Origin of my great grandfather Nicholas SVOMBO

[Spencer46]

My paternal grandmother’s parents were Nicholas SVOMBO and Ellen (née BARRY). They were married on 9th November 1854 at St John the Baptist (now St Colman, Cathedral) Queenstown (now Cobh), County Cork, Ireland. I have been able to trace the baptism of my great grandmother and her parents.
I am stuck with the baptism, place of birth and parents of my great grandfather. Nicholas SVOMBO was born about 1828, possibly on the Greek Island of Hydra. He had something to do with shipping. Nicholas and Ellen had 10 children. Lazarus (possibly named after his paternal grandfather) was born in County Cork in 1855. His siblings were all born in Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales between 1856 and 1873. 1861 and 1871 censuses and other records have provided various addresses for the SVOMBOs in the Bute Town and Newtown areas of Cardiff. Nicholas died in 1876. My paternal grandmother was their 9th child. I am in contact with several of my grandmother’s siblings’ descendants. Over the years the spelling of SVOMBO has been changed to SWAMBO, SWANBO and SWOMBOW. It has been suggested that SVOMBO is not a Greek surname and probably came from somewhere else in the Balkans. My DNA test with Ancestry suggest 3% Greece and Albania.

[Thunder]

I would suggest that the name Svombo is unlikely to come from the Balkans (certainly not from Albania) and Greece is not really in the Balkans, given the DNA results, how many of the Balkan states are covered by DNA?. Does his marriage certificate say anything about his father, like a name. I do wonder that if he was from Greece what he was doing in Ireland and south Wales. There were some BMD records for the Ionian Islands which were registered at the General Register Office and I think may be held by FMP.

[VALLMO9]

As regards the OP's Ancestry DNA match: During the Middle Ages, some Albanians migrated into southern Greece. The term for these Albanians is "Arvanite". Most Arvanites settled in Attica, Boeotia, South Euboea, Corinthia, Argolis. Also, some islands near Attica -- like Hydra and Spetses.

In "Slaters Commercial Directory, 1858-1859" (Cardiff), a Nichalas Svombo is listed under the "Tobacconists" section. Location: 41 Bute Street, Bute Docks. So was he affiliated with tobacco importing before he became a ship broker? This would make sense, as Greece was/is associated with tobacco export.

Question for OP: Have you found him in the 1861 census? If so, what is his birthplace? Is it simply "Greece" (like the 1871 census indicates)?
Also, what was his occupation on his Irish marriage record?

As for NS's birth/baptism record (if it exists), you may need to contact the appropriate church or parish in Greece. Most church registers are still maintained by the parish. Some older records, however, may have been turned in to diocese or state archives.

Also, the Family History Library has some church records on microfilm from Greece. I would imagine one would need the records translated.

This link provides helpful guidance for the above: https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Gr ... ch_Records
NOTE: This page also includes a visual example of an 1822 baptism record and its translation (see Baptisms section).

[Spencer46]

I would suggest that the name Svombo is unlikely to come from the Balkans (certainly not from Albania) and Greece is not really in the Balkans, given the DNA results, how many of the Balkan states are covered by DNA?. Does his marriage certificate say anything about his father, like a name. I do wonder that if he was from Greece what he was doing in Ireland and south Wales. There were some BMD records for the Ionian Islands which were registered at the General Register Office and I think may be held by FMP.

Thank you for your reply.

I agree that SVOMBO is not a Greek surname but there are records for SVOMBOs on Hydra.

Cobh/Queenstown, County Cork was the last port that the Titanic called at. It was also the port where the survivors of the sinking of the Lusitania were taken in 1915. There is a Titanic Museum in Cobh which is well worth visiting. As my grandfather had connections with shipping that would explain why he was in Ireland.

BMD certificates for events in what is now the Republic of Ireland were destroyed. The only records available are parish records. In 1911 a copy of my great grandparents’ marriage register extract was obtain, possibly by my grandfather. The document which I hold names the bride and groom, the witnesses and priest. There is no mention of the fathers of the bride or groom although one of the witnesses was probably the bride’s father.

A lot of Irish people were imported into South Wales as cheap labour. My great grandfather was probably looking for work in the docks.

The 1861 census lists my great grandfather’s age as 33 (born about 1828), place of birth Greece and occupation ship agent.

The 1871 census lists my grandfather’s age as 44 (born about 1827), place of birth Greece and occupation ship broker.

There are Ionian Island records on FMP.

[VALLMO9]

Aren't the Ionian records on FMP mainly military, consular services, and merchant navy related ?? If the OP hasn't located his ancestor in these FMP record sets, he should follow the guidance provided in the Family Search link I included above for obtaining Greek records directly, or on microfilm (if available). I think he will struggle to find the c1828 birth/baptism record anywhere online.

NOTE: The OP will be aware that his ancestor and family have been discussed in depth on various forums since 2006.

[AdrianBruce]

... BMD certificates for events in what is now the Republic of Ireland were destroyed. The only records available are parish records. ...

Not quite. Just to ensure that no-one gets misled, no Irish BMD certificates were destroyed in the 1922 fire. They didn't start Civil Registration in Ireland until 1864 - with the sole exception of marriages in the Church of Ireland, which were registered from 1845 onwards, with RC, Presbyterian and other marriages being registered only from 1864.

The marriage that the OP found is a Roman Catholic marriage - no RC parish records were destroyed in 1922 either. Mind you, thanks to the virtual suppression of the Catholic church as an institution earlier on, as you approach 1800 (going backwards), Catholic PRs start fading away.

The 1922 fire destroyed something like 2/3 of the Church of Ireland records from before civil registration, plus all surviving censuses of the 1891 and earlier. Plus loads of other stuff.......

[VALLMO9]

Here is an archive link for Hydra records, but it appears to be 1854-1971 only. Also, there is no English translation option for this Hydra record collection. (Note: There are some English translations for other record sets elsewhere on this Archives website).

http://arxeiomnimon.gak.gr/browse/index ... =GRGSA-YDR

The Family Search link below offers guidance related to researching/obtaining Islands County, Greece records directly at local Archive level:

https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Is ... _Genealogy

All in all, it sounds like you will have to perform an "old school" request for NS's birth/baptism records (e.g. email and/or snail mail). Good luck!

[jonwarrn]

They didn't start Civil Registration in Ireland until 1864 - with the sole exception of marriages in the Church of Ireland, which were registered from 1845 onwards, with RC, Presbyterian and other marriages being registered only from 1864.

The 1922 fire destroyed something like 2/3 of the Church of Ireland records from before civil registration, plus all surviving censuses of the 1891 and earlier. Plus loads of other stuff.......

Non catholic marriages were registered from 1 April 1845, not just C of I.
And civil marriages performed by registrars began.
An Act for Marriages in Ireland; and for registering such Marriages. [9 August 1844] 7 & 8 Vict. c.81
http://www.histpop.org/ohpr/servlet/Vie ... s&mno=4047

The 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891 census returns for Ireland were destroyed on government instruction.
http://homepage.eircom.net/~seanjmurphy ... usmemo.htm

[AdrianBruce]

... Non catholic marriages were registered from 1 April 1845, not just C of I.
And civil marriages performed by registrars began. ...

Oh, that's interesting - it took me a while in that Act to find the operative words but Marriage Register Books are referred to from clause LXII onwards. I had it in my head that the registration requirement was just for CofI but now I look in John Grenham's Tracing Your Irish Ancestors he is quite clear that the 1864 change affected only Catholic marriages - I'd just never gone that further step to realise that therefore Presbyterian, Jewish and Quaker marriages were already covered.

As for those censuses, yes, I did know that some earlier stuff had already been destroyed - hence my correct, if non-specific, phrase "all surviving censuses of the 1891 and earlier". I think there's always a little debate about exactly when each was pulped, though your link is quite clear. (I shall save that!)