their lives.

Jackie photographed during the Second World War.

Betty Quilietti to the left.  Catherine Bell and her husband Jackie Costella and the two boys are Leok and Carel Van Druten, Betty’s children.  Photograph forwarded JULY 2020 via Carel in Holland.

Jackie Costella  in later life  became a taxi driver.  He married Catherine Bell on 26th January 1949.  She lived at the other side of the City at 95 Dalry Road at the time of their marriage.   They did not have any children.   Jackie died on 15th November 1996 at his home at 3 Gayfield Square, Edinburgh with NEPHEW Peter as signatory.  Peter was his brother’s son,

This photo was taken at the Ideal Photographic Studios which were situated at 10a Greenside Place between the years 1919 right up to 1960. For most of this period James Edward Greenfield was the photographer. Baby Jackie with his Nanny.

Their younger  son was Luigi Pietro Mario Costella and he was born on 18th October 1921 at the family address of 9 Greenside Place.  He was known to the family as Louie Costella.

Louie Pietro Mario Costella photographed in Uniform WW2 Royal Army Seravice Corps. 

Louie married Jane Prior Souter in St. Theresa’s R.C. Church in Niddrie Mains Drive, Edinburgh in 1944.  Jane was a dressmaker by trade .  At the time of their marriage Louie was in the Royal Army Service Corps and lived at 6 Crown Street in Leith.  The couple lived for a while in Craigmillar .  It was many years later that they retired to Falkirk. They had several children whose names I will insert with kind permission of the family. Louie Costella

Louise Costella with Francis Fusco to the left. From the right Jacqueline Costella with her daughter Pamela Gorrie

Pietro Costella