ANGELO MAFFIA (1812-1881)

see the "Italy" section on the Dominic Grimoldi page for the significance of this map.

Angelo Maffia was born in Garzeno, Como, Italy into a climate of political uncertainty; see the "Italy" section on the Dominic Grimoldi page for more background.

Angelo's elder brother, Gottardo Maffia, left Garzeno for London. He probably wrote back home advising that work was to be found for people with skills in picture framing, mirror silvering and related occupations.

Angelo Maffia, aged 23, married Maria Matteri, aged about 17, at the church of St Peter and St Paul in Garzeno, shown here.

Angelo announced in a press advertisement that he had taken over a watch, clock and jewellery business in Fore Street, Hertford.

Angelo Maffia's shop in Hertford. (click for larger images)

Angelo and Maria had six children, the latest five of whom were born and died in Hertford:

1. Martha Maffia - born 1 December 1845, Clerkenwell (see above); died 22 August 1903, Hertford; unmarried, no issue
2. Mary Maffia - bornabout August 1847; died 14 January 1924; unmarried, no issue
3. Magdalena Maffia - born about November 1848; died 8 January 1850
4. Charles John Maffia - born 10 August 1850; died about February 1853
5. Charles Antonio Maffia - born about May 1859; inherited his father's business in Hertford and ran it until his retirement in 1925; he died on 15 October 1943; unmarried, no issue.
   Hertfordshire Mercury for 22 Oct 1943
   "DEATH OF MR C A MAFFIA - Pioneer Of Electricity In Hertford
   "The maker of the first dynamo seen in Hertford, and the first electric street light to be set up in the Borough, Mr Charles Antonio Maffia of North Lodge, Hertford died on Friday aged 85. Mr Maffia was a well-known resident of Hertford having lived in the town for many years. His father, Mr Angelo Maffia, opened a shop in Hertford soon after coming to this country from Italy. His companions on the voyage were the famous instrument makers, Negretti and Zambra, who were his boyhood playmates [this has never been substantiated]. Mr Maffia, sen., made barometers, but his son's chief interest was making ingenious electric clocks. He once noticed on the wireless that the time signals from Eiffel Tower and Greenwich were two-fifths of a second out. He consulted a horologist, and then wrote to Sir Frank Dyson, Astronomer Royal. In due course he received a personal reply from Sir Frank, explaining the astronomical observations, concluding, "Such large differences do not occur often!"
6. John Albert Maffia - born about May 1863; died 30 May 1886 aged 23; unmarried, no issue

The Last Will and Testament of Angelo Maffia

A copy of Angelo's will is conserved in the archive of Garzeno parish in Italy. In the part regarding the church of St Peter and St Paul in Garzeno is written:

“I devise the sum necessary to make 40 walnut wood benches to be put in in the church of the Saints Apostles Peter and Paul in Garzeno and in the care of the Women’s Religious Association (Consorelle) under the conditions that the Ladies of the above mentioned association, commit themselves in perpetuity, (on one of the Sundays of every month) to recite the third part of the Rosary according to my intentions (for the needs of my soul) followed by the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and after my death, followed by the Miserere. To make sure that the work is properly done, I entrust the men actually in charge for the cares and needs of the parish church in whose hands I deliver here and now 15 coin-pieces worth 20 francs each and I commit myself to hand over to the above mentioned “men” the rest of the sum needed to perfectly accomplish the work, in two tranches.

"As a (perpetual) Legacy I deliver into the hands of the above mentioned “men” (Fabbriceria) the sum (Capital) of £30, so that with the interest accumulated on it, they commit themselves to maintain a candle in front of the painting depicting the Guardian Angel which is in the parish church, which candle shell be lighted every time the “Consorelle” (Women of the Religious Association) will recite the third part of the Rosary as in the above legacy, at the same time shell be lighted the candles next to the other religious paintings which are hung on the pillars inside the church”.

Angelo died in Hertford, aged 69.

Angelo Spreadborough Maffia was baptised at St John's Church in Richmond, Surrey (an Anglican not a Roman Catholic church); his parents are recorded as Angelo and Jane Maffia; Angelo snr's occupation is shown as a jeweller in London and the residence recorded was Kew Lane, in Richmond. It is not known whether Angelo was present at his son's baptism.

At the church in Little Italy of St Peter and St Paul took place the baptism of Angelo Maffia, son of Angelo and Jane Maffia. No other marriage or relationship of an Angelo or a Jane has been identified and this would appear, therefore, to be Angelo Spreadborough Maffia's baptism in the Catholic church.
It is possible that neither Angelo nor Jane were present and the 'guardians' of Angelo jnr had chosen to see him baptised as a Roman Catholic.
At the time Angelo Maffia snr was working and living with a pregnant wife, Maria, and their two daughters in Hertford. Read more ...
Jane had married Charles Humphreys and their first child had just been born. They were living in Richmond, Surrey. Read more ...

Angelo has not been found on the 1851 census. This could mean, of course that he had died as a child before that date. His biological parents were, as described above, living in Hertford and Richmond, and Angelo was not with them. He has not been identified in Little Italy, unless he was living in Ray Street in Clerkenwell as Angelo Carlo. The Carlo family comprised: John Carlo (50), a barometer maker from Italy; Mary Ann Carlo (30), born in Holborn; Albert Carlo (9) born in Holborn; Angelo Carlo (7) bornj in Holborn. No birth registrations have been found for Albert and Angelo. It was not unknown for children to be living with other households in such tight knit communities. It is possible that he was at an 'industrial school' where boys were trained for a naval career, amongst other occupations, but were often recorded by just their initials. It is also possible that he was not recorded for some reason.

The rest of Angelo's story is based upon the assumption that he had survived.

Angelo, at the age of 15, commences his apprenticeship in Co. Durham as a mariner under his master Samuel Cole of Sunderland. Samuel Cole was master of the barque Melita.

Angelo Maffai (sic), aged 17 was on board the Melita, sailing under her master Samuel Cole (50) and his son, the ship's mate also named Samuel Cole (24). Angelo is shown as an apprentice and born in Italy. The census return was completed by Samuel Cole snr whose attention to such details may have been no more than cursory. Equally, it may that Angelo thought that he had been born in Italy and Samuel was recording what he had been told. The ship was en route from Liverpool to Quebec

The apprenticeship document records Angelo's death at 'Odessa' on board the Melita at the age of 18.

No other details are given.

Important note: there were two vessels named Melita operating at the same time in 1862. One is a 324 ton barque with a crew of 12, operating in the Mediterranean. The other is an 8000 ton screw driven steam ship that took passengers and cargo across the Atlantic Ocean. Angelo was on the small barque like the one pictured here, not the 8000 ton steamship.

The vessel that courted controversy in August 1862 in the London Docks by having to be quarantined for fear of spreading yellow fever through Britain was the larger ship. This is the report of the larger ship and is not the ship on which Angelo had sailed ... Read more ..

Jane Spreadborough married Charles Humphreys, whom she had known for some time, at St Mary's Church in Ealing. This was the church where her sister, Lucy, had married Charles Sumner. It will be remembered from above that in 1841 Jane was living as part of John Sumner's household and will be no surprise to learn that William Sumner witnessed her marriage in 1845. It may also have been an expedient action as the locals would be unaware of Jane's two illegitimate children by a man other than Charles. Charles accepted Giulietta Maffia as his own and she was renamed to become Hannah Humphreys. Angelo, on the other hand, may have been been in the custody of his biological father or another relative, or even a member of the Italian community in London.

Jane and Charles had 6 children in the period 1848 to 1863 and lived in Richmond until their desths.Charles died in 1873 and Jane died in 1875. Both are buried in the graveyard of St Mary Magdalene Church in Richmond.

Recorded as Hannah Humphreys aged 7 and 18 respectively, she lived with Charles and Jane in Richmond.

At the age of 23 Hannah, as we shall call her for consistency, became pregnant but was unmarried at the time.

Hannah's illegitimate son, Walter, was born and registered in Ricmond. It is likely that she gave birth in the infirmary attached to Richmond Workhouse in Grove Road.

Hannah ('Ann', aged 25) and her son Walter (7 months) were inmates in Richmond Workhouse.

Hannah Spreadborough, spinster and daughter of Humphrey Spreadborough (sic) married in St Paul's Hammersmith to John Barrett.

John Barrett died.

Hannah Barrett, widow and daughter of Charles Humphreys, married the widower William Roberts in St Paul's Hammersmith. They lived in Hammersmith until their deaths.

Hannah Roberts died at the age of 52. No children came from either of her marriages and no information has been found for her son, Walter, after the 1871 census.