Ralli Family History & Genealogy

I have an old studio photograph of Mary Pauline RALLI which was taken at the Langhorne Studio in Plainfield, NJ in June 1893. Mary is identified as being 22 ½ months old at the time the photograph was taken. A note on the back also says “Our Mother’s handwriting”, suggesting that Mary’s mother wrote the note giving her identification. Based on limited research and thanks to a family researcher, I have gathered the following information regarding Mary and her family:

Mary Pauline Alexandra RALLI was b. 29 Jul 1891 in Plainfield, NJ to parents Constantine “Conny” P. RALLI (1854-1934) and Marian “Minnie” Gascoigne HAINES (1861-1896) who were married 4 Oct 1890. Mary had two siblings, brothers Basil RALLI (b. 1893) and Reginald Gascoigne RALLI (1894-1964). Mary died 18 Sept 1980 in Pittstown, NJ. There are indications that Mary was deaf or hearing impaired and may have been both a student and teacher at the Nitchie Service League in New York during her lifetime. There is also information on her passport application regarding a significant scar over her face and head caused by an accident, not visible in this photograph so likely occurring when she was older.

Mary’s mother was b. 14 Mar 1861 in Brooklyn, NY, the daughter of Samuel A. HAINES (1838-1896). Minnie had one brother, Frank Marcelas HAINES (1868-1947). Minnie married Constantine Panteleone SCARAMANGA-RALLI (1854-1934) in 1890 and she died 13 Dec 1896 in New Jersey and is buried in the Hillside Cemetery in Scotch Plains, NJ.

Mary’s father was b. 1854 in Kensington, London, England and immigrated to the USA in 1877. After his wife Minnie died he married Julia Townsend LAWRENCE (1860-1933) in 1903 in New York. Constantine was a writer and published his first novel in 1904. He left the USA without his children and returned to England living both in London and the Isle of Wight. The two children (one child appears to have died at birth) remained in the USA living with the KYTE family. Mary’s first trip to England occurred in 1924, maybe on her father’s 70th birthday. She remained in London for 4 months before returning to the USA.

Mary lived in the American Women’s Association Club Hotel in Manhattan, NY listing her occupation as a Private School Teacher. She traveled to England a couple more times according to records, each time with her brother Reginald in 1931 and 1947 listing their address as 105 Locust Street, Garden City, Long Island, NY. She also had a lip-reading instructional manual published in 1949 and appears to have also taught in London.

Mary’s brother Reginald (1894-1964) trained as a telephone operator and joined the army in 1916-1917. He married Marguerite Kissan BARKLAW (1987-1982) in 1917 and in 1918 they had a daughter, Marion Dulcie RALLI (1918-2009) in North Plainfield, NJ. A son Jack Bernard RALLI (1923-2016) was born in 1923. By WWII Reginald was married to Florence Miriam BROWN (1902-1984) and he was working for a Candy company as a Salesman in Brooklyn, NY. He didn’t have any children with his second wife. In 1960 Reginald and his wife Florence were living in Phoenix, AZ. He died in 1964 and is buried in the Hillside Cemetery in Plainfield, NJ.

I am hoping to be able to return this photograph to a family member and would appreciate you contacting me if you are a member of this family or know someone who might be.

Thanks,
Shelley