Genealogías e Historia del Suroeste de Puerto Rico: Hormigueros

viernes, 19 de junio de 2020

The Galiano and Galiana families from Hormigueros and Cabo Rojo

At times, surnames in Puerto Rico can be so similar that there can arise a confusion about the origins of the family. This is the case of the two different families in the Cabo Rojo/Hormigueros area: Galiana and Galiano.

The Galiana Family

Mariana Galiana and Esteban Barber emigrated from Spain and settled in Cabo Rojo, PR where Esteban was a mariner. They had 6 children in Cabo Rojo and a large family of descendants. In several documents in Cabo Rojo, the surnames were transposed and the Galiana surname appears as Galiano for the children of Esteban Barber and Mariana Galiana. Mariana Galiana was born in Villajoyosa, Alicante, Spain as documented on the birth of her children in Cabo Rojo. Example: Rosa Maria Barber y Galiana. Mariana’s death document correctly states her surname as Galiana and her parents as Bartolomé Galiana and Francisca Lloret (later found to be Tonda y Lloret). The marriage of Mariana Galiana to Esteban Barber occurred in Villajoyosa, Alicante, Spain on Feb 24, 1869. Both the Barber and Galiana families are from this area of Alicante, Spain for several centuries.

The Galiano Family

The Galiano family has a completely different origin. Santiago Galiano, also a mariner in Southwest Puerto Rico, was born in Laigueglia, Genoa, Italy on Aug 4, 1771 and settled in Hormigueros. Santiago married Maria Rapaz in Mayagüez in 1822. Santiago previously had three children with Tomasa Preciado y de la Seda in Hormigueros from 1812-1815. This is also a very large family in Southwest PR. In his signature below in Hormigueros, we see that he signs S.Yago Galiany. His baptismal document states his name as Jacoby Domenico Galliany. Santiago, (also San Iago, San Tiago, Santyago, Sant-Yago, San Thiago) is a Spanish name that derives from the Hebrew name Jacob, or Jacobo/Jacoby in Italian.

Santiago’s death record in Mayagüez states that he was from Laigueglia, Genoa.

Santiago Galiano's Signature

Both the civil registrar and church scribes wrote the surnames for these two families incorrectly at times, and other times correctly. Since Santiago Galiano had several sons and grandsons, the Galiano surname was more recognizeable and probably contributed to the civil registrar and priest errors. The correct origin of these two surnames were clarified by obtaining the baptismal and marriage documents in the birth country.

Sources:

Esteban Barber y Mayor and Mariana Galiana y Tonda, Marriage Feb 24, 1869 - ARCHIVO HISTÓRICO - DIÓCESIS DE ORIHUELA - ALICANTE, Parroquia La Asunción de Villajoyosa, Alicante, Spain. QL-28 (1869-1870) Folio 294 , No. 13.
Mariana Galiana y Lloret (Tonda), Defunción: Registro Civil de Puerto Rico, Cabo Rojo, Bk 47, Folio 520, No 239.
Rosa Maria Barber y Galiana (appears as Galiano), Birth: Registro Civil de Puerto Rico, Cabo Rojo, Bk. 6, Folio 191, No. 225.
Jacoby (Santiago) Domenico Galiano Baptism: Aug 4, 1771, Laigueglia, Genoa, Italy Parroquia San Matteo, Libro quinto de bautismos.
Santiago Galiano, Death- 16 Dec 1840, Mayaguez, PR, Libro de defunciones, folio 104.
Santiago Galiano and Maria Rapaz - Archivo Parroquial Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria de Mayagüez, Libro sexto de matrimonios, folio 50v. 3 de junio de 1822 - D. Santiago Galiano, oriundo de Génova, h.l. D. Santiago y Da. Valentina Galiano con Da. María Rapas, h.l. D. Felipe y Da. Celestina Meses, difuntos. Testigos: D. José Vigo y D. Manuel Vidó.