The mysteries of my ancestors is getting more exciting and intense as I learn new information. I just received the results of my DNA test from Ancestry.com, and most of those results I could confirm already. There were a few that were interesting, like I am 98% European, and 2% Asian. I never imagined that and would have thought of myself as 100% European.
But it did not answer entirely the question of whether Capitola Grinlinton Guth was Italian or not. There are a few reasons why I think Capitola was Italian, but, that is not proof. First of all, it would seem like Capitola is an Italian name, or at least that is what it sounds like to me. Second, Grinlinton is not a common name and the ones I found in New York married into Italian families. Many of them ended up living in the Bronx. Third, my dad had black hair, as did his father, who was Capitola's son.
The DNA tests did show that there is probably Italian blood in me. But it could also be French blood as well, because the French in the area of Alsace-Lorraine, which is where Jean George Guth originally came from, was included in the area under Italy/Greece.
So, the theory is that Georgianna Capitola Grinlinton Guth may be Italian. Maybe or maybe not, at least not known to us yet.
I did a word search on Google using the name 'Capitola' and found something interesting. There was a book written during the time of Capitola's birth/childhood. The original was written a couple of years before she would have been born. The book is called, 'The Hidden Hand' and is a novel about a girl named Capitola Black. She was an orphan who lived on the streets of New York. Here is the url for this novel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hidden_Hand_novel
Perhaps there is a connection between the person in the book (Capitola Black) and Capitola Grinlinton Guth, or, more likely, maybe her mom named her Capitola because the book/story was out and it was a nice name to name a daughter.
So, the mystery remains for now concerning whether Capitola's mom was Italian or not. Who was she? Where was she born? Did she die giving birth? Was Capitola an orphan? Why does Capitola's death certificate state that she was born in Illinois? Maybe her biological parents died and she was sent to live with other relatives?
