DONATI – Ricci branches from Barga

THE LINES WHO CAME TO SCOTLAND

Augustino 1845-1911 – Ricci line
Pietro 1838-1907 – Ricci Line
Annunciata – we know she came but are unsure of her destiny. She was witness at Emilio Quilietti’s wedding in 1892
Louis Donati.1853-1897 – Ricci line.
Cesare Donati 1865-1910 – Ricci line.

Treppignana Fosciandora was the village many of this branch of the Donati family were born, as well as Castelvecchio Pascoli where many records exist.

This line through to Antonio and Annunciata Ricci had families who not only came to Scotland but also to the USA.

AUGUSTINO DONATI 1847-1911

AUGUSTINO DONATI. 1847-1911. GOSTINI was a son of Antonio Donati and Annunciata Ricci. They had already came to Scotland and living in Edinburgh by the time of the 1881 Scottish Census. Gostini Donati was resident in Edinburgh’s Old Town at a flat at No. 9 Niddry Street, which is just off the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. With him was his wife ERMERLINDA PANICALLI, his cousins Raffaello Conti, Goseph Conti and Peter Pierotti. Gostini was the anchoring point for the exodus of the branches of our family who came to Scotland.

The Scottish 1881 Census showing Gostini [Augustino] Donati living in an old tenement stair at 9 Niddry Street off the royal Mile. With him is wife Ermerlinda Panacalli. This census does not tell us how long they had been in Edinburgh. But their room had 3 windows and was much bigger than the single end rooms in the rest in the stair.

By 1901 the family had moved up to Inverness and Augusto described as a shopkeeper. with him his wife, son, daughter, nephews and boarders from Barga. His nephews Bernardi were the sons of his sister who was still in Italy. According to a descendant of Augusto’s wife they came upon a young lad by the name of Biagio Candellini who had been abandoned by his parents and took him on and brought him up.
He remained in close contact all his life, coming with them to Scotland and first helping out in the Donati shop, then finding his own business, but always keep ing close to his adoptive family.Â
Back in Barga at the end of his life he lived with younger members of the family till his death in 1969.

Pietro Donati 1838-1907

PIETRO DONATI 1838-1907 married Maria Domenica Brucciani, the sister of our Great Great Grandmother Eletta, and they came to Edinburgh, Scotland. One of their grand- sons became a priest and was Canonised in Edinburgh. please see separate page

Pietro as you can see above was married to Maria Brucciani – this is the connection to our family. Pietro arrived in Scotland c 1888 and immediately found work in the Stucco trade. He found premises at 5 Chambers Street and worked with his two nephews Emilio and Augusto Quilietti who had arrived with them.

1891 Scottish Census. Pietro Donati, figure maker with his wife and five children. Address 137 Canongate, which is part of the High Street, or royal Mile in the city. Two rooms with windows in their flat

The death of Maria Brucciani in Edinburgh 1917. Her parents by now both passed and their son Adolfo as informant.

Pietro and Maria had in all 6 children. Son Giovanni Adolfo stayed in Edinburgh and married Annie Loughlin. Their marriage produced 11 children amongst them a Priest who was Canonised and a Schoolteacher.

Pietro’s son Adolfo’s death, 5 Keir Street in Edinburgh 1922

Cesare Donati 1857-1910

Cesare Donati 1857 – 1910 – Ricci Line also came to Scotland. He married Margaret Horsburgh, whose father was a Marine Engineer and by all accounts quite well off. Margaret lived in the centre of Edinburgh in Haddington Place, just off Leith Walk. She was a seamstress. The couple moved to Dundee where they married in 1890 with witnesses at their wedding described as Luigi Pieri, figure maker and Lorenzo Piolo, figure maker. They moved back to Edinburgh soon thereafter. Cesare went on in life and like so many of his cousins went into the restaurant business. In Edinburgh they started their restaurant and confectionery business in Leith walk. He died in 1910 at 42 Brunswick Road, Edinburgh. His wife died in 1941 address given as 2 Corstorphine Hill Crescent, Edinburgh. They had three children, Robert, Cesare and John who died in infancy.

Robert was born the month before they were married. There would have been an entry in the Register of Corrected Entries regarding his status after they married. Robert in 1922 married Marie Moran. She worked in his fruit shop in Easter Road. However they divorced a few years later. He remarried to Daisy Mason some years later. He became a commercial songwriter and Artist. He died age 73.

CESARE ALLESANDRE DONATI WAS BORN IN EDINBURGH IN 1992

Cesare’s death. His wife Margaret died in 1941 with their son Robert as informant

LOUIS DONATI 1853-1897

Louis Donati 1853-1897 – Ricci Line. He married Maria Cecchini whose family were from Barga. Like his brothers changed his profession to restaurant keeper. He lived in 5 St. College Street which address is in the southside. He died in 1897 at this address with his brother Pietro as informant. The cause of death of pneumonia and heart failure. He was only 47.

Louis married Maria Cecchini whose family stretches back to when records began in Barga 1650ish

Louis died on Hogmany at 10.30p.m. His wife Rosa was still alive. His brother Pietro was informant.

The American line Carubina Donati and Giovanni Donati

There was also a sister Carubina Donati who belonged to the Ricci line. She married her first-cousin Giovanni Donati. He was born on 24th June 1825 in Bagni De Lucca. They married in Italy and they left for Richmond ,Virginia, America and was working there as a confectioner in the year 1877. He had a short life however and died on 24th June 1882 age 57 years. Carubina died in 1888. They had two sons Andrew Adolph Donati and Vittorio Carlo Donati who were born in America. Their descendents are still there today.

some of the descendants of Carubina and Giovanni Donati USA Line

The lines who stayed in Italy or are still to be found

MARIA DONATI was born in 1864 in Treppignana, Fosciandora, Tuscany and died in 1921 in the same place. She married Luigi Bernardi 1856-1923. They had a large family and one came to Scotland Ferrucio who settled in Inverness

14 Responses to “DONATI – Ricci branches from Barga”

Vic Donati says:

October 4, 2011 at 8:05 am

Giovanni and Carubina Donati are my paternal great, great grandparents. Vittorio Carlo Donati was my great grandfather. James Andrew Donati was my grandfather and Victor C, Donati was my father. I have much information about this family should anyone be interested.
Helen says:

October 4, 2011 at 9:44 am

Thanks and of course I am very much interested in the Donati family. I will insert your post and reply to you by e.mail. Thanks again Helen
Dale Donati says:

October 11, 2011 at 1:11 pm

My grandfather was born in Barga, Italy in 1892 and came to America in 1910. He was sponsored by the Pieroni family and eventually ended up in Muncie, IN. There is still a Carlos living in Barga and Scotland.
Helen says:

October 11, 2011 at 10:40 pm

Thank you Dale for getting in touch. Your grandfather would have been related to our branch of the Donati family in some way or another, I am sure. d What was your grandfather’s forename.
helen currie says:

November 11, 2011 at 10:54 am

My grandfather was william currie who worked at the Marine Hotel in north berwick. Was there a conection in the naming of baby John? My grandfather was married to sarah who also worked at Marine hotel. William Currie died about 1936 in North Berwick.
Jenny says:

July 15, 2012 at 8:35 am

Thanks for this page, it has helped find some ancestors. My Dad’s great grandad was Pietro Donati, his grandad was Adolfo Donati, his mother was Mary Donati. She married Francis Connor and had four children; Francis, Peter Adalpho (my Dad), Anthony, Edward.
Helen says:

July 17, 2012 at 10:25 am

Hello Jenny I am just thrilled to pieces that you have found us through these webpages. Our families are linked way back to Italy in the 1850s where the Brucciani family lived at the time.

I have sent you a wee e.mail and hope that you will get back in touch. I have worked it out through our ancestry tree. You and I are 4th cousins.
RG says:

May 2, 2013 at 8:50 pm

I am first born American from Scottish and English parents and was involved with a ‘Donati’ descendant originally from Italy and later from Argentina. Intersting information you have provided here and certainly something to chuckle about considering I thought how differenet we were! Thanks and best wishes to all.
Josephine Frances Connor says:

July 23, 2015 at 6:01 pm

Jenny – please email me at joconnor@juno.com We are cousins. My father was Albert Edward (Ted) – your father’s brother. Sadly, he died in 1988 at age 57. My grandmother was Mary Donati and after her marriage to Francis Connor dissolved, she married Harold Ross. They did not have any children. I never met your father or brothers, but my father told me he met Peter and Tony. He also had a sister named Maureen and she became a nun, but later left the order to marry. I’d love to hear more from you and from any other relatives here. I have no information about Francis Connor’s side of the family or much about him really and would love to know more.
Josephine Frances Connor says:

July 23, 2015 at 6:20 pm

I’d like to add that I remember being introduced to some cousins in Dalkeith when I was a child. They were the Luchessi family and I was told that their ancestors had come to Scotland with the Donati family. I have not seen them for decades as I moved overseas.Does anyone know of them?
Helen says:

September 9, 2015 at 9:29 am

Hello Jenny have had another ancestor of this line in touch. Will e.mail you directly
Lucy Harrison says:

October 14, 2018 at 9:23 am

Hi Helen
I believe we are related. My grandfather was Francis Connor, son of Mary Donati. If you get this message please get in touch!
Jo says:

March 27, 2020 at 6:24 am

Sending love and light to all my relatives around the world. May you be well
https://twitter.com/BeBraveBeHonest and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy_uOs8d0LsSSsfcwkwzrjQ/
Bruno says:

June 23, 2023 at 6:06 pm

Olá fico feliz em saber mais sobre a familia donati, por isso sou apaixonado nos estados unidos !

Bruno Donati
Helio Donati
Edson Donati
Augusto Donati
Carlos Donati