I'm looking for any information that can be found on my great-great grandfather Giuseppe (Joseph) Gestro. He was born in 1846 in Italy, and died in 1905 in Wellington, New Zealand. I don't know when he came over.

I've been talking to my great-aunt (his granddaughter) and she tells me that he said he came from Brindisi, although she's found no information about the Gestro's there and that she believes he is more likely to have come from Genoa. Her cousin Noni Gestro got in contact with a Mario Gestro from Genoa but couldn't find any sort of connection.

He may have had different surnames. Being illiterate and with Joseph's accent the name Gestro was written down how it was pronounced hence the various spellings- Jestroe ,Jestro, Justre and Gustra.

Joseph Justre(Gestro) married Frances Cunningham alias Mullins at St Mary of the Angels Wellington 6th May 1876. He had 9 children, my great grandmother Catherine Gestro being his youngest (she married William Issac Akersten). I don't know all of their names as this has only come up while I've been researching the Akersten family.

Any information that can be found to help me find out more about my Italian heritage is welcomed and appreciated.

He died about 87 years before I was born, and so far the only one who has been ablet to tell me anything about him is my great-aunt, who refers to him as Joseph, which is his English name so it's not too easy to find out information and retain all of it.

It is him, Francis was known as Fanny, although I don't know where "John" has come from. He has apparently always been known as either Giuseppe or Joseph, so it's a bit strange.

I know that Betty (my great aunt) has talked to her cousin Noni Gestro, and they tried to contact a Gestro in Genoa, and got in touch with a Mario Gestro but there was no connection found. I'm not sure how to go about searching if Noni was unable to find anything and I'm assuming they live in Italy. I speak no Italian and live in New Zealand, with no contact to anyone over there.

So Pegli is a good starting point? How common is the name Gestro anyway, and is it likely to have been changed?