Vittorina STRATTA
Discovering who is Vittorina?
This is the story of Ida Vittorina Stratta, who was remembered on one of the now removed memorials referred to in Kirkwood’s Solicitors schedule of removed gravestones.
A person who I initially thought would be easy with such a name, but it turned out that a whole host of Stratta’s emigrated to London around the same time, meaning I had to piece together and eliminate various families. I had a rare clue though, a letter from Vittorina’s mother dated 6th May 1925, a year after Vittorina’s death, giving an address of 9 Lower Marsh, S.E. regarding the erection of a bust in memorial to Vittorina.
Even with this evidence, my search was hampered by the fact that Vittorina was not actually her name at birth, and 9 Lower Marsh appears to be a business address of a timber yard.
The breakthrough came via a Baptism record in Italy, when Vittorina, aged 3, was baptised in Azeglio, Torino, Piemonte, Italy. This revealed her name to be Ida Vittorina Alfonsina STRATTA, born in London, to Carlo Stratta and Luigia Gillia.
From this, I discovered a birth record for Ida Stratta, born 23rd Feb 1904, 86 Dean Street, to Carlo Stratta (waiter) and Luigia Stratta (formerly Gillia). I finally had the right family connections.
Early Family
Both her parents, Luigia Gillia b.1879, and Carlo Stratta b.1871, were born in Turin/Torino Italy. Luigia had a sister Gina, born 1898, who I will come back to later.
Their eldest son, Alfonso was also born in Italy in 1894. There second born, a daughter Lillia Maria, was born in London in 1898. This indicates the family emigrated between 1894 and 1898.
86 Dean Street (1975)
From the birth certificate, I had a new address to follow up and indeed in the 1901 census, at 86 Dean Street we find Carlo (Head) living with Luigia and son Alfonso. Carlo is indicated as a Waiter (Restaurant) / Inn. There is no Lillia listed, who would have been only 3yrs old. The property also had many ‘boarders’ all Italian born in occupations such as Cooks, Bakers, and Waiters. 86 Dean Street was quite possibly the restaurant, it is still there today, a prominent corner building in a commercial part of London.
In 1902, Carlo and Luigia had their second son, Marion Stratta, and two years later, on 23rd February 1904 Ida Vittorina was born, which appears to be their final child.
The 1911 census, shows that the family are still at 86 Dean Street, Louigia (Louisa) is now listed as Boarding House Keeper, Carlo is still a waiter, and Alfonso is now a 17yr old Kitchen Boy. 9yr old Marion is at school, and there are 5 boarders. But where is Ida Vittorina?
With two busy working parents, there is a possibility that both girls were sent to live with grandparents in Italy whilst they weere infants. This may explain the baptism at 3yrs old in Italy.
In 1918, there is a marriage between Luigia’s sister Gina, and a John Marugg, a waiter. They lived at 73 Caledonian Road. Why is this marriage significant to our story? Wait and see.
1921
The 1921 census shows Luigia Stratta, a 41yrs old Widow, living with her mother Vittoria Gillia aged 69, also a widow. Luigia’s son Mario(n) aged 19 a waiter at the Curios Club, and a boarder John Marugg, a waiter at the Waldorf hotel.
However, the 1921 census, shows that Ida Stratta, a London-born, Italian, aged 17y4m, was an Inmate at the The Convent of the Good Shepherd, in Finchley. She is listed as a laundress at the institution. Why was she here?
The convent was a refuge for women described at the time as “penitents”, aged from about 17 upwards, who worked principally in the commercial laundry. Historical research confirms that industrial laundries funded Good Shepherd institutions and that they were intended both to “reform” women considered to have fallen into sexual or social transgression and to “protect” girls thought to be at risk of doing so. We do not know how long, nor why Vittorina was here. In order to find out I would need the detailed records of the convent, which I am told give extensive details about each girl brought into their care. I plan on acquiring this from the LMA and updating this piece of history.
The Asylum System
Sometime between 1921 and 1924, Vittorina was admitted to Horton Asylum. I hold out hope to acquire her case records from the LMA at some point in the future. Unfortunately the lunacy admissions records are not yet available for that year.
What we do know for sure is that Vittorina died on 18th May 1924, and was buried at Horton cemetery, in grave 1745a, on 24th May 1924. Her cause of death is listed as Pulmonary Tuberculosis.
After death
A year later, 1925, her mother wrote to the asylum superintendent regarding the erection of a slab and bust in Vittorina’s memory.
Vittorina’s mother Luigia, re-married a John (Hans) Marugg in 1930 (her sister’s ex husband and her 1921 boarder). Luigia later died on 11th June 1938, leaving £538 to her new husband John (Hans) Marugg, Hotel waiter.
The Discrepency
Vittorina’s birth fluctuates:
- English birth certificate, 1904: 23 February 1904
- Italian baptism register, 1907: 29 February 1904
- Damaged memorial transcribed/scheduled in 1983: 9 February 1904
There is a very substantial difference in evidential quality between the last two. The 29 February is something we can actually see written in the original 1907 register, this could have simply been a mistake that carried forwards due to being in Italy.
The 9 February is a solicitor’s much later reading of a memorial which their own document describes as having been broken and defaced. Therefore, 9th could be 29th and the 2 is broken, defaced or worn.