Contract of Andrea Cereghino with Four of His Sons

Of the Lord

     Favale di Malvaro - In the year 1884, on the 3rd day of the month of March, here in Castello, this contract took place in my house.  It is between the father, Andrea Cereghino son of Giuseppe, with his own sons being present, which are: Luigi, Pietro, Daniele, and Samuele.  All were convened and accepted to stipulate the following agreements:

1 - To pay to the old father one marengo per year.  This is not only because he is old, but because he allows and gives use of his literary property, and the printing and the sale of his stories and songs which he has printed and composed a long time ago.

2 - The father allows them his property; with the agreement of all four the brothers together, trading together his property,  in peace as real Christian brothers.   And in case of sickness, when they are around the world, the other three will use charity towards the sick one as if they were sick themselves.

3 - In case this sickness was long, and if they know the sick one is able to travel, they should place him on the railroad and send him to Chiavari, then to Cicagna, at the common expenses of all the healthy brothers.   When the sick one is healed, he will go back with the other brothers.  He should never go and trade the property of the father separated from his brothers.

4 - If the sickness was very severe, and the sick one was endangered, they shall call the doctor and take him to the closest hospital so that he can be looked after.  Meanwhile, the brothers will should make small trips, every once in a while, go to visit him.

5 - When they send money to the typographer; when picking up the stories, all four of the Cereghino brothers will sign the papers, so the typographer will know that all four of them have the equal right to the property of the father, and that they are together; and that they act like real brothers.

6 - If it was to happen because of a whim (which I do not believe it would), or because of self-interest,  that one of the brothers was to separate from the other brothers, the brothers united will warn their father, in a letter.  They will also warn the typographer, as soon as he (the brother)  has left, that he has lost the right of enjoying his father’s property, because he has broken the agreement made with his own father to not be united with his brothers.

7 - Concerning the one marengo each that the brothers are obligated to pay to their father, the fixed time for the payment will be when they will have gone on their first trip and they have come back home.  They then will pay one marengo each, as we have agreed among ourselves, to their own father .  Their father will sign for having received it.

8.- This agreement will last until my death (death of Andrea).  After that, all my children - the four of my sons hereafter mentioned and my other sons and daughters who are in America and who also have to pay me one marengo a year when they come back here to their motherland (if they want to profit, as the other brothers, from my literary property) - being united by heart among themselves, will trade together, always going together to sell my poems and stories.  This will be the only inheritance which I leave to all of my sons and daughters, beginning with my first son Giuseppe Cereghino employed by the tax collector of Toriglia, and also my son Emanuele, last of my 16 children, all of whom I have honorably raised with my sole literary property and by selling my poems.

9 - I warn though that if the four brothers find themselves in agreement to separate and make two groups, either in the markets or trips, for a few days their profit will be united.  In partnership they will split evenly the profits among themselves, as well as the expense for the printing.  They will share with each other the account for the expenses and the value of the gain obtained.  All will be equal, and each one will help his own family.

10 - Finally, we conclude the above mentioned articles, and we sign with our own hands, I being the first, their father Andrea Cereghino –

Cereghino Luigi
Cereghino Pietro
Cereghino Daniele
Samuele Cereghino