When trying to discover a bit more colour about your ancestors’ history not just the bare black and white facts, the Newspaper Archives can add a wealth of information or a tiny snippet about what they were doing in their lives. The spelling of their names is not always accurate to date we have found 16 different spellings – it would appear that some news reporters a hundred years ago did not always get the detail right -nothing changes!

Researching one line of my Italian family, the Pizzuti’s, we knew from the 1901 Census records that they were living in Tamworth at the time… we found their first news item in the local newspaper for December 1902.

“Tamworth Borough Sessions – Wednesday

Disorderly Italians

 Nastezio Pizzult and Bennett O Morolle, Italian Organ grinders and ice cream vendors, were charged with being drunk and disorderly in Bolebridge Street on November 23. Both defendants pleaded guilty.

PC Crutchley proved the case and said the defendants caused a crowd to assemble. The Mayor remarked that if the men were to stick to the ice cream, they would never get drunk. A fine of 2s 6d and costs were imposed on each defendant.”

The mayor at the time being a Mr F Alldritt.

Unfortunately for Anastasio, he makes a few more appearances in the local newspaper during his time in the UK. This next article is a more serious offence, not only does it describe the offence in detail but also sets the tone for how the Italians were often perceived in the UK at that time. This article was printed in November of 1906.

“ITALIANS AT TAMWORTH POLICE COURT

CHAIRMAN TALKS OF ALIENS AND THIS ROTTEN GOVERNMENT

ANOTHER WOUNDING CASE

The Italian colony in Tamworth once more figured at the Borough Police Court when on Monday the mayor (Mr. A.J. Bartle JP) and Mr C. F. Cast, had before them Nastazio Pizzuto and Rock Valenti. They were charged with wounding Aurelio Armelonghii on Sunday night.

 All three Italians are ice cream sellers and organ grinders and reside in Bolebridge Street, the *headquarters of Italians in Tamworth. Armelonghi, the complainant, whose head was half hidden with bandages, imparting a strong odour of iodoform, was also present in the capacity of defendant, there being charged against him that at the time of the row, he was drunk and disorderly. This he denied.

PC John Smith told the court that at 10:20 on Sunday night he heard a noise coming from the yard of Pizzuto’s house in Bolebridge Street. He found Armelonghi excited and drunk and ordered him home. Witness waited opposite the entry and in a short time there reached his ears another disturbance, followed by Armelonghi rushing out with his head cut. Whereupon Armelonghi was arrested and brought to the station.

 Replying to the Clerk (Mr E Argyle), witness said it was in Bolebridge Street that he first saw defendant drunk. Defendant was quiet in the street.

 Inspector Heath produced what looked like a spoke of a wheel, also a hammer, which he said were what were used in the disturbance.

 The case of drunkenness against the injured man was adjourned till Wednesday.

 Pizzuto and Valenti were then dealt with on the charge of wounding.

Armelonghi said he lived at Freeman’s Yard Bolebridge Street. The Clerk (Mr Argyle): “Freeman’s Yard! That is a beautiful place: it is nearly equal to Paradise Row.” (Laughter). Armelonghi said he went to Pizzuto’s house at 10 o’clock on Sunday night to speak to Pizzuto as he had heard that Pizzuto had expressed a wish to kill him.

An Italian named Angelo Patillio, at this point spelt his name and was sworn as interpreter.

 Continuing, Amrelonghi said he found Pizzuto’s wife outside the latter’s house and spoke to her on the footpath, where a policeman ordered him home. He went up Freeman’s Yard and got over a wall into Pizzuto’s Yard where he listened to what Pizzuto and Valenti were talking about in the house. Presently, Pizzuto and Valenti came out of the house and Pizzuto struck him with a stick. Valenti went for him with a hammer but did not have a chance to strike him except on the shoulder. He was struck about three times on the head with this stick, with the result that his head was cut and had to receive five stitches by a doctor at the police station. Witness said prisoners had not been quarrelling before.

 The Clerk said it was not to be wondered at that Armelonghi got treated as he did if he got over a wall and put his head there. Most people can be law abiding but when they are assailed, they become careless. Prisoners were remanded in custody till Wednesday adjourned proceedings.”

At Wednesday’s court Mr William Arnold was in the chair, supported by Aldermen Tempest, Hare and Dyer and Mr Wales. When Angelo Patillio was brought forward as interpreter the chairman said he thought they ought to have ‘something different to that’ meaning that Patillio was one of the Italian colonies* in Tamworth. “I was not at all satisfied when the Italians were in Court last time. You ought to be sent back to your own country “. The Clerk: “Unfortunately you have no power to do that or else I quite agree with you.” “No,” remarked the Chairman, “not with a rotten government like this”.

 The Clerk said he was sorry the Mayor and Mr Cast, before whom the case had come before it reached this Court, were not present and it was right he should point out that those gentlemen would have dismissed the case. Prosecutor had gone out of his way to put himself in a position to receive the injuries. Of course, it was a question as to whether his assailants had exceeded their privilege and using more force than was justified. “There is no case against Valenti of unlawful wounding, it was clear; there might be one of common assault. They would have to conduct the case as well as they could as regarded the interpreter. Something would have to be done with the Italians one way or another, or else they would be doing murder next. If they murder one another I don’t know.”

 Doctor Bird, Tamworth, said that on Sunday night he was fetched to the police station where he saw prosecutor bleeding from two scalp wounds on the top of the head. One was about two inches and the other about half an inch longer in length; five stitches were required in all. It was possible for either the hammer or the bar of wood produced to have occasioned the injuries.

 Inspector Heath said he was standing at the bottom of Colehill on the night in question, when he heard a number of men and women shouting and screaming in Bolebridge Street. He went towards the noise and saw prosecutor about fourteen yards from where Pizzuto lived, shouting excitedly and bleeding profusely from the head. Prisoner Valenti was following prosecutor close behind with a hammer, which was the property of the Pizzuto’s. Somebody shouted, ‘Here’s the police’ and Pizzuto turned up in his yard and a son of Pizzuto ran up to Valenti and took the instrument out to his hand just as witness got near to Valenti. He took the hammer away and sent the injured prosecutor who was drunk to the police station.

Angelo Pattillo then interpreted the evidence to the prisoner.

PC Crawshaw said he was with Inspector Heath and arrested the two prisoners consequently on what prosecutors said at the Police Station. When charged together, Pizzuto said,’ He kill; me I save me with a stick.’ Valenti said ‘Yes …oo pa’.

 The Clerk: ‘That might mean anything? Yes’. Witness later on showed Pizzuto two sticks(produced) and Pizzuto said without asking, ‘That’s it’, touching the wooden bar stick. Inspector Heath stated that a steel knife was picked up in the street and Pizzuto alleged that prosecutor had that knife in his hand.

Asked now if he had anything to say, Pizzuto said that one of the policemen told Armelonghi to go home; had he done so there would have been no ‘accident’. Prosecutor came over into the yard with a blade that looked like an ice pick by his breast. Pizzuto had to shut the back door to keep prosecutor out, whereupon his wife appeared, and prosecutor started ‘scrapping’ with his missus who fell, at which point Pizzuto went to Mrs Pizzuto’s rescue.

 It was pointed out that prosecutor had some time ago been bound over to keep the peace towards Valenti, and now the bench ordered Valenti and Pizzuto to keep the peace towards Armelonghi. “They are coming here at every session” said the Chairman, “for one thing or another. I don’t think it is much use sending it for trial”.

 The Clerk: ‘You can reduce it to common assault’. The Chairman: ‘It is a long way from it; it is not a common assault yet’. Alderman Tempest agreed. Prosecutor had let himself into the injuries.

 On the charge of drunkenness Armelonghi was find the costs (5s 6d.)

 The Clerk: ‘The costs are £1 each. That will relieve your pockets, if it does not relieve your feelings” (Laughter)

*Headquarters and colonies – the use of both these words is quite emotive and suggests that there were a large number of organised Italians living in a large area of Tamworth. This was not the case, there were probably only half a dozen individual multi- generational families living in one street. Most of them were living together in the same houses, it helped to make the rent cheaper – hardly a colony. As for being organised enough to have ‘headquarters’ – they were too busy trying to earn a living to support their families and adjust to the language, culture and weather! They had come from small, poor mountain villages in the warm southern part of Italy. Their family culture would have been to respect their elders – as in English families – but in reality, the younger family members would have been able to adapt much more quickly to our customs and culture. They had to have been brave people to have made the decision to come here and physically get here – so they would not have been afraid to fight especially amongst themselves!!!

With more archives being available digitally we are finding more and more information about our Italian ancestors’ early days in the UK.