• General Notes

  Detail Provided by Richard Buchanan
  
  1.  In a response to an email from Violet (Schembri) Buchanan to Father Michael Bonifacio requesting information on her grandfather (Joseph/Jose Podesta), Father Bonifacio responded as below:
  
      "Unfortunately, his Baptismal entry is not held in our archives.  Our Parochial records begin as from the 1890's.  He was Baptised in the Church but as it was not a Parish at the time, all Registers were kept at the Cathedral of St. Mary the Crowned.
      Nevertheless, he was married in this Parish.  Please bear in mind that records were less demanding at that time.  The details of his marriage records are as follows:
        Jose Podesta, born: 05-July-1880 (not the 4th).  His profession was Coach Driver.  Address submitted was just South District.  His parents were Jose and Maria, nee Torres.  No further information is included.  The only other info that could exist in the Baptismal entry are the Paternal and Maternal Grandparents-as I intimated before, such records may have been kept differently to days's requirements.  He was baptised on 09-August-1880 (Book 11 (handwriting not clear) Folio: 5).  He was married to:  Francisca Ramos, born a year before Jose, 1881 in San Roque, Spain (no documents present but were examined).  Parents were Matias and Ana, nee Sanchez.  Worked as house-aid.  The marriage was witnessed by:  Michael and Maria Podesta.
        Please note that Jose's marriage number was No. 9 (The ninth marriage in the recorded history of this parish).
        No details of deaths/funerals appear for any of family member quoted above.
        A copy of this email will be forwarded to the Cathedral - as indicated above.  I would suggest you also contact the Cathedral Archives directly.
        I regret not to have been of further help.  Perhaps the Cathedral might be more successful.
        Were there to be anything further, please do not hesitate to contact me.
        Kind regards
        Fr. Michael Bonifacio"
  
  2.  It is to be noted that the St. Joseph Church marriage records state that Jose's date of birth was July 5, 1880 however, the Civil Status & Registration Office, Gibraltar shows his date of birth as being July 4, 1880.
  
  3.  In an email from Denise Celecia of the Civil Status & Registration Office, Gibraltar on November 1, 2011, she states that the Registry records show that Joseph died on August 15, 1950 and not as inscribed on the headstone in the cemetery which is August 16, 1950.

Details of Joseph (Jose)'s family with Francisca RAMOS