Flanders to Rome


Nicola Sciascia
Family Pilgrimage 2007

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BULLETIN! - Updated book Making Waves due for release soon

Making Waves is a book written by Felicity Campbell about the life of Jock McGregor (grandfather of Riria McGregor). I have just heard from Felicity that the book is about to be reprinted with new content including much more about Nicola Sciascia and his wife Riria McGregor.

Felicity advises "Just to say we are very close to printing now, probably will be at printer by the end of the week. The price is still $39.99 and I'll discount 20% to descendants wanting more than one copy. There's good local interest and no relaunch planned, however, Paiges Book Gallery will organise an author's reading gathering in October".

Making Waves has the full support of Uncle Sonny Sciascia and other family elders

Click here to order your copy(s) of the new edition of Making Waves 

Book Review by River City Press 2004
"The depth of the author's research has enabled her to weave into Jock's story an ever entertaining picture of life in early New Zealand and particularly in Wanganui"

Book Review by Sunday Star Times 2004
"Campbell has an excellent feel for what early life in Wanganui was probably like, McGregors story should appeal to readers outside the region too."

Book Review by Wanganui Chronicle 2004
"The author, who lives in Wanganui, should be justifiably proud of her effort in putting this adventure together and producing it in such an interesting book"

Click here for details of a book about Nicola Sciascia

Dedication

Nicola Sciascia, son of Carlo Sciascia and Maria Giacinta Di Toma  was born on April 13th 1840 in the town of Trani, Italy.  Trani is a lovely seaside village a few kilometres north of Bari on the Adriatic Coast.

Nicola spent his early life serving as a merchant seaman, having visited London and other European ports. 

It is not known when Nicola first arrived in New Zealand but it is thought to have been prior to 1873.  He met and married Riria, eldest daughter of Te One and Pirihira McGregor at Foxton and records show he spent most of his married life as a lighthouse keeper serving on most lights around the coast of New Zealand.  His marriage produced eleven children.  Sadly Nicola was gored by a bull when serving on Portland Island and died of injuries received.

Nicola Sciascia's lonely grave on Portland Island off the Mahia Peninsula stands as a tribute to the baby born in Trani in 1840, who lived in this country for no more than thirty years and leaves the inheritance of at least two thousand descendants.

In the northern summer of 2007 a group of descendants of Nicola will return to the town of his birth.  The intention is to meet with our Italian family, the descendants of Nicola's brothers and sisters to build on the existing ties and relationships that have built up over recent years.

During this journey we shall also visit Flanders to remember the life of Charles who was the grandson of Nicola and was killed in action while serving with the New Zealand armed forces there on August 1st 1917.

Alan Sciascia © 2007 HomeCharlesTravel NewsItineraryParticipantsPhotosContactsWhakapapa

Nicola's and Riria's portrait images kindly scanned and edited by Diane Taylor
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